Organizing 101

MASGD’s Organizing 101 Program is a weekly training series of 8 sessions intended to cover the basic skills of organizing. This training program offers practical, hands-on skills for individuals, groups, and organizations that are starting organizing projects or campaigns. We’ll cover how to build the foundations of an organization as well as build the skeleton of a strategically escalatory organizing campaign that can win short term and long term goals. Then, we’ll discuss organizing methodologies, tools, and techniques that cultivate effective leadership, build sustainable power, combat repression, and keep your community safe. 

All funds raised through this training program supports MASGD in supporting trans and queer Muslims.

Facilitator Biography

Mina is a nonbinary immigrant and artist who has been organizing for ten years. They have organized alongside communities against workplace abuse, deportation, genocide, police brutality, incarceration, violence against sex workers, and gender-based violence; they focus on building community power and training organizers in a diverse array of movements. Mina has facilitated workshops, conferences, and direct actions for organizers, artists, and collectives advancing anticolonial liberation struggles in the US.

Schedule

The program will run for 8 consecutive Sundays, between September 27 and November 15, 2026, from 11 AM to 1 PM PT / 2 to 4 PM ET.

Accessibility Note

We are honored to offer ASL services throughout this training program! ASL is available with at least two weeks request. Please email hey@themasgd.org to request ASL services.

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee ASL with less than two weeks notice. We will do our best to honor these types of requests.

Session Topics

Session 1 | Introduction — What is Organizing?: Sept 27, 2026

This session will introduce the popular theories and methodologies of organizing and a historical overview of what organizing has accomplished for different communities. We’ll go over the teachings of Grace Lee Boggs and Lenin’s concept of dual power as it applies to organizing.

Session 2 | Recruitment, Theory of Change, Points of Unity: Oct 4, 2026

We’ll cover how to lay the foundational building blocks of any cadre organization including theory of change, points of unity, and recruitment strategy.

Session 3 | Structure + Outreach: Oct 11, 2026

How do you delegate tasks and assign roles? How do you slowly build out an organization from a core group? In this session we’ll cover how to intentionally grow an organization.

Session 4 | Leadership Development: Oct 18, 2026

What does effective and responsible leadership look like? We’ll cover the leadership skills required to lead at different levels of organization structure: as an individual, as an organization leader, and as a coalition leader.

Session 5 | Campaign-Building: Oct 25, 2026 

This session will cover building a strong campaign with a built in escalation strategy that maps the road from short-term wins to long-term change.

Session 6 | Risk Assessment, Surveillance, and Security: Nov 1, 2026

How do we make prudent risk assessments, navigate surveillance, and implement security measures that protect our members and movement goals?

Session 7 | Direct Action: Nov 8, 2026

In this session we’ll cover the theory and strategies of direct action as an escalation tool.

Session 8 | Coalition-Building: Nov 15, 2026

In this session we’ll discuss how building a coalition of organizations makes long-term campaign work more effective and sustainable.

Directions to apply for organizations and small groups

This training series is open to everyone; however, it is specifically designed for small groups and organizations that have a project or organizing goal in mind and need the skills and tools to build out their work. If you apply for this series as an organization or small group, you will have access to at least three 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with Mina to help you build an implementation plan and apply the tools you’ve learned. Here are the instructions to apply as a group:

1. At least 2 but preferably 3 members of your organization should attend. 
2. Members should apply individually AND email mina@themasgd.org with a brief description of your group, organizing goals, and major challenges to let us know you’re applying as a group.
3. Your group must attend at least 6 training sessions to be considered for mentoring sessions.