🌱 Cultivating Reciprocity vs. Extractive Media

Hey y'all, welcome back! 👋🏼

Today I talk about my background in finance & marketing and how seeing the depths of capitalism has shaped how I have developed the roots of change agency for a future without extractive finance and towards a community of reciprocity. Read on for more...

In Case You Missed It: 
🌱 for activists: 🌱 Decolonizing Marketing vs. Storytelling
📚 for communicators: 📚 Using Big Tech without Big Tech Using Us w/ Taryn Talley

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• 🗞️ The AI Poison Pill in Congress' Budget Bill (Tech Policy) - See actions in resources below!
• 🗞️ Our Digital Data is Not Safe from ICE (404 Media)
• 🚢 Empty Ships, Empty Ports (the roots of change agency)
• 🪙 Senate Democrats Support Trumps Memecoins (The Intercept)
• 🎬 Asian Representation in the Jim Crow South (Rebel Yellow)

• ☎️ Call Congress Against Budget Bill (5 Calls!) - As the bill heads to the Senate, this is a time to put pressure. It takes 5 minutes to call both Senators!
• 🎟️ Thursday! | Branding & Dreaming Check-in Workshop (the roots of change agency)
• 🗞️ Grounding Against MAGA Psychological Warfare (Joe Cardillo)
• 🎟️ June 2 | So You Want To Self-Publish? (Sharon Hurley Hall)

A Financial Model Built on Reciprocity

Part IV: Building A New Media Ecosystem, Old Roots for New Growth

I sat down with Bold Journey Magazine earlier this year to talk about my election experience and why I’m building a decolonized media ecosystem and communications agency. My life experiences have been nothing short of interesting and have prepared me to be an organizer in this moment of rising fascism and growing climate collapse. I hope you enjoy my story!

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

One of my larger obstacles to growing and supporting more folks is partly by design. The roots of change agency and our financial model is created differently, which adds an extra layer of explanation. We are a 100% community-led model and not funded by grants, organizations, or investors.

That can be challenging in a world where many are used to free media supported by advertising. However, having been in the adverting business for 15+ years, I recognize it’s harms. Our financial models are designed to move away from the traditional advertising model so that the community can shape our growth to meet their needs.

There are far too many activists and organizations working to create positive change without the finances or support. The benefit of a community-led model is that when folks support our work with a paid membership or by becoming a supporter, the roots of change agency and our collaborators can offer more resources and support for the whole community.

My hope with this model is to help us learn and grow in our work collectively.

In order to overcome the initial hump of understanding how we support, I both talk about and act based on our theory of change.

I’m a big believer in showing by doing.

In our modern world, we don’t have many positive community-led models. The Mondragon Corporation in the Basque region of Spain is a long-standing example that not many people are aware of. It means I need to be vocal about why we have a community-led model and what the value is on a broader societal scale. There is a lot of media noise and people are being bombarded by advertising messages constantly. I try to be clear, honest, and meet folks where they are.

It’s about staying human while we are working towards change. The more I connect and communicate like a regular person (and not an AI-written digital ad), the more the roots of change agency can help connect folks to a new way of thinking about work.

Assist an Activist

The new regime is targeting non-profits and activists who's crime is caring about people and planet. They are bent on taking us backwards and they're using their economic power to do it. That’s where Assist An Activist comes in!

Help expand capacity with learning & resources. Donate an annual membership to an underfunded non-profit or activist to access our library of resources, workshops, and ongoing support from the roots of change agency and our growing list of collaborators.

1. Directly Support an Activist in Your Life - Thinking of an organizer or non-profit that could use our tools?
2. Donate a membership anonymously
3. Join the List! - request an assist an activist membership and we'll give it to you as memberships become available!

*💰 Unable to donate a full membership, donate what you can.

Our program is currently support folks in disability justice, climate action, and ending economic racism. By supporting a fellow organizer today, you not only help someone working in social change, but you also help fund our media ecosystem to grow away from unhealthy tech.

Next week: it's Pride, baby! Who's ready to queer themselves?! 🌈 Yes, that includes everyone.

🌱 Seedling Member Zone

Fund Independent Media!

In a complete coincidence, our top video of the week also happens to coincide with today's topic! Here is Joe Cardillo on why funding independent media is crucial in the time of rising fascism. Watch & follow on YouTube.

And that's a wrap on this week’s newsletter! We hope you found this helpful in your work. Forward this to a friend and help democratize communications! If you have any topics you want covered, questions, or curious about our Assist an Activist program, please reach out and let me know.

In Solidarity,
Sam Chavez
the roots of change agency