Story-based Strategy

[En español más abajo] Feeling stuck in your organizing efforts? Our Intro to Story-based Strategy Training can help you bring more people into your organizing work by creating narratives that resonate with people in your community, across differences and ideologies. Story-based Strategy combines collective meaning-making, critical analysis, & radical imagination to embed storytelling & narrative into organizing. In the Introduction to Story-based Strategy, you'll learn the most essential tools, such as Elements of Story, Battle of the Story, & Cornerstones. These tools will empower you to connect with others & strengthen your impact, all while staying true to your values & avoiding your opponent's framing. This Training will be offered bilingually in Spanish & English. We will be facilitating in both languages & offering simultaneous interpretation throughout the training. If your preferred language is Spanish, or if you work with communities that are Spanish-speaking, please join us! Application link in bio. ///////// ¿Quieres desbloquear las barreras que tienes para mejorar tus esfuerzos de organización comunitaria? Nuestro Taller Introductorio a la Estrategia Basada en Historias puede ayudarte a sumar a más personas a tus esfuerzos mediante la creación de narrativas que resuenen con tu público, más allá de las diferencias e ideologías. La Estrategia Basada en Historias combina la creación colectiva de significados, el análisis crítico y la imaginación radical para integrar las narrativas en la organización. En esta introducción aprenderás herramientas esenciales tales como: Elementos de la Historia, La Batalla de la Historia y Piedras Angulares. Estas herramientas te darán la oportunidad de conectar con les demás y fortalecer tu impacto; todo mientras te mantienes fiel a tus valores y evitas caer en el marco narrativo de tus oponentes. Detalles del evento: este taller se ofrecerá de forma bilingüe en español e inglés. Facilitaremos el taller en ambos idiomas y contaremos con interpretación simultánea durante toda la sesión. (Aplicación en la biografía) #communityorganizing #storybasedstrategy #narrativepower #radicalimagination #ourpower

Ready to take your narrative work to the next level? If our Intro to Story-based Strategy (SBS) training left you with big questions, like how to shift from reactive organizing to visionary narrative strategy, our SBS Advanced Training (AT) is for you. From October 5–9 in Northern California, this 5-day in-person deep dive is designed for SBS alumni and partners looking to sharpen their skills and leadership. Through campaign simulations, relationship building, and advanced tools like the Battle of the Story and Points of Intervention, you’ll gain the frameworks needed to facilitate your own team through narrative roadblocks without hiring outside consultants. Application link in bio. #storybasedstrategy

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the 4th of July, igniting a debate on what exactly there is to celebrate. With widespread discontent surrounding various issues, including the economy, will organizers step back or seize the chance to intervene in the story? Please join us for a Story-based Strategy Sandbox to break down the dominant narrative around "America 250" and craft new narrative interventions that underline the common cause of collective liberation. Participants will learn concrete creative skills, and to prototype narrative interventions in a low-risk, high-support and collaborative environment. (Application link in bio) #storybasedstrategy #america250

Happy May Day! Today’s energy and calls to action—no work, no school, no shopping, no war, no ICE—are truly inspiring. But alongside this momentum, many important questions arise: What would it take for people to withhold their labor for longer than a day? How would families handle childcare if teachers go on strike? What happens to care if healthcare workers walk out? And even for organizers, how do we respond to a strike? To explore these questions, Diego and Ruby from CSS sat down with Ashley, Communications and Marketing Manager at the Los Angeles Black Workers Center—a social justice organization advocating for Black workers’ rights across Los Angeles County. Together, they imagined what it would take to sustain a prolonged general strike. In short, as defined by generalstrikeus.com, a general strike occurs when working people refuse to work until their demands are met. When thinking of an inspiring narrative for May Day, Ashley describes it as a puzzle: "The more pieces you put together, the better the picture is going to become." We’re tired of hearing that this is as good as it gets. Instead, we’re ready to suspend disbelief and start building real change. Here’s how we use elements of story to reimagine our system: The Characters: It’s not just about organizations—it’s about the sanitation truck driver, the newly graduated nurse, and the mom-and-pop shop owners. The Imagery: Shifting from "scary" news cycles to images of nurses in the field supporting people and unified marches that show we’re standing together against the system. The Foreshadowing: Envisioning a future where a four-day workweek and mental health support aren’t "wild" ideas—they’re simply the standard. What does your vision of change look like? And what orgs or actions should people support? Drop your thoughts in the comments. #MayDay #GeneralStrike #BlackWorkersCenter #BattleOfTheStory #LaborRights #ImaginingTheFuture #Organize

In reality, students are also fed up with the way things are, but the media wants to completely ignore their lived experience. Ask yourself: who benefits if students grow up believing they have no agency and no right to protest? It’s not the students. It’s the billionaires. #MayDay #GeneralStrike #BattleOfTheStory #LaborRights #storybasedstrategy

The ‘radical’ ideas of yesterday are the things we can’t imagine living without today. What will the next May Day bring to us? 🛠️ #MayDay #Weekends #storybasedstrategy

What will it take to popularize May Day in the U.S.? May 1st began in the U.S and is internationally recognized as a day for workers' rights and the labor movement. However, the U.S. doesn't recognize it — but protesters and allies across the country are gathering to change that. As that grows, we're noticing a pattern: scare tactics from people who don't want May Day to catch on here. What do you think it will take for May Day to become popular in the U.S.? #storybasedstrategy #MayDay

Today we celebrate trans joy, safety, and power! Celebrating today can look like taking care of yourself or your trans kin, showing up for direct action, boldly expressing yourself, or just being in community with one another. Today is also a day to celebrate the visionary work of Marsha P. Johnson and every trans and non-binary organizer and activist who has built the conditions for people to thrive and survive. It goes without saying that we live in a time where the politicization of trans identity has created increasingly hostile conditions for trans people. This reminds us that with increasing visibility, we also need increased safety, especially with the Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. U.S. Supreme Court cases looming and todays decision on Chiles v. Salaza. And, even in the midst of all these attacks, we are witnessing an increasing appetite within our communities to defend trans rights. So, what do we do with all this energy? In our recent collaboration with the @translawcenter we focused on activating more of our allies using one of our tools, Points of Intervention! Read more about this on our blog (link in bio) #TransDayOfVisibility

Are you the type of person who sees fundraising as not just asking for money, but as building a movement? We are seeking a social justice-oriented Development Senior Manager who can write a compelling story with one hand and optimize a database report with the other. In this role, you'll have the opportunity to cultivate relationships with foundations and donors, and help fund the work that sustains social movements in the long term. You will be a key leader in the narrative movement, ensuring that the Center for Story-based Strategy’s work is sustainable for the long haul. Apply today, link in bio.

We are excited to share that we have increased capacity and can offer up to 94 seats across our March 31, April 16, May 7, and June 4 dates! If you missed the original deadline, please apply. Applications will be accepted until all seats are filled; we recommend applying as soon as possible. Application link in bio.

Applications for the Introduction to Story-based Strategy (SBS) Training close in six days! This training is for anyone looking to organize and activate more people through shared narratives, stronger connections, and radical and collective imagination. We don't want you to miss out on this amazing training! Here is what a recent participant had to say about our training: "I appreciated the participatory and reflective nature of the training—it created space for us to connect our personal experiences with broader systemic issues. This approach not only deepened my understanding of storytelling but also made me feel more equipped to work with my community using strategies that are culturally grounded and transformative.” Join us in creating a world where justice and action win over fear. The future is ours to shape—application link in bio

Our friends at ndncollective need our support! Nick Tilsen, founder and CEO of NDN Collective, is being targeted because he is an Indigenous movement leader. This is part of a long American legacy of criminalizing Indigenous resistance. We won’t be silent. Support Nick today by calling the Pennington County States Attorney’s Office and sharing the following message: “Hello, I’m a concerned citizen calling to demand that you drop the charges against Nick Tilsen, Founder and CEO of NDN Collective. The charges brought up against Nick are false, inflated, and a politically motivated attempt to suppress his right to free speech. This is a violation of constitutional and human rights. It is your duty to protect the rights of all your constituents, not to weaponize against members of our community. Drop the charges against Nick Tilsen, now!” #DropTheCharges #FreeThePeopleHealTheLand