Structure and Funding Recommendations for Wyoming Equality

In Wyoming, the lowest population density state in the contiguous United States, individual political organizers, organizations, and day-to-day citizens lack inter-communication. This creates specialization overlap between like-minded grassroots organizations, who then compete for finances and engagement from an already scarce populace. By working with Wyoming Equality, a grassroots organization that specializes in queer advocacy both in the legal system and the religious population of Wyoming, and by interviewing individuals about grassroots organizations, I studied what makes a community-driven organization successful in rural states. I developed four collaboration-focused proposals to further Wyoming Equality’s growth. 1) Create a group chat for grassroot operators, enabling basic collaboration and information flow. Ideally, a spreadsheet of basic contact information and programs each grassroot group provides supplements this. 2) Compile a list of local affiliates who would be willing to host or advertise events. 3) Coordinate fundraising campaigns and events with a calendar that organizations share. 4) The University of Wyoming’s Honors College offers paid internships if a student should choose to work with an organization through the college, creating an opportunity for mentorship, personnel, and community engagement. Coordination between grassroots organizations with these four methods could reduce resource competition, expand individual organization networks, and promote mentorship within larger movements.