The Organization
Logan Square Neighborhood Association, operating as Palenque LSNA, is a Chicago-based community organization that advances neighborhood priorities through grassroots organizing and the leadership of its Member Action Council (MAC). The MAC serves as the organization's primary vehicle for community engagement, bringing together residents and organizations to shape local policy and organize around shared concerns.
The Goal
With a $10,000 grant, Palenque LSNA is testing whether clearer membership structures can deepen member engagement and financial commitment to the MAC. The hypothesis centers on whether making financial responsibilities more definitive will lead to stronger collective buy-in and advance organizational priorities within the community.
Strategies & Tactics in Motion
The organization is working across three interconnected areas: defining membership dues using a sliding scale model, clarifying membership benefits and how members access them, and exploring potential fee-for-service opportunities through events. Current tactics emphasize internal alignment through quarterly meetings, one-on-one follow-up with members, and building database infrastructure. The work involves auditing current dues payments and benefits, developing collateral materials, and cultivating internal understanding among staff about program direction and historical context.
In-Flight Multiplier Signals
Rather than immediate revenue, early signals include growing internal clarity about what the MAC can become and initial frameworks for a dues structure that honors longtime members while creating pathways for growth. A sliding scale proposal is now being shared with membership leaders for feedback. The experiment has also surfaced the challenge of maintaining focus during real-world disruptions, as aggressive ICE campaigns from October through December 2025 required the organization to pivot all internal capacity to support community members in crisis.
What We’re Watching Next
Key questions include whether the sliding scale model gains acceptance among current members, how database systems can be configured to support membership infrastructure without significant additional cost, and what process for collecting dues will feel aligned with the organization's values and member relationships.
Why This Matters Now
At a moment when immigrant communities face heightened threats and grassroots organizations struggle with sustainability, this experiment explores whether community organizing groups can build durable membership models that strengthen both financial stability and democratic participation. The work offers early insights into how internal infrastructure investments create conditions for long-term organizational resilience, even when external crises require immediate response capacity.
