How to Run Your Group

In order to have maximum impact in your fight against human rights abuses, you will need to keep your group strong and organised. Groups are ever changing: new opportunities present themselves in our communities and through AI campaigns. New people bring new ways of doing things to groups. We learn from members outside our group. As well, groups go through high and low phases. Groups often expand or contract in both the scope and the kind of activities they undertake.

How to Run A Local Group

Assign Group Roles
While every group is encouraged to organize according to its own needs and activities, the following is a list of some of the functions that could be undertaken within the group. It is not expected that groups would fill every one of these positions.

Group Coordinator

  • Chair group meetings.
  • Coordinate main group activities and effectively delegate responsibility among group members
  • Be the main liaison between the group and Amnesty's full time staff e.g. receive the monthly mailing and other general AI correspondence.
  • Ensure officer roles are filled and that leadership renewal is an ongoing process in the group.
  • Ensure the completion of any required general group reports.

Honorary Secretary

  • Take group meeting minutes; publish them via email to the group list.
  • Notify group members via the email list of next meeting dates/times.
  • Book the meeting room.
  • Respond to routine AI correspondence.
  • Organize (or delegate) the contacting of group members before events.

Treasurer

  • Maintain the group bank account and account records.
  • Be the liaison between the group and the Finance Department of AI Irish Section.
  • Update the group regularly on the state of the group finances.
  • Submit any necessary group financial reports (usually one annually) to the Finance Department of AI Irish Section.
  • Ensure that the group’s members send their individual contributions to AI Irish Section.

Membership Coordinator

  • Responsible for welcoming new members, providing them with an orientation to AI, and some follow-up.
  • Maintain the membership list for the group and inform the Section Office of changes in group members or the group mailing list.

Campaign Coordinator

  • Responsible for the campaigns taken on by the group – keep track of what actions have been taken, keep copies of letters and responses, maintain a file on the campaign.
  • Maintain contact with the appropriate coordination group or Irish Section Office staff concerning the campaign and inform them and the International Secretariat of major developments in the campaign.

Press and Publicity Coordinator

  • Responsible for general relations with the press, maintaining contacts and looking for new ones through such things as meetings with editorial boards, and ensuring that they receive relevant AI materials.
  • Seek to place stories in the local media and in the bi-annual Irish Section magazine about the group’s work or special events.

Fundraising and Outreach Coordinator

  • Responsible for organizing the group to do various types of fundraising and outreach. It is useful for this person to maintain files on what has contributed to the success (or failure) of the group’s past efforts.

Web Officer

  • Own producing content for the relevant section of the Amnesty Irish Section website, be it news of group events, campaigns, actions, meeting details etc. Liaise between the group and the Irish Section Office to get new content up on the web.
  • Work to ensure that the layout/hierarchy of the relevant section of the website meets the group needs, and is as optimal as possible for people to find information and for non group members to learn about human rights issues associated with the specialist subject or country, and attract new group members.

Local Group Liaison Officer

  • Aim to have some form of content from the group in every Monthly Mailing, which goes to other local Amnesty groups around the country. This could take the form of updating the local groups on the work the group is doing, actions the group has put together or news on events the group is organizing.
  • The objective of this is to...
  1. Leverage the local group network to help the group's campaigning
  2. Promote the work of the group
  3. Raise awareness of the human rights issues associated with the specialist subject or country among other Amnesty members.

Youth and Student Liaison Officer

  • Be the main liaison between the group and the Irish Section’s HRE (human rights education) team and the various Student & Youth groups.
  • Own the development and implementation of the group's S&Y strategy and engage the S&Y groups in the campaign
  • Generate ideas to bring our campaigning to the S&Y Amnesty members

7 Steps to Planning Your Year
Group Coordinators should call a start-of-year strategic planning meeting to set the framework for your group's work for the next year. When strategic planning is complete, your group should know:

  • The group's short-term and long-term (one year or longer) goals
  • How your group will work on AI Ireland's priority campaigns
  • What resources will be needed
  • How your group will integrate recruitment into all events and activities

Step 1: Assess your Group's Achievements
Brainstorm a brief list of last year's accomplishments. Ask all participants to name at least one aspect of your group's past activism that they liked and one that specifically needs to be improved.

Step 2: Set Strategic Goals
The goals your group sets at this point should be long-term but specific. Do not confuse goal setting with planning specific “action steps,” which will happen after your strategic goals have been accepted by the group's entire membership.

Goals should be SMART:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Relevant/Realistic
  • Time-Oriented

Strategic goals generally fall into two categories that complement each other:
1. Human Rights Action Goals
These should specifically identify what your group will accomplish within the context of AI's goals for particular campaigns or actions. Some examples:

  • Educate 300 people about the death penalty and get them to take action
  • Have 50 people participate in a December 10 Human Rights day action

2. Organisational Development Goals
These goals build the capacity of your group by better equipping it to meet your human rights action steps. Be sure to include goals for recruiting new members and raising funds. Some examples:

  • Recruit 10 new members in the next nine months.
  • Recruit 20 new dues-paying members to AI Ireland in one year.

Step 3: Create Specific Plans for Recruiting and Retaining New Members
Integrating recruitment and retention into all event and activity planning is key to group success. Each meeting and event should include a way to welcome and incorporate new members. For example, you might designate one member to welcome guests, get to know their interests and follow up by phone or email to invite them to the next meeting or event.
For ideas and advice on event planning see here > Our Work > Activist Groups > Activist Toolkit > Plan Events and Activities

Step 4: Develop Specific Action Plans
Hold a general membership meeting to obtain feedback and encourage participation. Working with the whole group or subgroups, the leader responsible for each strategic goal can facilitate a brainstorming session to develop an action plan. Completed action plans should include a list of specific tasks and the group members who will be responsible for each, a timeline for task completion and a list of necessary resources.
All the planning in the world will do you no good if you do not implement your plan. Once the Action Plan is complete and tasks are delegated, the group begins its work!

Step 5: Support Your Group Members
Leaders should follow up with members who are in charge of specific tasks to ensure they have the resources and information they need. Be careful not to over-plan or allow the group to suffer from "perfection paralysis." Recognise that things might not go exactly as planned, and be flexible. Know that your group may make some mistakes along the way - especially if you are trying something new such as hosting a benefit concert or a teach-in for the first time - and be prepared to learn from your experience.

Step 6: Check Your Plan
Refer back to your goals and action plans on a regular basis. Make sure things are getting done and adjust plans as necessary.

Step 7: Evaluating and Returning to Step 1
Hold a meeting with your general membership and discuss the successes and challenges over the past year. Some examples:

  • What went well?
  • How will we celebrate this success and thank those who helped?
  • How many new members did we recruit?
  • What can we do better next time?
  • What did we learn that we could use in the future?
  • What contacts and connections did we make?
  • Who else could benefit from this information (e.g., the regional office, new group members or leaders, other human rights organisations)?
  • What will we do to prepare-both mentally and physically-for the next event?
  • What challenges do we face?
  • What new resources became available to us because of this action or event?

Hold Effective Meetings
There is no set outline for group meetings. Each group is encouraged to design meetings, which meet their specific needs. However, to optimise the effectiveness of your group meetings, you may wish to consider the following:

  • Agree a time and venue for the meeting to accommodate all members who wish to attend. This may mean alternating between venues.
  • Consider the accessibility of the venue to include all members of the community.
  • Publicise your meeting to encourage new members to join the group.
  • Balance the business of the meeting with a social aspect.
  • Choose your meeting’s purpose.
  • Structure the meeting around a set agenda.
  • Start on time.
  • Be open – if new members attend, welcome them and make introductions.
  • Divide tasks and responsibilities evenly.
  • Make realistic decisions – consider members’ time, energy and commitment
  • Take minutes to record the general debate and the decisions taken at each meeting and circulate these to the members of the group.
  • Periodically invite a speaker to attend a meeting to motivate and inform members.

The person chairing the meeting, usually the group coordinator should:

  • Be someone who is neither too quiet nor dominating
  • Plan the agenda carefully, making agenda items specific
  • Start the meeting on time to encourage punctuality
  • Introduce new people at the beginning of the meeting
  • Begin on a positive note
  • Recognise and deal with proposals
  • Make sure that everyone participates
  • Make sure, gently but firmly, that no-one dominates
  • Assist the meeting to stick to the agenda item
  • Interpret, clarify and summarise the discussion
  • Help formulate final decisions

Outreach
The AI group is the local representative of the organisation in the local community. It reflects the entire mandate and shows, through example, how to work for human rights effectively. It is also a catalyst for spreading our message and for promoting the growth and development of AI.

One of the most useful functions of a group is to motivate others in the community to become human rights activists even if they do not wish to become members of AI or of the group themselves.

Some recommendations for outreach are as follows:

  • Request local librarians to place a copy of the Annual Report or current Amnesty International publications on the shelves. Send copies of the Amnesty International “Publications Catalogue.”
  • Explore the possibility of having an AI bulletin board display at the local libraries, schools, community colleges, town hall etc.
  • Submit letters-to-the editor regarding Amnesty International activities.
  • Submit a book review of the Annual Report (or country reports) to local media and the newsletters of other organisations.
  • Display Amnesty International information at local fairs, shopping centres, or other areas with a large volume of people.
  • Ask professionals to work on behalf of their colleagues in other countries.
  • Develop a list of individuals within any target sector and send a cover letter with Urgent Action information or your group’s newsletter.
  • Provide other organisations, media and community calendars with a schedule of Amnesty International activities in advance.
  • Encourage others to contact their TDs and voice Amnesty International’s concerns.
  • Use mailing lists of newsletters of other community groups with shared concerns
  • Get your Group name and contact on any list of community organisations that is prepared and distributed by your local council
  • Arrange speakers for local events (media, meetings of other organisations) using Amnesty International’s Speaker’s Bureau.
  • Always follow-up with persons who attend meetings once or donate money (“thank you” notes)
  • Invite specialists on specific countries and areas of the world to speak at your meetings and publicly advertise the meetings.

It is important to follow up on contacts that have been established, be it with a “thank you” note to someone who has attended a meeting or donated money, or be it with news on a campaign or public event you have organised to someone who has expressed interest in the local group’s campaigning for human rights.

Be visible, Be inviting, Be organised, Be involving!

Fundraising
Amnesty is totally independent of any government, and we are fiercely proud of our impartial reputation. But our ability to criticise any government at any time comes at a price – it means we rely on our supporters to fund our work.

Appeals from AI carry weight because the organisation is seen to be independent, impartial, and self-financing.

Fundraising by local groups is vital in enabling Amnesty International to continue this work to promote and defend human rights. Every AI group is required to establish a sound financial basis and to contribute to the support of the movement. Your group itself will need funds to cover the costs of organising events locally.

Fundraising:

  • Pays for research
  • Pays for campaigning
  • Pays for information flow
  • Is a way of spreading the name of AI
  • Increases public awareness of human rights
  • Generates publicity
  • Promotes solidarity
  • Strengthens the group
  • Is fun
  • Is a way of bankrolling the group’s activities

There are five reasons commonly held to be the explanation for why people give to charities:
1. People give because it makes them feel good: it reinforces their self-image as being generous
2. People give as a gesture of recognition that they are better off than some, to ward off bad luck, to overcome guilt
3. People give to get something in return: a gift, a favour, a tax deduction
4. People give in support of causes and institutions that fit in with their belief systems
5. Most of all people give because the right person asks in the right way for the right thing at the right time

The last reason is of course the most important. Funds are not raised: they are solicited, demanded, cajoled, enticed and inveigled.

In order to receive a donation, you must ask for it!

Group Finances
The treasurer’s responsibilities, as previously outlined, in more detail:

Record Keeping
There is no single way to keep the accounts for your group. If you have not had any experience at keeping financial records, seek the advice of someone (within or outside of AI) who can assist you in setting up financial records.

The Group Bank Account
When you go to a bank to set up an account for your group, the bank will have its own procedures for you to follow. It is normal to have two signatures to the account. The decision about which two members act as signatories should be made by the group as a whole. The Finance Manager at AI Irish Section can offer support and advice in the setting up and operation of the group bank account.

Budgeting
The entire group should be involved in setting annual budgets. However, the treasurer has responsibility to provide accurate records. Budgets should be set in conjunction with the groups’ planning schedule and reflect realistic goals and expectations.

Annual Financial Statement
Treasurers are required to submit an annual financial statement to the national office. A reporting form is sent to groups for this purpose or treasurers may use their own format.

Receipting
Should a donor make a contribution to AI through your group and request an income tax receipt, please forward the details of the contribution and request for receipt to the Finance Manager at AI Irish Section.

Remittance to the Irish Section
Groups submit an annual contribution of €250 to the Irish Section office. This contribution goes towards administration costs of facilitating local groups and the insurance fee to cover group activities.

Groups use the funds they raise to support their local campaigning activities. Additional funds, not required for group campaigning activities, are submitted to the Section on an annual basis.

Specialist Groups Financial Operation
The financial operation of the specialist groups differs somewhat to that of local groups. The specialist groups effectively run one of the Section’s campaigns and as such each group is assigned an operational budget plus a materials budget from the Section on an annual basis. The operational budget is intended for campaign costs e.g. venue hire, speaker expenses, equipment hire etc. The materials budget is intended for promotional materials e.g. group leaflet and poster, event fliers/posters/programmes etc.

The assigned budget may vary from year to year in accordance with Section finances. In addition to the budget from the Section, the group may fundraise to support their campaigning activities.

Funds raised from the group’s events/activities may be carried over from year to year. However, any remainder of the funds allocated by the Section shall be returned to the overall Section budget at the end of the financial year.

»