WADE RATHKE is the founder of ACORN, Chief Organizer at ACORN International, and Author of "Nuts & Bolts", "Citizen Wealth", "Global Grassroots", and "The Battle for the 9th Ward".
Little Rock Sometimes you stumble over something so obvious, you shake your head wondering why your thinking was so patterned that it was in danger of becoming more habitual than flexible in facing organizing problems. An organizer always has to challenge herself not to simply fall back on a practiced repertoire of tactics and strategies in facing …
Montreal There are probably thousands of sayings about measurements. “Measure twice, cut once,” is the rule in carpentry and many other trades. In business, “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” In life and much of work, “if you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” In general, “a good measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions,” and …
Montreal Listening to one great report after another from office directors in ACORN Canada was exciting, whether they were talking about growth or campaign victories. It was hard to believe that this record-breaking performance was being achieved against the obstacles of the pandemic. Internally, the new membership numbers were the best in a dozen years. The dues paid …