April 27-30 in Spokane, WA

Schedule: We will start on Wednesday, April 27th with dinner at 5pm and the first session at 5:30pm. The sessions will be all day including the evenings on Thursday and Friday. The training will conclude on Saturday, April 30th at noon. 

Location: Ruby On The River, 700 North Division Street, Spokane, Washington 99202

Cost: $450 (not including lodging) Scholarships are available; if cost is a barrier please reach out to [email protected].

Please register by April 20th at the very latest and arrange for payment. Checks may be mailed to Spokane Alliance, 1526 E 11th Ave, Spokane 99202.

Lodging: Rooms must be arranged by the individual. After registering, we will provide a code for our room rate of $119 per night. If you want a double room and would like to be matched up with another participant, please email [email protected], and we will try to accommodate.

COVID safety: Case counts are relatively low in Spokane now and the Governor has lifted the state's mask mandate. We will keep a very close eye on case counts locally and will make plans to keep everyone safe if cases begin to rise. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out.

After registering we will be in touch about any dietary restrictions or preferences. If you have any other questions or concerns about accessibility, please email [email protected].

Participants must be approved by a local IAF Organizer or IAF Regional Organizer. A briefing will be conducted by your Organizer for each participant.

About Regional Training

This training is organized by the Spokane Alliance and Common Good Missoula - both affiliates of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF).

The training is intended for leaders and active members of IAF Affiliate organizations. It is ideal for leaders who have taken on – or hope to take on – a leadership role in your organization or a role in leading action. Leaders of institutions who are actively exploring membership in an IAF affiliate are also welcome to participate.

At this training we will focus in depth on core community organizing topics and skills including:

• Power – what is it, how we build it, and how we exercise it for the common good
• How to build strong Broad-Based Organizations
• Institutional Organizing – how it differs from other forms of organizing and why it’s critical for addressing the challenges our communities face
• Relational Meetings and House Meetings as the core skills for leaders in community organizing

About the Industrial Areas Foundation

For over 40 years the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) has been holding leadership training sessions for members of broad-based organizations across the US and more recently in Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia and New Zealand. These sessions provide a thorough introduction to the organizing practices and principles developed by Industrial Areas Foundation member organizations in its 80-year history.

The leaders and organizers of the Industrial Areas Foundation build organizations whose primary purpose is power – the ability to act – and whose goal is equitable social change. The IAF is non-ideological and strictly non-partisan, but proudly, publicly and persistently political. Through local affiliates, the IAF builds a political base among voluntary institutions that include religious congregations, labor unions, community organizations, and others. IAF leaders use that base to compete at times, to confront at times and to cooperate at times with decisionmakers in the government and market sectors.

What attendees say about IAF Regional Training

“I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the training. I gained a lot of insight into and new perspectives on the work we are doing in the Alliance. What really made the training most meaningful, however, were the other leaders I had the chance to meet, both from MACG and other IAF NW organizations. The stories of their struggles and successes are truly inspiring and I was humbled to be in their presence.”

Linda Boise Havurah Shalom, Portland

“I learned how to draw on the strength of my story to break down barriers and establish common ground with people from very different backgrounds. I use this skill in meetings with the union members I represent and find it very rewarding to be able to help others develop as leaders.”

Carolyn Pope United Food & Commercial Workers Local 21, Spokane