The 4 Axes of Activist Organization (including the Dark Side) 

Why do some activist organizations thrive and others struggle? If you’ve been in an organization or watched (or written checks to support) activist organizations… some really kick *ss and some just kind of meander along… but why?

I come to this as an observer and outsider with a burning desire for these groups to do better for the disability community.

I’ve come up with this framework … activist organizations… am I off-base? are there others?

There are two positive patterns:

• Seeds
• Services

… and two corresponding anti-patterns:

• Safety valves
• Shills

(Yes, this probably needs a nice chart)

Seeds – organizations that spur change. These organizations identify problems and potential solutions… and then publicize them and (perhaps) work to implement them (or help find/build others to do the implementation).

Safety valves – organizations that absorb activists. Give activists a seat at a table even if no one is really listening. Fancy titles. Pull people into organizational drama. Also, these groups can give the public community the sense that there is an organization that is advocating on their behalf even if the group isn’t doing all that much.

Service – pretty obvious – delivering actual services and products to a community.  

Shills – Two options: 1. Appearing to advocate for a community, but instead advocating for another group. 2. Organizations that give the appearance of support to a community for marketing purposes.

This is often not intentional by the people or groups involved. They sometimes get sucked in or “organizational drift” happens or funders get uncomfortable or….who knows why.

It is also not irrevocable.

But I do use this framework when I’m looking at disability and other organizations.