Central Coast Community Organizing Training
What is the Central Coast Community Organizing Training?
The Central Coast Community Organizing Training (CCCOT) is a three-day training led by CAUSE staff. This multi-day training is an opportunity for new and emerging organizers to learn the essentials of grassroots community organizing. It is a bilingual space with simultaneous interpretation available. This project is a partnership between the Fund for Santa Barbara, the McCune Foundation, and CAUSE, with additional funding support from the Santa Barbara Foundation.
New and emerging community organizers will:
Relationship Building & Recruitment
Learn the concrete skill of relationship building and recruitment via personal visits, house meetings, classroom presentations, tabling, and more.
Develop Strategic Campaigns
Be trained in tangible skills including developing campaigns, conducting a power analysis, and crafting persuasive messages.
Understand Power
Strengthen understanding of how grassroots organizing can shift structures of power and injustice.
Hands-On Experience
Gain hands-on experience with door-to-door canvassing and one-on-ones!
Training the Next Wave of Organizers 🌊
Our CCCOT Sponsors
Our Testimonials
“As someone new to organizing, this gave me a great foundation to bring back to my organization.”
2023 Participant
"The information presented was so concrete and can easily be adapted into my work & being in a bilingual space was awesome!”
2024 Participant
"What I liked most is being part of a community of organizations and organizers lifting each other up."
2023 Participant
Frequently Asked Questions
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The intended audience is new and emerging community organizers, staff at local nonprofits who integrate community organizing practices into their work, and grassroots community leaders and activists with those organizations.
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The application is submitted online and requires answering a set of questions about you and your organization/group and paying the associated fees for participants attending. Applications are accepted on a first come first serve basis, so early registration is recommended as the training fills up quickly. There is a limit of 2-3 staff per organization. Please reach out to garciaalex@fundforsantabarbara.org if you have further questions.
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The training is offered on an annual basis, typically in the spring. The location rotates between Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Santa Maria.
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Yes, the training is intentionally facilitated in both English and Spanish, and we offer simultaneous interpretation for all individuals who are not fluent in both languages.
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There is a lot to cover in this three-day training, so please expect full days of classroom style instruction with some opportunities to engage with other participants one-on-one or in small groups. Notebooks, pens, printed PowerPoint slides and handouts will be provided. We advise you wear comfortable shoes for the neighborhood canvassing portion.