Introduction
The Tomorrow Movement is a multiracial and inclusive youth movement that started in Australia in 2019 based on the Momentum Model, a grassroots organising framework, developed in the US. This intersectional youth movement is campaigning for a society with good jobs, great public services and a safe climate for all.
Explore more below about the Momentum Model and how Tomorrow Movement uses this grassroots organising framework in Australia.
What is the Momentum Model?
The Momentum model is a grassroots organising framework developed in the United States to help movements grow quickly, sustain energy, and win lasting change. It draws lessons from past social movements like the Civil Rights Movement, Occupy, and the Arab Spring. The model sees movements as being driven by two engines:
- Organising structures
Building teams, leadership, and training so people can stay involved long term. - Mass mobilisation
Big, visible moments of protest and action that capture public attention and bring in waves of new participants.
Momentum has developed a hybrid model that integrates the best of both traditions to overcome the limitations of each. It helps groups balance these two elements: channeling the bursts of energy from mass protests into ongoing organising, and using strong structures to prepare for the next wave of mobilisation. It emphasises strategic escalation, narrative, and distributed leadership so that movements don’t burn out but keep growing.
“Escalation is what happens when people take disruptive action together.
Absorption is what happens during and immediately following any escalation. This is the systematic process of bringing newly activated people into the movement so that the movement grows in capacity and can escalate with greater impact over time. Absorption can mean new people signing an online petition, joining a mass call, or attending an orientation training. Good absorption doesn’t just move people onto a ladder of engagement — it puts them on an elevator of engagement so that the most enthusiastic new leaders can step into high levels of responsibility quickly.
Active Popular Support is the shift in public opinion that results from an escalation. This change in the public sets the stage for the next phase of escalation and absorption.” – Source
The Momentum Model outlines that components of a movement DNA. It includes:
- Story
How can we create a public-facing identity and narrative that will inspire people to join our movement and advance a new common sense around our issues? - Strategy
How can we build a multi-phase strategy that withdraws consent from and cooperation with the status quo to effect change in both public opinion and policy? - Culture
How do we design a system of values, principles, and practices that can be disseminated throughout a movement to embody the kind of interdependence and reciprocity we want to see in the world? - Structure
How do we create volunteer structures that can scale by absorbing thousands of new members each year and distributing leadership through clear roles, teams, and lines of support?
Learn more about the Momentum Model:
- The Momentum Model: A Living Model for Hybrid Organizing
- Momentum 101 Concepts – The Power of Social Movements
- What is frontloading?
Watch Videos
Watch these videos to learn how the Tomorrow Movement has adopted the Momentum Model in Australia.
About the Tomorrow Movement
Welcome to Tomorrow Movement!
This is a recording of a welcome call that Tomorrow Movement would facilitate with new staff and volunteers so that people can learn about what is Tomorrow Movement’s DNA, and what campaigns has it ran in the past. DNA is a term from the Momentum Model; that encapsulates what an organisation’s story, strategy and culture are.
What is part of Tomorrow Movement’s DNA?
Introduction to the series about what Tomorrow Movement’s DNA is. This video provides an insight into why it’s important and what’s included in it.
What is Tomorrow Movement’s DNA Story?
In the Momentum Model, story is a key element to creating a social movement. This video explore Tomorrow Movement’s story, and why its so important.
What is Tomorrow Movement’s DNA Strategy?
In the Momentum Model, all social movements must have a strategy. This video is an overview of the Tomorrow Movement strategy and why it’s important.
What is Tomorrow Movement’s DNA Culture?
In the Momentum Model, all social movements must have a culture set out. This video is an overview of the Tomorrow Movement culture and why it’s important.
Organising
Structure and Building Strong Teams
In the Momentum Model, structure is a key element to creating a social movement. This video explore Tomorrow Movement’s structure, why it is so important, and aspects to keep in mind when building strong teams.
Recruitment Conversations
Recruitment is a key component to campaigning and creating mass movements to push for progressive change. The following is a training session by Tomorrow Movement on how to have recruitment conversations.
Building relationships
Building relationships is a key part of growing a progressive movement. This training is by Tomorrow Movement on ways to build relationships through having relational meetings, storytelling and resonating.
How to beat the far right: digital organising
What you’ll learn:
- How to use digital tools to find and connect with other young people who care about change
- Ways to move people from passive followers to active participants
- Simple steps to grow your movement’s online presence authentically
- Tips for using digital tools (instagram/tiktok and action network) to support (not replace!) real-world organising
Perfect for:
- Anyone just starting their organising journey
- People curious about how to get others involved
- Organisers wanting to better understand digital tools
- Young people ready to build power for this election
This is about using digital tools strategically to build real youth power online AND offline.
Actions
What are actions, and how do you plan them?
The purpose of this training is to understand why we do actions, what different types of actions there are and what they aim to achieve, learning about some historical examples of direct action and learning the steps and considerations of organising an action.
Photo and video capturing an action in a powerful way
Tomorrow Movement provides an overview on how and what to think about when powerfully capturing photographs and videos from your action.
Postering and growing awareness
Postering is a tactic in campaign organising that helps us grow awareness. This training goes why growing awareness in action in your community is important, and how postering is a tactic that allows you to do that. Tactical considerations of postering are also included in this video.
Communication
Communicating our organising story and strategy
In social movements, it’s important to be able to communicate your story and strategy to communities. This training goes through why it’s important and the Marshall-Ganz framework of Story of Self-Us-Now.
Engaging with media
We know at Tomorrow Movement that building a movement needs more than just passion—it takes strategic communication and messaging across a range of medias. That’s why we’re using the PESO Model® (Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned Media) to amplify our movement, educate young people, and turn online energy into real-world action. The PESO Model® was created by Gini Dietrich of Spin Sucks.
What does creating written media include?
This video provides on overview on how to create written media for print and digital media publications, including how to write a media release and what to include in the email to the journalist.
Elections
How do elections work? Australian Federal Parliament preferential voting and history
If you’re looking to understand more about the Australian Federal Parliament, including the history of why’s it’s structured this way, what the structure is, and what preferential voting is, then this is the video for you! This aims to demystify what a majority and minority government is.
Case Study
Youth Voter Bloc Campaign Case Study – Tomorrow Movement
For the 2025 Federal Election, Tomorrow Movement ran a Youth Voter Bloc that had three campaign components; deep place based organising, actions and a post election mobilisation. This is an overview of what that campaign included.
Explore Further
- Tomorrow Movement
- Tomorrow Movement’s – History of campaigns
- Solidarity & Justice Reading and Reflection List, Tomorrow Movement
- Momentum Model
- The Shape of Organising Models
- Momentum Webinars on movements, mass decentralised organising and mobilisation
- Approaches to Organising: Decentralised, Directed Network and Strike Circles Models
- Momentum 101: Movement Ecology (3 Videos)
- Definitions of Organising Models