Building Democratic Structures into Non-profit and Collective Organizations

The systems of oppression that we inherently oppose as organizers — patriarchy, classism, racism/white supremacy — can take hold in our organizations if we aren’t intentional about our organizational structures. This workshop will share concrete examples of how non-profit and collective organizations are building participatory decision-making, non-hierarchical organizing, healthy interpersonal relationships, and other democratic frameworks into their organizational structures. We will explore how sharing power in processes ranging from budgeting to strategic planning can empower our constituents. We will learn how we can draw on grassroots organizing histories in the US and beyond to inform our democratic processes and support our work for justice across issues and movements.