Mission
TOLA Organizing Academy’s mission is to train individuals and organizations in the fundamental skills of community organizing and civic engagement.
The Organizing & Leadership Academy (TOLA) was founded in 2010. For 14 years TOLA has provided rigorous “hands-on” training programs for individuals interested and motivated to learn how organizing can improve local communities. Combining classroom instruction, significant reading, reflective writing, and most importantly, work on real organizing projects, participants develop the discipline and skills necessary to become effective organizers and community leaders.
During the training, various cohorts of organizers have won significant victories against Big Tobacco (helping to enact anti-smoking ordinances), Coca Cola and the giant beverage industry (taxing the beverage industry and requiring that funds are spent on community health initiatives). Fellows have also been involved in voter registration efforts and encouraging younger voters to vote. TOLA graduates are working throughout the country on political campaigns, in non-profit organizations, and in local government.
2024 Programs
Spring of 2024 – The Organizing and Leadership Academy (TOLA), in collaboration with Communities for a New California (CNC) created a two month “pilot program” in the 41st Congressional District. The objectives of this effort (funded entirely by TOLA) were to:
a. recruit and train 6-8 organizers
b. recruit and train local community volunteers
c. increase turnout among less likely Latino or young voters
TOLA interns (mostly bi-lingual) were selected based on their interest in learning campaign basics including: PDI instruction, self-motivation, recruitment of volunteers, specifics of mail balloting, importance of reporting, creating urgency, managing staff, and personal visits.
Our primary target was 61,961 Latinos who did not vote in November 2022.
Our approach was two pronged. First, our bi-lingual phone bank (CNC) called voters in our target who have phones (This process helped clean up our contact list and identified people who had moved or were not interested). Each person contacted was asked what issues they were interested in, whether they planned to vote, and whether they would be interested in helping others get out to vote. Phone callers/organizers were instructed to engage as best they could as we emphasized quality calls as opposed to quantity. Each night the “script” was improved/adjusted and modifications made.
In less than a month we had conversations with over 6,000 less likely voters who indicated what issues were important to them (healthcare 11.6%, housing 22.9%, jobs 11.7, inflation 32.6, other 21%). 1,002 of these less likely voters indicated a willingness to volunteer.
Each day the people who indicated a willingness to volunteer were contacted by TOLA fellows either in person or on the phone. Of the 1,002 who agreed by phone to volunteer, 312 actually volunteered.
Our efforts increased Latino turnout by 5%.
Summer of 2024 – TOLA, in collaboration with the Cesar Chavez Service Clubs piloted a summer/fall program for high school students. In July 2024, a group of 15 diverse high school students from various high schools in San Diego were selected for an intensive internship learning the basics of community organizing. The project goal was to demonstrate the power and influence young people can have in elections and community improvement initiatives. The project has three distinct phases.
Phase 1
TOLA and Cesar Chavez Service Clubs interns spent three weeks attending seminars to become more knowledgeable about the different aspects that go into electoral non-partisan campaigns — from polling to community outreach, while also learning the basics of community organizing. Interns also gained experience engaging voters through door-to-door work and phone banking.
Phase 2
During the fall, school Interns will develop their own outreach campaign demonstrating the power young voters can have electorally. During this phase interns will gain an understanding of applying the organizing skills they learned and bring their projects to life. Each project reflects the interest of the intern and ties into a different aspect of a campaign.
Phase 3
During this phase, interns with the guidance of their mentors will evaluate the success and impact of their project.
Learning to organize is a lifelong process – and to learn you need to be hands-on in the real world, working on real problems.
– Larry Tramutola, Community Organizer and TOLA Founder.
