Topic Overviews Archives

Fundraising: Start Here

Need some fundraising help? The Commons Library has collated a list of fundraising resources for not for profits and crowdfunders.

A group of police officers stand side by side, surrounded by seated activists with arms interlinked.

Nonviolent Direct Action (NVDA): Start Here

Suggestions from the Commons Librarians about resources to explore in the Nonviolent Direct Action topic area, including NVDA theory, practical guides and case studies.

an outdoor post plastered with stickers with the writing organize and money is nothing art is real

Organising: Start Here

Organising builds people power for change. Here is a list of resources to get you started including introductions, different approaches, manuals, tactics, videos and more.

Coalition Building: Start Here

A guide to Coalition Building resources in the Commons Social Change Library including frameworks, training sessions, podcasts, and case studies.

Chalk drawing on background showing two hands shaking.

Lobbying and Advocacy: Start Here

Welcome to the Lobbying & Advocacy topic in the Commons Social Change Library. This article guides you through a wide range of materials to inform the public in relation to lobbying, advocacy and policy-making.

woman in protest carrying a sign saying #enough

Digital Campaigning: Start Here

Digital campaigning leverages technology to create change through emails, petitions, and platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and more. Here is a list of resources to get you started.

close up of Australian Aboriginal flag being carried by protestors

First Nations Resources: Start Here

A guide to First Nations campaigning and activist resources in the Commons Social Change Library including stories and perspectives.

Welcome to the Progress Capacity Building Hub

Australian Progress’ Capacity Building Hub supports small nonprofits and grassroots movements to survive the pandemic and thrive beyond it. This article provides a guide to the resources gathered in the CBH collection.

A large daffodil grows out of a concrete block. The block is a prison cell with metal bars. The daffodil's stem, leaves and roots are breaking through the block and causing cracks. Text reads: Imagining long-term solutions to violence, including sexual harassment, is part of a larger abolitionist project to foster community-wide changes instead of distributing individual punishments.

Transformative Approaches to Conflict Resolution

This article introduces some of the key concepts of transformative justice and provides links to a wide array of resources. Transformative justice describes a systems approach to identifying root causes of conflict and responding to these as a community.

birds eye view of desk with office paraphernalia including phones, laptops, etc.

Working in Groups: Start Here

A guide from The Commons Social Change Library with collated resources to help groups work together better.

Group of diverse women having a business meeting

Governance Resources for Australian Not-for-Profits

The Institute of Community Directors has a comprehensive collection of resources to support good governance by not-for-profits. Check out these links to get started.

Picture of a women's face yelling and the word 'ENOUGH!' in red on a black background. Below the image text reads 'Did You March 4 Justice? Ideas for Your Next Steps from the Commons Library.

Did You March 4 Justice? Ideas for Your Next Steps

Ideas for next steps after the Women’s March 4 Justice – including action, skills development, videos, books and podcasts.

butterfly on flower at sunset with quote by Gandhi "Be the wish you wish to see in the world"

10 Great Resources on Activist Wellbeing

Are you an activist experiencing stress or burnout? These articles, videos and tips will help you stay healthy and well while working to change the world.

Diversity & Inclusion: Start Here

Find a comprehensive list of resources from The Commons Social Change Library on diversity, inclusion and solidarity in social movements.

Key Resources from Mobilisation Lab

Reports, toolkits, templates and guides from Mobilisation Lab including campaign strategy, storytelling, digital campaigning, security and more.

black screen with white writing - why would activists archive

Activist Archiving: Start Here

A list of articles and ideas from the Commons Librarians about resources to explore in archiving your work in social change.

collage of screenshots of 3 websites featuring data and statistics

Guide to publicly available data sources

Through research you can get to know your issues in depth, find out where people stand on those issues, and make a strong evidence-based case for change. Use these Australian publicly available data sources to strengthen and inform your research.

Creative Activism: Start Here

Suggestions from the Commons Librarians about resources to explore in the Arts & Creativity topic area – to help you bring more art and heart to your social change activities.

A woman looking seriously at the camera while a rainbow pride flag drapes on the wall next to her. Credit: Disabled and Here

Community-led design wiki

A wiki of insights and resources around community-led or community-driven design featuring movements, tools, writing, audio and video.

Ending the Activist Year Well

After a big year of effort it’s important to take time for reflection, evaluation, team-building, celebration, and planning. These resources will help.

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