Resist Meetup Groups

Sometimes in my more cynical moments I suspect doing it this way becomes resume fluffing for some younger activists.

Reaching out to actual groups that are in place in local areas not resume sexy. Saying in a campaign you created a new network of groups – even if they actually do nothing and disappear promptly looks way better on the resume.

On the reaching out note, in general some of it might be perception as well. Like most folks the first thing you would do is look at the web presence. I can’t speak to all the Democratic Parties by I will say the Mass Dems’ website could use a little re-org and focus on letting people know ways to actually be involved. This is not to pick on them but let’s just do a quick comparison to another one.

Mass Dems site how to join, get involved, etc. not remotely prominent. And I know it is just alphabetical by the way the interests and values are set up – but the first blurb is business and the first line is “Massachusetts Democrats understand that we are the pro-business party…” Which by the way if you do on line searches that line is the first real descriptor that appears in search links.

I’m not criticizing the value of business but it definitely creates a certain impression. There really isn’t anything on the main page in the body that encourages or seems to welcome involvement – other than a big contribute button at the bottom. It definitely creates an impression of just a fund raising, top down group and not one you’d actually could be involved with. Mind you, I’m not saying this is the only reality – but it sure the heck is the image in the page.

For contrast I went with the Virginia Dems site since I grew up there when I was young. One of the first things you see there is join/sign up. Which is also the last you see on the bottom. Instead of the first blurb on issues being something specific to just one group that might be more off-putting to everyone else. They have a more general statement: “The Democratic Party of Virginia is united in its efforts to elect Democratic leaders of character, integrity, ability, vision, and commitment to delivering results for Virginians.” Very generic, mind you, but nothing negative.

What’s more interesting to me is while yes there are contribute now links at top and bottom, they are are last on each of their menu bars. The first is in each is “Get Involved” which links to a sign up form which not only lists the standard sign up stuff and volunteer stuff but affinities/groups of interest (note that Business Owners is there but not given extra prominence partly because of the way they name the groups alphabetically.)

More interesting to me is that yes they have a link to local (district/etc.) groups just like the MA one – they have a under the Your Party menu a page about affinity style groups with a statement encouraging involvement and each group has chair, e-mail and often webpage, social media links and nice blurb. And to my eye they cover a lot of outstanding groups and ways to connect folks to something. It’s well worth scrolling through IMO.

I don’t know if in reality they operate any better or worse – but I do know that looking at the later I’d definitely get the sense of being more welcome, having ways to connect, etc.

Admittedly, just one factor, and my own insane .02 perhaps but nonetheless…