If there’s one thing people think you need before you can make change, it’s permission.
Permission from institutions. Permission from gatekeepers. Permission from the people who claim to be “in charge” of justice. But here’s the truth every movement-builder eventually discovers:
You don’t need permission to build power. You only need people.
And sometimes, those people don’t know each other yet. Sometimes you don’t know anybody yet. Sometimes you’re just standing in the wreckage of a crisis, a bad policy, an injustice, thinking:
“Someone has to do something. But I don’t know where to start.”
This is your guide.
Not the academic or sanitized nonprofit version. Not the “here’s how to convene twelve stakeholders at a Hilton conference room” version.
This is the Clutch Justice version, for when you’re building community with nothing but grit, urgency, and a notebook full of receipts.
1. Start With One Person — Yes, Just One
Every coalition, even the national ones, starts with one-to-two people saying,
“This is wrong. Let’s fix it.”
Don’t wait until you have a dozen supporters. Don’t wait until you have an email list, a logo, or a 90-page strategy deck.
Start with:
- one survivor
- one parent
- one neighbor
- one person who says, “I’m tired of being quiet.”
Movements don’t need numbers on day one. They need clarity. Ask: What’s the problem? Who does it hurt? What do we want to change?
That’s officially your ground floor.
2. Identify the “Natural Connectors” in Your Community
Coalition-building becomes easier when you know who already holds community trust.
Look for:
- the organizer
- the teacher
- the church auntie
- the kid who knows everyone on the block
- the small-business owner people go to when they need help
- the person who always shows up, rain or shine
These are your organic power centers. You don’t need institutions, you really need people who already have relational capital. Invite them into conversation, not obligation:
“This is happening. I don’t know where it goes yet. But it matters. Would you listen?”
People want to help far more than you think, especially when the purpose is clear.
3. Build Trust Before You Build Structure
Most failed coalitions didn’t collapse because of lack of resources. They collapsed because of lack of trust. You build trust by:
- listening more than you talk
- validating lived experience
- keeping promises
- sharing credit
- staying transparent about goals and limitations
- making the work safe for people to participate in
Coalitions built on urgency burn out, but coalitions built on trust last.
4. Make Your First Win Small — and Very Visible
Coalitions thrive on momentum. Don’t start by trying to change an entire system. Start by getting one thing done that proves you can deliver.
Examples:
- Press a county official for data you’re entitled to
- Get three parents to give testimony at a school board meeting
- Run a petition
- Send a joint letter
- Bring attention to an issue local media has overlooked
These “small wins” are not small at all, they are credibility-building victories.
People are drawn to winning teams. Not because of ego, but because winning feels like hope.
5. Give People Real Roles — Not Busywork
One of the fastest ways to kill a movement is to make people feel unnecessary. Instead, assign meaningful roles:
- Researcher
- Social media amplifier
- Meeting notetaker
- Community storyteller
- Liaison to partner organizations
- Public speaker
- Strategist
- Volunteer coordinator
When people can see how their specific strength moves the mission forward, they stay.
6. Reach Sideways, Not Upward
A common mistake new organizers make is trying to immediately involve:
- elected officials
- institutions
- foundations
- nonprofit executives
But coalitions aren’t built up. They are built out across communities, horizontally.
Reach out to:
- other grassroots organizers
- special interest groups with overlapping goals
- civil rights orgs
- mutual aid networks
- school groups
- local journalists
- faith-based communities
- neighborhood associations
This is how movements scale: not through hierarchy, but through shared purpose.
7. Document Everything
A coalition without documentation becomes a group chat that goes nowhere. So it’s really important to document:
- goals
- values
- asks
- meeting notes
- strategy
- wins
- roles
- commitments
Documentation is the bridge between passion and progress.
8. Remember: Most Movements Begin in Chaos, Not Confidence
People assume organizers know exactly what they’re doing.
Nope. Most of us are building the bridge while we cross it.
You don’t wait until you feel ready. You start because the issues can’t wait. And slowly, with each meeting, each action, each new voice, you realize:
You built a coalition.
You built a community.
You built power.
