You'd have to enforce strict rules of cohabitation (which detracts from the morality of the issue and so from the status gain), or accept that some of the members would be corruptible/can disagree upon the actual work (which detracts from its impact), or both...

Also, an activist should be given the benefit of the doubt regardless of his associations. It is his beliefs that you can review with more open mind if people whom you respect think them worthwhile. And beliefs are not sentient to care about status.