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In October 2005, Greenpeace joined forces with community group activists to protest changes to Australian counter-terrorism laws (shown here outside Parliament House in Melbourne).
Enlarge imageIs there a local issue you are burning to act on? By starting your own community group, you have the power to make positive change happen.
This section of our website outlines the ground rules for getting active and provides some basic steps for making a difference where it counts – in your community. Getting involved in community initiatives to protect the environment is full of rewards and opportunities to make friends with like-minded people.
Getting started
Here are some things to think about when setting out on a new community campaign or starting a community group:
- How long are you willing to campaign on this issue?
- Who is going to help you?
- If there is another group already working on this issue, can you join or link up with them?
- Will you need funds?
- Do you need to register your organisation?
- Who will replace you if you leave?
The basics
Patience, planning and listening are three valuable attributes for setting up a new group or starting a new campaign.
- Everything takes longer than you think. Sure there's a world out there that needs saving, but there's still paperwork to fill in, queues to wait in, meetings to be had and decisions to be made.
- Planning and goal setting will help you measure your successes and also keep you on track. Hopefully they will also prevent you from overcommitting by ensuring you set achievable goals (LINK TO planning your campaign).
- Listening is an essential element of all community work. Presumably you want to be listened to about a certain issue and that's why you're going to so much trouble. Make sure you set structures in place and remind yourself to listen not only to your opposition but to the other members of your own group.
Name and identity
Once you've come up with a name for your group, you may want to register it with the Department of Fair Trading or equivalent in your state. Most small community groups register as incorporated associations. The benefits of this include:
- Being eligible for non-profit status
- Limited financial liability for board members
- Membership fees
The legal structure of community groups varies widely and depends very much on what your goals and needs are, who is involved and the sort of activities you are undertaking. Incorporation is one way to protect your organisation through its legal structure. Incorporation means that a group can hold property, obtain insurance, receive gifts and bequests, obtain government and corporate grants and loans and continue despite changes in membership. Incorporation may not, however, be suitable for every group, and may not address all of your needs.
As an incorporated association, you will need:
- public liability insurance
- a constitution
- up to seven board members, including: an appointed "public officer"/secretary, a chairperson and a treasurer.
Once you're registered you can open a bank account in the name of your organisation, apply for fundraising permits and apply for charity status with state and federal governments.
Mission statement
Your mission statement will clearly state your aims and objectives as a community organisation. It's up to you how long you want this document to be. A short one can be reproduced on information materials and shared easily with people.
A mission statement should include:
- what you do
- for whom you do it
- your uniqueness
A mission statement provides the guiding direction for developing a strategy.
Read the Greenpeace mission statement.
Constitution
Much like the mission statement, the constitution outlines what you are setting out to do as an organisation. It also includes information about how the organisation will be run, such as:
- Number of board members and their roles
- Cost of membership to the board
- How one becomes elected to the board
- Profit/non-profit status
- Frequency of annual general meetings (AGMs)
- How decision making works
You can choose to adopt the Model Rules Of Incorporation as your organisation's constitution and add a mission statement to this (a bit easier than reinventing the wheel). You can also choose to alter certain items of the Model Rules to suit you. Contact the Department Of Fair Trading or equivalent in your state for more information.
Read the Greenpeace Australia Pacific Constitution
Further info
Protest.Net's Activists Handbook
Tips on getting started.
Become an online activist at NetAction: Learn how to campaign online and create email alerts.
An environmental community with resources for activists.
Internet resources for Australian activists.
Services and information provided by Australian federal, state and local governments.
THE FINE PRINT: Greenpeace Australia Pacific takes no responsibility for outcomes resulting from undertaking any of the activities or advice herein. This website does not entitle any person or persons to act on behalf of Greenpeace Australia Pacific or use in any form the name or registered trademark of Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
