Grassroots organizing

Grassroots organizing is a broadly inclusive term campaigns, candidates, political parties, civic-minded institutions, and individuals use to describe efforts to organize a specific community in support of or opposition to political issues or candidates. The term grassroots refers to the model of organizing, as these efforts involve a high level of participation from community members and volunteers. This method of campaigning is more time-intensive than mail, email, or other campaign strategies. It prioritizes local involvement in the issues and person-to-person advocacy. Netroots Nation, an analytics training group for political campaigns, identifies "relational work, storytelling practices and strategic planning" as key skills in a grassroots campaign.

The term encompasses organizing that engages individuals, whether these are efforts organized by presidential campaigns, national political parties, or local petitioners. According to Local Victory, a resource for candidates and campaigns, grassroots efforts are most successful when they are gaining new members. The site advises campaign organizers: "One of the primary functions of your organization should be to grow."