Read about the Power Institute in the August 2022 issue of Gazette Chicago!
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The CivicLab has launched the POWER Institute (People Organizing to Win, Engage & Resist) to get you TRAINED to ORGANIZE and WIN a Chicago and a world that we all deserve and can prosper in. Connect with us at info@civiclab.us.

We offer a series of civic workshops to impart the basic knowledge and skill sets needed to do organizing and change work.

We also offer workshops on building and sustaining your nonprofit organization, as well as coaching services for nonprofit executives.

Our basic sequence of civic workshops consists of a set of "101" sessions that are two hours in length and are designed to get you up and running in public life.

These are a connected sequence of two-hour workshops that are designed to be taken in order but can also be delivered as customized, one-off events for your organization. All attendees will receive access to a private POWER Institute web space loaded with the presentation and audio from the workshop plus links to resources and reports and other materials related to our topics!

​"Public 101"- At the CivicLab, we LOVE "public"! We think an understanding and love of our public assets and services is fundamental to doing any social justice work at this time.
We will help you lift up and advance "#MorePublic" in America!

"Chicago 101" - How did Chicago's civics get SO toxic? Did you know that Chicago is America's MOST corrupt city? We cover Chicago's geo-politics from before the white man got here right up to the history of the Chicago Machine. You must know Chicago's history in order to change it's future.

“Community Organizing 101 - How Do the Powerless Get Power?” – Did you know Chicago is the home of modern community organizing? Learn the basic skills and mindsets of a community change maker. This will be a highly interactive and hands-on session as you construct a Power Matrix for a real campaign. Build your power to win.
 
“Grassroots Campaigning 101 - Winning for Justice” – Learn the basic steps toward putting together a principled grassroots electoral campaign for change and justice. Attendees present analysis of the vulnerability of their own aldermen based on recent elections and campaign performance. Plan and prepare in order to win.

"TIF 101 - Organizing for Economic Justice" - This session explains how Tax Increment Financing districts evolved and work in Chicago. We cover the public policy insults they offer to our communities and the organizing opportunities they present to us. We will also look at TIF organizing from other cities.

In addition to our basic sequence of "101" offerings we also can deliver:

  • "Chicago Budget 101 - It's Bigger Than You Think!" - An overview of the components and details of Chicago's massive budget - it's over $20 BILLION! This session also gives an overview of how Chicago is structured as an organization.

  • "Privatization 101 - Who Wants Our Public Stuff?" - Can you say "parking meter"? Did you know that there is a global push to monetize our public assets? Who is pushing this terrible trend and what can we do about it?

  • "Chicago Is STILL Not Broke" - An overview of the book with $5 BILLION in sustainable and progressive revenue solutions for Chicago. Our book "Chicago Is Not Broke. Funding the City We Deserve" was published in 2016 and we've been invited to do 65 presentations on the book. Order books @ www.wearenotbroke.org.

They are two hours in length. Ask us about how we can customize workshops for your community and issues.

We also deliver the more in-depth TIF Illumination, which is done for a specific ward. We tell you the COMPLETE history of TIFs in YOUR ward right through 2017. No one else can reveal these details. That's why we've been invited to do 75 public meetings on TIFs across the city! In 2015 nine candidates for Alderman hosted TIF town meetings - two won and two went into run-offs.

What people have said about our forums and public events:

“This is a critical time in our country’s history and now, more than ever, we need our voters to be able to make informed decisions. That’s where CivicLab’s TIF Illumination Project comes in. Tom will bring your community the undisputed facts about the TIFs in your area, their values and any projects that are funded by those TIFs. As I learned in my TIF Illumination, the information Tom provides passes any scrutiny from the Machine and can turn a small meeting into enlightening discussion of civic affairs. This is a resource I invite you to take advantage of and share with your community. You wouldn’t lead an army into battle unarmed. Don’t lead voters to the polls uninformed.” – William L. Smith – Organizer of 34th Ward TIF Town Meeting.

Attendees at past POWER Institute workshops said:

  • "Passionate, experienced organizers share real world examples of effective organizing, philosophies, practices and opportunities to work in small groups on real, pressing issues." - Lisa Haufschild, 39th Ward

  •  "Tom and Jonathan really came through! Their presentation on ‘Chicago 101’ made people mad about how Chicago works, and it made people curious, but most of all it got people engaged. This is exactly the kind of education every citizen needs in order to make meaningful change in our city. One of my favorite moments of the night was when one particularly engaged audience member literally threw her hands up and said, 'Why doesn't anybody teach us this stuff?' Well, Tom and Jonathan are teaching this stuff - and I will gladly welcome them back to continue to inform, engage, and empower our community." - Gabe Piemonte, Candidate 5th Ward Alderman

  •  “Your ‘Chicago 101’ training was great last night!! It was the boost I needed. It reminded me of what I really care about and where I come from in terms of activism and my roots. In our activism we are working with a lot of people who have never engaged so conversation is tough because they aren’t aware of the history, there is no context. We often get caught up in nonsense and focus is lost as we try to get the newly engaged to act. Being with seasoned pros was so nice. I gained some new perspective and knowledge as well as reaffirmation of my values and goals. It was energizing and gave me some clarity, just what I needed for the burnout I’ve been feeling. I’m really looking forward to the next two sessions!” - Meaghan McAteer, Co-founder Indivisible Brookfield

  • " I recently attended the Power Institute workshop on T.I.F. I was amazed how informative the class was. Tom spoke truth to power and I could see his passion for his work. I was inspired to get involved with civics (boots on the ground) LOL. I will be taking my first steps toward working with communities in our great city of Chicago! I highly recommend this workshop and others that are offered through the Power Institute." - P.H. - Hyde Park

  • "Amazing resource for Chicago residents. An opportunity to learn how those in power keep robbing the everyday people!" - Gaylon Alcaraz - Chicago Tribune endorsed candidate, Cook County Commissioner, 4rh District

  • "Worth every penny! I have heard of these political operatives and cannot believe that I got to speak to them in such an intimate environment. I also loved the workshop because it was cathartic and was grounded in the reality that we still have a democracy. We still matter. We can beat the Machine - but we have to be ready for a fight. I can fight. I've fought my whole life. But I've been thinking about whether it's worth fighting And this training reminded that it was." - Priscilla Orta
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The CivicLab (c) is a Chicago based Black-led 501 c 3 nonprofit "do tank" for social justice. Consider investing in our work. Sign up for our email list.