FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What does AIM do?

• Builds a base of power so citizens can influence the institutions that affect their lives.
• Engages leaders in developing an agenda around issues that directly impact their lives, i.e. public schools, housing, youth, day care and transportation.
• Identifies and trains new leaders in the skills of public life, i.e., identification of issues, meeting facilitation, research skills, techniques to mobilize people, and negotiation.

What do AIM leaders believe?

• Democracy is not merely voting but actively engaging in the public arena to solve challenges in our communities.
• The "Iron Rule": Never do for others what they can do for themselves.
• Leaders are not born, but made.
• We believe in meeting face to face and developing the public relationships that are the glue of our society.
• We believe in building for power: power that is reciprocal, that is tempered by our religious traditions and power that creates a table that includes more people in the dynamics of public life.

What are the benefits to a congregation?

• AIM will work with the congregation to identify and develop new leaders.
• AIM supports leaders in their efforts to effectively address the common, core issues that are impacting their lives and communities.
• AIM will work with leaders to develop a diverse team to support the congregation's internal development.

How can a congregation join?

• Work with an AIM organizer to build an AIM Team at your congregation/organization.
• Identify and act on local issues.
• Member institutions pay dues to support the work of the organization.

How does AIM determine its issue priorities?

 Grass-roots process.  AIM leaders from AIM member institutions hold hundreds of small group meeting, “house meetings,” each year where county residents discuss what economic and social issues are most important to them.  It is through this grass-roots process that AIM members determine AIM’s issue agenda. 

What does AIM do with the results from the house meetings?

AIM members discuss, hammer out and vote on the top 2-4 top issues that came out of the house meetings that AIM members will work on collectively.  AIM members then turn the issue concerns into concrete specific demands.  These demands are then raised to County Officials at AIM’s Accountability Actions.