Introduction

Summer 2025 is heating up—and so is the fight for our communities and our democracy. As Trump and the far right double down on attacks—from slashing Medicaid to targeting immigrant families—the stakes keep rising. But so does public outrage.

We believe this summer will bring whirlwind moments—when massive numbers of people are moved to take action. Our job is to be ready.

SURJ’s Summer to Grow: Turn Up the Heat is about meeting that moment. When people show up—whether for the first time or the hundredth—we need to help them find a lasting home. This means organizing white people into solidarity with our Black, Brown, and immigrant neighbors, and away from the rich, white elite. It means rejecting Trump’s divide-and-conquer tactics and fighting for a future where we all have healthcare, housing, and good jobs. We need masses of white people to show up and to know that they have a place in this movement for justice.

This toolkit is here to help you do just that: absorb new people into our work and grow our base. We know it will take more of us stepping up to stop authoritarianism and build a world where everyone can thrive. The good news? Research shows that movements can succeed when just 3.5% of the population is actively engaged in sustained, collective action. We're not there yet—but Summer 2025 is our chance to grow our slice of that 3.5% and build the people power we need. Let’s turn up the heat—and grow something powerful together.

Summer to Grow: Turn up the Heat Toolkit

Click here to go to the Summer to Grow Toolkit

Understanding Absorption

What is absorption?

Absorption is a mindset and a set of practices that help us grow our movements. It means recognizing when people are activated by a political moment—like a crisis, a protest, or a viral event—and offering them clear, meaningful ways to get involved. It’s not just about saying “welcome.” It’s about helping people go from being angry or inspired to becoming active, committed members of a collective fight for justice.

Absorption = inviting people in, keeping them with us, and moving into action together

Why do we absorb?

Because building people power takes more people. We absorb to grow our movements and harness solidarity power — the ability to act together as a collective to create change.

The more effectively we welcome and move people into action, the stronger we become, and the closer we get to building the world we want to see.

Why Summer to Grow?

Here’s what we believe:

If we train our base in absorption, they’ll know how to confidently plug people into our work during whirlwind moments.
If we invite people from the crowd into mass meetings, then more people are likely to say yes to joining and staying involved with SURJ—especially if we offer clear next steps, something not often done in protest spaces.
If we share a credible, long-term vision towards 2028, we can move large numbers of people into sustained organizing—not just one-off actions. People are hungry for a plan that feels real and worth committing to—and we’re ready to offer one.

What We’re Going For: Goals

Here’s what we’re organizing nationwide this summer:

80 SURJ Meet-Ups at actions to meet new people looking for ways to plug in
110 Mass Meetings to welcome people into SURJ and move them into next steps
2,000 total attendees across all Mass Meetings

Your Mission this Summer

To win, we need to grow—and your mission is simple but powerful:

Absorb people where they’re at – Host meet-ups and crowd canvass at actions and events to connect with people in the moment and invite them into clear next steps with SURJ, like attending your Mass Meeting!
Host a (mass) meeting to launch our strategy – Gather people you've connected with through crowd canvassing, meet-ups, or other outreach to share the plan, deepen relationships, and move into collective action.
Bring people along to the next step – Keep people engaged by offering clear, doable ways to stay involved and grow their leadership, like by joining immigration work or elections work, joining or forming a circle, or making a donation.

Remember: we’re not aiming for perfection—we’re aiming to win. It’s better to try, learn, and grow than to wait for the perfect moment.

Getting Started

Attend a Summer to Grow Absorption Training (or watch the recording and review the materials) – see the national calls page for more details!
Find a buddy or build your team – organizing works best when it’s not done alone. Sharing tasks and setting clear roles helps prevent burnout and keep things moving.
- If you’re in a circle or a chapter, that’s your crew! If you’re not in a group already, that’s ok. Think of a friend, a neighbor, a family member who would join you in planning, and ask them to be a part of your Summer to Grow Planning Team.

Set up a Call with your Coach – see the toolkit for more details on how to connect with your assigned coach!
Plan your approach – Meet with your team and use this planning meeting template to decide where and how to absorb people, and set your Mass Meeting date and time.
Host a meet-up and canvass the crowd!
Have a Mass Meeting planning meeting – Finalize details for your Mass Meeting. (template for this planning meeting coming soon!)
Host your Mass Meeting, using this How-To Guide.
Do follow-up and data entry – keep the momentum going!

In addition to mass meetings, regular events happening during Summer to Grow are:

Absorb our People Trainings: Thurs. June 12, Wed. June 18, Thurs. June 26
Peer Support Calls: Wed. July 30, Wed. Aug. 27
Political education webinars/mass calls: Wed. June 11, Wed. July 2, Wed. Aug. 13
Action Hours: every other Wednesday

Head on over to our National Calls page for more info and past recordings, or our Calendar page for a full list of events.

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