There are many non-profit organizations across the nation doing noble and important work to ease the suffering caused by the problems plaguing our communities. DART is not one of them.
DART does not address symptoms of injustice. Rather, we target the root cause of injustice: powerlessness. Below, we highlight this and several other ways in which DART is distinct.
DART will:
Seek justice by holding systems accountable. Examples include holding public school officials accountable to use of high quality, proven reading curriculum in low-performing public schools; holding criminal justice officials accountable to lower recidivism and taxpayer burden by providing substance abuse treatment programming in county jails, and; holding city and transit authorities accountable to improve public bus service and expand accessibility to higher paying jobs
DART will not:
Provide direct service to meet immediate needs like the Red Cross, which provides food and supplies in the aftermath of natural disasters; Teach for America, which sends teachers into low-performing public schools for a limited time to provide supplemental support; Habitat for Humanity, which builds several affordable homes using volunteer labor and donations
Why?
Although mercy work/direct service that alleviates individual suffering is necessary, DART believes that justice and fairness are at least equally important values that we are required to act on in our communities.
DART will:
Cross barriers by bringing together people from diverse ethnic, economic, religious, and racial backgrounds
DART will not:
Define membership by one particular ethnic, religious, or racial constituency
Why?
With diversity comes strength and understanding. Strength because a diverse organization represents all of the community’s interest, not just one religion, race, or ethnicity. Understanding because a diverse organization provides opportunities to relate to others who may be different in some ways, but share similar values and interests.
DART will:
Provide a vehicle for religious congregations to do justice
DART will not:
Recruit individuals members
Why?
Congregations are required to do justice, and are able to join together to powerfully act on that requirement. Individuals are severely limited to do the same.
DART will:
Hold public officials accountable to improve communities by pressing for whatever best practices are proven most effective
DART will not:
Align itself with a partisan agenda or political party
Why?
Pragmatic solutions that focus on the common good instead of divisions like red or blue or conservative or liberal enable people to come together and get things done
DART will:
Conduct large, public, face-to-face meetings with officials who possess the authority to implement solutions
DART will not:
Rely on Energy Actions or protests such as marches, picketing, lobbying, or letter writing to gain support
Why?
There are two sources of power in the public arena: organized money and organized people. To do justice, DART organizes people in large numbers
DART will:
Pursue multiple issues simultaneously and retire old issues when there is a clear cut victory
DART will not:
Define their mission around one issue like the Sierra Club (environment) or National Rifle Association (right to bear arms)
Why?
Multiple issues provide opportunities for people with various interests to come together and work as one
DART will:
Raise money from our members in the form of dues and individual investments from a large number of people investing annually in moderate amounts
DART will not:
Accept government funding, become dependent on 1 or 2 primary supporters, or canvass door-to-door to recruit individual members
Why?
To retain independence, build long-term sustainability, and develop ownership among our members for the financial well being of the organization
DART will:
Select issues locally by having leaders vote to determine the problems they wish to resolve
DART will not:
Engage the community around a predetermined set of issues defined by outside experts or a few people
Why?
Community-led determination provides opportunities for deeper civic engagement, and connects solutions to the people affected
DART will:
Deliberately seek to build a powerful organization for the long haul, not simply win issues
DART will not:
Develop around temporary crises and then dissolve when the issue is resolved or lost
Why?
Justice is a value that endures, whereas issues come and go. Issues are not seen as the ends, but the means to achieve the goal of bringing people together for the common good
DART will:
Rely on broad-based, collective and accountable leadership among many people
DART will not:
Build organizations centered around 1 or 2 high-profile, charismatic people /spokespeople
Why?
Broad-based and rotating leadership ensures that our organizations will not weaken with the loss of any one leader
DART will:
Develop leaders to speak and act on behalf of the organization in the public
DART will not:
Function as an advocacy organization where staff speak and act in the public on behalf of the organization
Why?
Speaking on behalf of others robs people of their potential for growth
