Build a Coalition
A guaranteed income coalition amplifies individual program impact by pooling resources, sharing learning, building collective advocacy, and creating a more powerful voice for policy change.
Why Build a Coalition?
Single programs, however well-run, have limited scale and advocacy power. A coalition of organizations running guaranteed income programs for Persian Americans — and potentially with adjacent communities — can share data, reduce administrative overhead, and speak with one voice to funders and policymakers. Coalitions also enable shared learning: what works in Los Angeles may inform approaches in Boston or Houston.
Forming the Coalition
Begin with a landscape scan of organizations already working with Persian Americans or running cash transfer programs in your region. Host an initial convening — ideally in-person — to share goals and assess alignment. Be inclusive: invite faith organizations, legal aid providers, social service agencies, and community associations, not just established nonprofits.
Identify shared leadership: a steering committee with rotating co-chairs from member organizations ensures no single organization dominates. Establish clear governance from the start — decision-making processes, meeting cadences, and conflict resolution protocols.
Coalition Structure
Effective coalitions balance shared infrastructure with member autonomy. Consider a 'hub and spoke' model: a backbone organization provides administrative support, data infrastructure, and communications, while member programs operate independently with their own participants.
Draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines: shared data standards and privacy commitments, resource sharing protocols, joint advocacy positions, and dispute resolution. Review the MOU annually.
Collective Impact
Use the coalition to build a shared evidence base. Aggregate anonymized data across programs to demonstrate community-level impact — financial stability, housing security, employment outcomes, and wellbeing. This shared evidence is far more persuasive to funders and legislators than any single program's data.
Advocate together for policy changes that benefit Persian Americans and other immigrant communities: expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit to immigrant taxpayers, public charge rule reform, state-level guaranteed income legislation, and increased federal funding for refugee resettlement and integration.
Connect with National Networks
Strengthen your coalition by connecting with national guaranteed income networks, including Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, the Economic Security Project, and Guaranteed Income Community of Practice. These networks offer technical assistance, shared learning, and advocacy resources that can accelerate your work.