Resources

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Iowan's share common values – Let's share resources

We’ve created this section of the GIN website to provide practical information you and your organization can use at your grassroots level.

Despite increasing political divisiveness and frustration about politics and government, as Iowans, we share many common values and want to see them advanced through public policy. These values contrast sharply with extreme anti-democratic government policies and values being advanced in Iowa and nationally.

We need to have meaningful conversations to win the hearts and minds of both old and new voters. This can happen through local activities like one-on-one chats, neighborhood coffees, town meetings, and public forums. We should talk about our values with those who are skeptical of government and politicians.

Let’s share these common values:

  • Supporting families and children
  • Valuing seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities
  • Providing education for all
  • Producing a fair and sustainable economy and tax system
  • Supporting small businesses and rural economic activity
  • Ensuring clean water and a sustainable environment
  • Guaranteeing affordable health care and protecting a woman’s right to choose
  • Guaranteeing civil rights protection for all residents (as our Iowa Constitution states)

What about the government? Most Iowans think the government should play a positive role in making sure our shared values lead to a good life for everyone. But campaigns and consultants too often haven’t talked about our shared values or the good things the government can do to promote them.

Campaigns focus on raising lots of money for negative ads and messages to get their supporters excited or to scare undecided voters. Both parties do this, and the messages don’t match what voters really care about. Our policy resources, drawn from many grassroots campaigns as well as many nonpartisan policy advocacy organizations can help you start the discussions about the positive role of a democratic government.

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MESSAGING AND DIALOGUE

Creating relevant messaging involves having meaningful conversations with Iowans to understand their values and priorities. Fostering dialogue is what leads to creating messages that resonate with Iowans.

Different voters have different values and priorities, which means different emphases for different groups. Grassroots organizations are key to the strong chorus needed to inform and activate voters, with different grassroots organizations taking the lead in singing different verses in that chorus (health care, public education, clean environment, fair elections, etc.).

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COALITION BUILDING + TARGETING

Grassroots leaders have special skills, passions, and reach; when they work together, they can make a big difference. Most of them know their community’s core well, but they might not know about other aspects of their communities.

Three people, smiling and looking at a clipboard together, stand outside on a cobblestone street.

TAKING ACTION

Billions of dollars will be spent in 2026 on state and Congressional campaigns for mass media and social media activities, with much of the money spent in the last weeks of a campaign. But the most effective way to connect with voters, educate them, and get them excited about elections happens way earlier, at the grassroots level.

Effective organizing comes down to face-to-face contact and relationship building. At GIN, that’s what we call “people power,” and it’s what makes grassroots organizations the ‘X’ factor in future elections.

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