DARE uses four interconnected strategies to build power, win campaigns and fuel a lasting movement for social change.

Base Building: Building a powerful multi-ethnic and multi-racial base of members who can work together to seek and organize for solutions to community wide problems is the foundation of our work.  Community members are welcome at DARE any day of the week to see an organizer to discuss any problems they might be having. Additionally, DARE members and leaders go out to the community to doorknock and bring people to DARE. You can join us the first Thursday and second Saturday of every month.

Direct Action Organizing: means that the people who are affected by the problem work together to find a solution. At DARE that means that we build our campaigns from the ground up, seeking allies in policy and advocacy organizations and local government, but leading from a strong, clear, member led voice. And of course, it means that we don't wait for an invitation, but seek out opportunities to win community wide victories through Direct Action- finding the decision maker and demanding our solutions through actions, rallies and accountability sessions. 

Leadership Development: We are a member led organization and are constantly finding opportunities to develop skills and experience to ensure that members can lead at every level of the organization.  DARE offers members an opportunity to participate in the DARE Leadership Institute (DLI) 101 and 201, where members work together to develop their understanding of racism, sexism, classism and homophobia, to develop a power analysis of the root causes of problems communities of color face, and to develop their own skills as organizers, facilitators and leaders. From planning an action, to representing DARE at the State House, DARE members develop leadership by doing. 

Movement Building: DARE works to build a network locally and globally with base building organizations who share our values and who are themselves working in a way that embodies our Principles of Unity in their own way. By making concrete connections to

Right to the City: Right to the City is a national alliance of membership-based organizations and allies organizing to build a united response to gentrification and displacement in our cities.  Our goal is to build a national urban movement for housing, education, health, racial justice and democracy.  We are building our power through strengthening local organizing; cross-regional collaboration; developing a national platform; and supporting community reclamation in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Grassroots Global Justice: Grassroots Global Justice is an alliance of U.S.-based grassroots groups who are organizing to build an agenda for power for working and poor people. We understand that there are important connections between the local issues we work on and the global context, and we see ourselves as part of an international movement for global justice.