Grassroots vs. Astroturf

Many organizations and groups claim to be grassroots. It can be extremely difficult to judge whether or not a group's claim as being grassroots is accurate. A grassroots organization is community-based and is ran by everyday citizens who have been united by a common cause. It is not supported financially by corporations or politicians but rather common people or smaller activist groups. In contrast, an AstroTurf organization is one that claims to be grassroots but whose members are actually lobbyists who have certain political interests and are often times backed by corporations with certain agendas.

The Rainforest Action Network is a true grassroots organization. Its members, thousands of volunteer scientists, students, teachers, and concerned citizens, raise money and awareness for environmental protection. They collaborate with many other environmentalist groups but do not work alongside government officials or lobbyists. The majority of their funding comes from regular citizens, not politicians who are looking for personal gain or a better chance of passing their own personal agendas. It also runs without the help of major corporations. If you were to look at the breakdown of how the Rainforest Action Network spends their money, you will find the majority of it is spent on programs with only a small portion being spent on advertising and administration. In no way is their money spent on political campaigns or used in cooperation with any other tactics employed by many lobbyists.