Lead Organizer Training

About the Program

Workers and community members across California are fighting to ensure that families can thrive where they work, live, and learn. Not all communities benefit from California’s economic growth. In fact, many communities are disproportionately and systematically left behind. Labor and community organizations are winning campaigns to improve conditions for workers, their families, and communities through high member participation in all aspects of campaign work. To do this, they need strong lead organizers.

Is this training for you?

This four-day, in-person workshop is offered to lead organizers in labor and community-based organizations who want to more effectively manage their teams to win their campaigns. Groups launching contract campaigns, union drives, or issue campaigns in 2024 and beyond should consider sending their lead organizers to this training.

Organizations use titles other than lead organizer to describe similar roles. Participants may be operating as a Lead Organizer, Director, Regional Coordinator, or another title. The focus of the training is to understand leadership approaches that will bring out the best in your team and ensure that you can advance your campaign goals. By the end of the training, all participants will develop a leadership development plan for one of their organizers or member organizers that is integrated into their campaign plan.

To be eligible for this training, you must be leading at least one active campaign with clear goals and a timeline and be leading organizers or leaders.

Topics we will cover include:

• Organizing plans that build power
• Creating leadership development plans and accountability
• Leadership self-evaluation and assessment
• Giving/receiving feedback
• Incorporating practices to support your own sustainability in this work.

Topics subject to change.

Cost: $1,000 per participant. Please do not submit payments prior to the registration deadline and without being notified of acceptance into the training. Limited scholarships available based on need.

Program Dates: December 9–12, 2025

Format: In person.

Time: Sessions begin at 9:00AM and end at 5:00PM. Breakfast and lunch are provided.

Location:
Berkeley, CA

Key take-aways from past Lead Organizer Training graduates:

“For me, the most useful takeaway was just getting a reminder that I always need to be thinking about developing newer organizers, regardless of whether they’re member leaders or staff.”

“I will take what I learned and apply it to managing my team better, understanding the person as a whole and their lived experience leading up to this. I will take a step back and listen to their feedback to make it a more collaborative effort.”

“Today’s training reminded me that if I want to win campaigns and get justice for workers, I need to be devoting a lot of time and energy to developing other organizers.”

” The tools are definitely something I will be able to take back, but the conversations with the other organizers made this a very different and awesome training.”

“The small group session going through our leadership development plans was amazing. I got such great feedback and was able to share my own with others.”

“The leadership development plan will help me not only be able to develop other organizers, but member leaders.”

For more information, please contact:
Brianna Velasco at bavelasco@berkeley.edu.

The Lead Organizer Training welcomes participation from people of all races, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, and levels of ability.