A coalition brings together people and organizations with different interests but who share a common goal. For example, parents, teachers, business owners, and city council members might form a coalition to convince their town to build a skate park, or nations that don’t agree on many issues might join a coalition to work for peace.
Coalitions are generally temporary, disbanding once their goals have been achieved or have proved unachievable under current circumstances. However, some coalitions can remain in existence for longer than others, and the extent to which coalitions are able to achieve their goals may be influenced by the degree to which they match the interests of those involved.
The process of building a coalition can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially if coalition members have wildly differing priorities. It’s important to take the time to develop close, respectful public relationships between coalition leaders and their organizational counterparts that explore each organization’s strategic needs in relation to the shared issue.
It’s also important to create clear roles for each member group that make them feel valuable and needed, as well as to nurture the coalition relationships that will sustain it over time. To do this, it is helpful to establish regular meetings and communication channels. For example, it might be appropriate to use conference calls for coalition meetings so that a large number of participants can participate easily (see Conference Call). It’s also useful to publish your press releases and guiding principles or letter on a website where coalition members can sign on and add their organization names.
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