Read time: 4 minutes
In July, 1933, FDR sat down to give his third fireside chat. He had a few accomplishments to tout: shoring up the credit of everyday Americans, revitalizing heavy industry, and servicing the national debt.
The speech, though, is most memorable for the yardstick he laid down: the success of a presidency depends on the success of his first 100 days.
As we enter a 100-day period whose depths and darkness aren’t as far from those in 1933 as we might like, it’s tempting for organizations tasked with protecting fundamental rights to ask themselves: what’s our plan for the first 100 days?
Our answer? Forget about the first 100 days. Think about the next thousand. And the thousand after that.
There are harm reduction activities we should be doing in the short term: donating to mutual aid funds; joining in the streets to stand against the worst excesses of this administration; or putting our bodies on the line to stop state violence when possible.
But the reality of these next three months is this: we lost, we are locked out of federal power, and every effort moving forward needs to focus on long-term power building.
What this will look like will vary by issue and organization, but your planning can rest on a few fundamentals:
- Start organizing and engaging your people today — realistically. So many well-meaning people fell into magical thinking from time to time during the first Trump Administration. Many One Weird Tricks — Mueller, 25th Amendment, Emoluments — burned a cohort of activists whose hearts were in the right place. This time around, be honest about the short-term impact while emphasizing the long-term possibilities.
- Be ready to capitalize in rapid response moments, and trust that the Anti-MAGA Majority will reawaken. There will be a turn against the lame duck Trump and MAGA Republicans. It’s as predictable as the tides.
The 2026 midterms are an obvious signpost to plan for, but as the public learns that cancer research is being halted, Trump’s deportation comes for the family they know, and egg prices stay high, the opportunity to peel what passes for a moderate Republican gets more realistic. So too does the opportunity to unseat them.
- Don’t forget the “community” part of community organizing. Reproductive rights, climate change, or low wages might get people in the door, but community keeps them in the room.
Like it or not, our opposition understands this. From the Rush Rooms of the ‘90s to the dark but welcoming carnival of a Trump rally to the Federalist Society, the right understands and harnesses people’s desire to be a part of something bigger. And when there isn’t a meaningful action to take, a house party, movie screening, or potluck can pay dividends.
- Ignore complaints about The Groups and fight for your issues without apology. If you’re reading this, you are probably, in some way connected to The Groups, a vague constellation of progressive organizations that came in for blame for Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss.
The reality is that groups that work for reproductive justice, a livable environment, a less carceral society, and a just economy form the backbone of progressive organizing, due to a number of factors that have left the national and state parties unable to mobilize voters. Nonprofits that invest in organizing and lay out a clear, bold vision for the better world we’re fighting for are essential to driving long-term change.
We don’t always win when we fight, but we will always lose when we can’t articulate our vision. Groups fighting for justice and human dignity are how we do that — and we shouldn’t water down messages to suit an imaginary focus group of voters (Democrats won an election during calls for ‘Defund the Police’, after all…)
(If you want to chat more about organizing — digital or analog! — get in touch with us at hello@mrss.com. We’re organizers, storytellers, and campaigners ready to think long term.)
Fireside chats must have hit different in the ‘30s — Roosevelt’s third is dry. Nevertheless, I’m inclined to give him the last word, from his standpoint staring down fascism and fatalism: “That is why I am describing to you the simple purposes and the solid foundations upon which our program of recovery is built.”
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Matt Lurrie is an organizer, and a Managing Account Supervisor at M+R. When he’s not trying to emulate the conservative movement but For Good, you can find him wandering around a city en route to the next great sandwich.