All of us organizing together are here to make a difference. As our work has grown across Western Wisconsin, we’ve become even clearer about what it takes to win lasting change for our communities. That clarity led us to structure our work through two closely connected organizations — GROWW Education, a 501(c)(3), and GROWW, a 501(c)(4) — so we have the right tools to meet the moment.

Our communities are facing serious challenges, and we are serious about addressing them together. Many of the issues we organize around — housing, healthcare, corporate consolidation, clean water, and local democracy — are shaped by political decisions. To respond effectively, we need both deep political education and the ability to act collectively in the public arena.

As GROWW Education, our role is to build the foundation for that work.

What GROWW Education Does (501(c)(3))

GROWW Education exists to grow leadership, knowledge, and shared understanding across our region. As a 501(c)(3), we focus on long-term capacity building through activities like:

• Political education and community learning

• GrassRoots School and leadership development programs

• Research and issue education

• Training people to analyze systems, tell their stories, and organize together

• Creating spaces for dialogue, learning, and relationship-building

This work equips people with the skills and confidence to step into public life and allows supporters to contribute tax-deductible dollars to sustain education and leadership development in Western Wisconsin.

What GROWW Does (501(c)(4))

GROWW is the organizing and advocacy vehicle that puts that leadership into action. As a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, GROWW has greater flexibility to engage directly in the political process, including:

• Advocating for or against specific policies and legislation

• Engaging elected officials and decision-makers

• Organizing public actions and community pressure

• Supporting candidates who align with community priorities, within legal limits

• Responding quickly to urgent political threats or opportunities

As Organizing Director Bill Hogseth has shared, “Some of the challenges facing our towns have roots in the political process. To tackle them, we need the ability to engage power directly — and that requires the tools a 501(c)(4) provides.”

Why We Need Both

We believe deeply that education without action stalls — and action without education doesn’t last.

Together, GROWW Education and GROWW form one unified strategy:

• Education builds leaders.

• Organizing turns leadership into power.

• Power creates change.

This structure reinforces our commitment to remaining community-directed, values-driven, and independent. Our work is guided not by political parties or donors, but by the needs, wisdom, and leadership of the people who call Western Wisconsin home.

What This Means for Our Work

This structure does not disrupt our work — it strengthens it.

• Education, training, and leadership development continue through GROWW Education.

• Campaigns, advocacy, and public action continue through GROWW.

• Our values, mission, and people remain the same.

• Our shared purpose is unchanged: building the power our communities need to live with dignity and have a real say in the decisions that affect us.

We know this structure can raise questions, and we welcome them. Together, we’ve already accomplished so much — and this next chapter gives us the tools we need to keep going.

Have questions? Reach out. We’re in this together.