Local Alliances
Alliances advance our mission at the local, state, and regional level, offering members a way to engage with each other in their own communities using the Braver Angels Way.
Alliances have a Red-Blue balance in their leadership and strive towards a Red-Blue balance in their membership.
The Field Leaders Portal provides more information on the Guiding Principles of Braver Angels Alliances as well as a range of resources for alliance leaders and volunteers.
Engage with Braver Angels in your Community
What Can Alliances Do?
The short answer is that Braver Angels alliances do whatever they want that works for their community and is consistent with the Braver Angels mission of bridging the partisan divide and strengthening our democratic republic. Depending on the interests and skills of the members in each alliance, alliances generally focus on one or more of the following activities:
- Engage in outreach to recruit new alliance members, with a focus on working towards a Red-Blue balance.
- Spread the word about Braver Angels by engaging with the local media and community organizations. Braver Angels Ambassadors are trained in how to do this work effectively.
- Create initiatives to welcome people who have recently become Braver Angels members, helping them find their own path within Braver Angels.
These Braver Angels workshop and debate events are planned and run by trained organizers, moderators, debate whips, and (if they are online) Zoom event managers. They provide participants with foundational Braver Angels experiences and skills. Alliance members can be trained in these roles, as needed.
As alliance members gain experience with Braver Angels workshops and develop their own depolarizing skills, they can begin designing events and initiatives for their alliance, drawing on the principles that make our Braver Angels workshops and debates so effective.
These groups are led by one or more facilitators who help the group build trust, deepen their understanding of each other’s political perspectives, discuss a range of political topics, and find common ground on policy issues where it exists.
Braver Politics events seek to reform our politics so politicians will engage more constructively with their constituents and with other politicians.
- If alliance members find broad consensus on a policy issue, they can decide to engage in advocacy on that issue.
- There must be at least one Red and Blue champion willing to spend time and energy to lead the work on the issue. In addition, at least 75% of Reds and 75% of Blues in the alliance must support the issue.
How Do I Join an Alliance?
Anyone who is willing to adhere to the Braver Angels Way can join an alliance. Alliance members are expected to become a member of Braver Angels within the first year of joining an alliance. Membership starts as low as $25 a year.
Click on your state on the map below to find the alliances in your state. If there is one in your area, contact the co-chairs to express interest in joining the alliance and to learn more about upcoming events.
If you are not sure which alliance covers your region, then contact your state coordinator for help.
Don’t see a map with a directory? It’s possible that your browser doesn’t support this part of our site. Please view the map here instead.
FAQ
Click here to make a contribution to support your local alliance or state Braver Angels organization.
If you are interested in starting an alliance, your state coordinator or regional lead can help you. The Field Leaders Portal also has directions on “How to Start an Alliance” as well as a wealth of other information for new alliances.
