Organizing a core group
Your DM internship involves working with students on your campus in a three-phase program: (1) organize and educate a group of your peers, (2) develop and run a series of campaigns designed to raise awareness on campus, and (3) activate people to be politically and civically active, fighting for democracy and fight for social justice.
Your Core Group - You will need a group of 5-7 people to help you start DM - students who are also commited to continuing to actively participate in DM on your campus. Ask friends, check out interesting people in your classes, identify campus leaders, and others. Once you recruit a few people, ask each of them to them to suggest names of othes who might join the core group.
Recruiting Leaders - For each person you want to recruit, schedule a one-on-one recruiting conversation. Sit down and tell them about your vision - why you are passionate about DM. Ask for their help and involvement. Explore what interests and skills (speaking, planning, organizing, artistic, athletic, musical etc). they have, what connections with others on campus, and what role they want to play in DM etc.
Executive Committee - If you want to form a DM executive committee, you should choose particularly committed and creative students to participate. Alternatively, you can simply give members titles and make them part of a core decision-making group to work closely with you without formally constituting an Executive Committee.
Becoming “Official” - Each school has different rules for becoming an official club. The hoops they require you to jump through are typically many (and always a pain in the neck), but there are major advantages to being “official” - access to funding, name recognition, meeting places etc. Find out what your school requires and talk with your DM staff immediately to formulate a plan to becoming official.
Recruiting More Members - Everything you do during the year should include a recruiting component, but especially at the beginning of Fall semester. Campus activity fairs, tabling, class raps, club events (yours and others’), and one-on-one conversations can all recruit new members. Ask every DM member to bring a friend to meetings, get creative about including a DM recruiting message in everything you do.
Organizational and Club Fairs - A great DM table at the Fall and/or Spring campus events where students sign up for clubs is the single most important way to recruit new members (especially first years). Your table should be awesome - so attractive that no one can walk by without stopping! Have two or three DM members there ( both in front of and behind the table) at all times ready to engage and encourage students to sign up. Remember, DM is competing with every other campus club, so make sure we win!
Finding Allies - Because not everyone will join DM, you need to build additional supporters and allies. By power mapping your campus, implementing a DM Ambassador program, and working closely with faculty, you can identify and solidify a large group supportive of DM’s acrtions and positions. , faculty
Your General Interest Meeting - Hold a general interest meeting, inviting everyone you can. Schedule it as early as possible in the Fall semester. Email and/or text every student email you have. Publicize it widely on campus with posters, instagram, flyers, other social media, while tabling and just by talking to friends. have DM members as well as yourself and your core group make announcements in classes, give talks in dorms, place table tents in dining halls and quarter cards on classroom seat etc.