CAFE, 540 Pacific Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Tax I.D.# 74-3166298
Basebuilding Forums
In 2012, CAFE invested in laying a framework for large-
scale community organizing among local environmental
groups in Sonoma County. A professional community
organizer was hired to develop relationships with local
leaders and groups directly impacted by environmental
issues.
Based on needs identified, a series of basebuilding forums
were designed and conducted with the aim of expanding the
capacity of grassroots environmental groups. The goal was
both to make each group more effective in the work they do,
and to build relationships between groups through the
development of sophisticated leaders. Virtually all of these
groups, while highly skilled in the science of environmental
issues, were less skilled when it came to public outreach
and communication. Based on this assessment, forums
focused on relationship building, running effective meetings,
board development, and messaging.
Over 100 people from 30 local organizations across
Sonoma County participated. These forums were a unique
endeavor amongst environmental organizations in our
community. Turnout exceeded set goals, and the response
from participants in written evaluations was overwhelmingly
positive.
Forum participants included:
Moms for Clean Air, Sierra Club, Greenbelt
Alliance, CARRQ, The Laguna Foundation,
Sonoma County Water Coalition, Valley of the
Moon Alliance, Forests Unlimited, Trout Unlimited,
Coastwalk, Friends of the Eel River, Friends of the
Gualala River, California Alliance of Family
Farmers, Atascadero/Greeen Valley Watershed
Association, Accountable Development Coalition,
Paula Lane Action Network, Friends of the Mark
West Watershed, Sonoma Coast Surfrider,
Concerned Citizens of Santa Rosa, Sonoma
County Garden Network, Cotati Creek Critters, and
Russian Riverkeeper.
To see more details and a slideshow of pictures from
one of these forums,