ABOUT:

Rhizome Action Network is a pending 501(c)(4) based out of Santa Rosa, CA, birthed in the wake of the 2020 civil uprising around social justice, as inspired by the #BLM movement. This designation allows us to legally engage with overt “political” actions, such as lobbying for specific policy, or endorsing legislation/candidates, while also doing many of the other traditional non-profit style community services and programs.

We define ourselves as an organization for holistic justice and creative incubation. It is important to us we stay focused with purpose to be effective, but also flexible enough by design to adapt to meet the needs of the people. 

Our social media bio reads-- Community Building x Civic Action x Cultural Exchange x Humanitarian Policy Development.

Our business model is simple. We seek out and identify talented people, with specific expertise, passion, and vision-- then empower those people to lead projects and initiatives to impact systemic reform, backed by a mobilized base of engaged supporters.

One of our credos is, “The systems, models, and traditions of old, will not best serve the needs of the people, now, nor in the future. We must create new and better paths, for humanity to sustainably thrive with wellness.”

Our first ever “official project” as a formal “business” came in the form of a contract with the ‘Yes on Measure P, Committee to Support an Effective IOLERO,’ in Sonoma County.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE (SO FAR):

Organize and inspire people —> Mobilize civic action —> Translate grassroots activism, into voter turnout.

For the 2020 general election, Sonoma County had the highest turnout in the entire state of California, with an impressive 90.49% of registered voters casting ballots.

We cannot take sole credit for the sustained local action and movement that was fueled by so many wonderful people in 2020. But we are also rooted in truth to affirm our network of people served as vital life blood, creative think tank leaders, organizers, planners, and active doers, of many of the most well supported protests and actions of 2020, in Sonoma County. We also helped co-create and drive much of the online messaging and narrative direction, in combination with some of the more notable “good trouble” disruptive actions. Some people have been kind enough to credit our unofficial squad of diverse folx as being “What got Measure P on the ballot,” and the pressure source behind Santa Rosa Police Department now being willing to endorse the implementation of a “CAHOOTS” style program for the City of Santa Rosa.

MEASURE P:

We conceptualized, developed, and executed much of the primary media content, engagement strategies, and some key messaging, that was used for both online platforms, and in grassroots organizing for the ‘Yes on P’ effort. Most specifically, we were contracted to mobilize the ‘New American Majority’ (Millennials, Gen Z, BIPOC, LGBTQI+), and generally broaden an enthused base.

We are grateful to have seen record turnouts within that demographic, and we helped pass Measure P with a public mandate of overwhelming 66% support. We now feel an urgent necessity to keep “campaigning,” perpetually, galvanizing our base beyond election day cycles.

WHAT NOW?:

Today, we are in the early stages of running a parallel course, to both further develop new local initiatives, and hire staff to execute our vision. Simply put-- we promptly need to fundraise enough resources to provide a humble, yet comfortable enough runway, to help transfer the social and political power of the community, to the people. 

Power most often comes in the form of the influence of people, and/or the influence of money. We have the people… we need more economic resources to sustain and grow.

Our initial goal is to raise $50,000+, for approximately 6 months of operating capital. We believe doing so, now, will increase our likelihood of broader success of the longer term goals.

WHAT WE DO &
WHAT YOU’RE FUNDING:

Ongoing Coordinated Monthly Actions: Protests, social events, demonstrations, art installations, and focused “actions,” intended to rouse “good trouble” for just causes, with strategic disruption, and/or cohesively raise solidarity based awareness.

Public Meeting Downloads: Having a team of compensated staff take “smart notes” on Santa Rosa City Council and Sonoma County Board of Supervisors meetings, as well as key sub-committee meetings. We will then make those notes available to partners in our network. This will allow us better informed public participation and comment, either in real time as activated by “call trees,” and/or for future meetings, without each concerned citizen dedicating countless hours to redundant weekly bureaucratic processes.

New Media Content: Ongoing development of succinct and powerful content (videos, photos, articles, etc.), to drive narratives about governmental accountability, educate the public about local issues/civic processes, and spread well articulated messages, to collectively rally behind with sustained enthusiasm. Content is Queen!

Community Mobilization Initiative: A thorough survey designed to collect detailed information, to help people, help other people, when they “want to do more,” but aren’t quite sure how to most effectively. This strategic data collection mutually empowers each other, by finding ways for all of us to participate, no matter how much time we may or may not have (“meet people where they are at, and go from there”).

Free Online Educational Forums & Panels: A series of online discussions with local leaders and specialized experts, on a variety of topics-- from criminal justice reform, to unsheltered folx/houseless-ness, to functional equity within society and power structures… or whatever we feel needs to be addressed, guided by voices who know the specific issues “best.”

Nutritional Health Program: Subsidizing lower income folks with nutritional wellness of the highest integrity. As we all know, too often, healthy lifestyle choices are not always viable economic options. That isn’t right, and we can do more to correct it.

Self Care Grants: Community nominated members granted “self care” packages (massage, guided meditation, healing practices, paid days off, etc.), because we cannot give what we do not have. We all need breaks, rest, and time to recharge. The movement is a marathon.

Youth Mentoring Services: Pairing select youth with our network of local leaders, to empower them to be our leaders of the future, as well providing craft/trade skill development for young creatives and artists seeking professional advancement.

Customized Cultural Awareness Training: Private engagements (sliding scale), tailored to educate institutions and organizations who are culturally illiterate, yet earnestly desiring to listen, learn, and implement systemic changes. Some people/places want to do/be better, but don’t know how to. We can uplift, encourage, and teach them. We all have certain blind spots that cause unintended harm.

Policy Research & Development: Compensated staff, to both research and write policies, to then strategically spoon-feed to local officials, with very well informed arguments, backed by data and evidence.

Sonoma County Progressive Slate Project: Developing a slate program (a group of candidates that run in multi-seat or multi-position elections on a common platform), in hopes to gain majority control of every local municipality. We will help vet and choose candidates to represent actual equity in seats of elected power.

STAFFING & PROCUREMENT POLICY:
Rhizome believes in equity and representation, through example and action. Our projects and partnerships prioritize staffing BIPOC, womxn, LGBTQI+, and locally native folx, to co-develop, co-lead and execute our goals. While being inclusive to all, we actively seek to dismantle toxic white male patriarchy, along with active accomplice white folx.