Reclaiming Our Organizing: GAR’s Plan for 2026
By: Sammie Ablaza Wills
I joined Grassroots Asians Rising as the Membership Director in May to learn from and strengthen the incredible work of our 34 member organizations. In just seven months, I’ve been energized by the wisdom, resilience, and shared political vision across our network. Our power is real—and it’s growing. Will you invest in GAR’s power-building work?
Looking ahead to 2026, we’re crafting bold plans with our members to deepen our impact, strengthen our foundation, and win lasting change for working-class, pan-Asian communities. Now I’m asking you to invest in that power. Your support fuels the organizers and community leaders building a more just future from the ground up.
Our National Strategy: The Lotus & Rice Convening
In April 2026, GAR will host our seventh annual National Convening - Lotus & Rice: Reclaiming Our Organizing. Over the past decade GAR has hosted convenings that bring together organizers to create a national strategy for building working-class pan-Asian power. This Lotus & Rice Convening will focus on centering and improving our base building strategies, so we can create the sustained power we need to move from defense to offense.
Our members have already proven this works: winning back stolen wages, shutting down oil refineries, and defeating corporate developments. People-powered movements create real change. There’s so much knowledge and wisdom in GAR’s membership that folks are excited to share with and learn from one another at the Convening! Help power grassroots organizing by making a donation to our 2026 Lotus & Rice Convening.
Building Our Shared Foundation
The Convening will launch our member-driven efforts to co-create practices and standards that build sustainable and strategic base-building organizations. This is how we reclaim our organizing. By defining our shared fundamentals, we ensure every member organization is equipped to build lasting working-class power in the face of escalating attacks.
Strengthening Our Leadership and Learning
Our power relies on our people and relationships to one another. Next year, we’re excited to expand our membership even further and welcome new leadership to our Coordinating Committee, growing the team that steers our national work. We will be continuing our Movement Mistakes and Lessons Learned programming to foster a culture of honest reflection amongst our membership that makes our organizing smarter and more effective. We will also be expanding our Kitchen Table, a capacity-building support space tailored directly to organizations’ individual needs.
Our vision for 2026 is clear, but it cannot happen without your support. The Lotus & Rice Convening is GAR’s crucial next step in setting our shared political foundation, strengthening our grassroots leadership, and learning lessons from one another. You can play a direct role in bringing organizers together.
Here’s how your donation makes an impact:
$5,000 to cover the cost of an entire grassroots organization to attend our 2026 Lotus & Rice Convening.
$1,500 to cover the cost of one organizer to attend.
$700 to celebrate the 7th ever GAR convening.
$340 for the 34 grassroots organizations in GAR’s membership.
$120 for the 120 organizers that we hope to bring together.
Every contribution, of any size, is an investment in a powerful, pan-Asian, working-class movement. Help us ensure our organizers have the space to build the strategy we need to win.