ACTION PLAYBOOK

Invite Your Friends to an Action Party

Get ready to have an outsized impact on election outcomes! This playbook will equip you to pull your network off the sidelines in a cool, approachable way.

Choose your kind of party 👇

MOST POPULAR

  • Dig out those colorful pens and hand-write “please vote!” messages to key swing voters. Beginner-friendly, child-friendly, bar-friendly. Requires some prep ahead of time and costs $5-15 per person. Pairs well with movies and wine. 

MOST POPULAR

  • Whip out your laptop and headphones with a mic, and have live “please vote!” conversations with key swing voters. Free, high-impact, and less scary than it sounds. You just need a relatively quiet space and enough room for everyone to spread out.

  • Raise awareness (and some funds) for key climate champions with a fundraiser. It can be as casual as a backyard BBQ where folks Venmo you $20.24. Do this as early in the cycle as possible!

  • Climate Changemakers' virtual Hours of Action are happening every week! These are facilitated action events led by friendly welcoming hosts – we'd LOVE to set you up with a Zoom breakout room for you and your friends.

Host a ballot reading party (coming in Oct!)

  • Ever get to election day and wish you knew just a little more about the (many!) candidates on your ballot? Have your friends and neighbors over and do some guided Googling to understand your ballot through the climate lens.

  • Consider your people:

    • Are your friends relatively new to all this? Letter writing/postcarding is a great entry point, and also easy to do while chatting, watching a movie, etc. 

    • Want to include the kiddos? Go with letter writing, so they can “decorate” the letters and even write a few themselves! 

    • Have friends with electoral experience? Phone banking is an influential action that’s way more fun with company.

    • Want to be sure your friends vote on time? A ballot reading party is a festive finale to this election season.


    Consider your time constraints: 

    • Need to prepare an action for an event today? Phone banks are available instantaneously. 

    • Can you wait 24 - 72 hours? Letter writing/postcarding require some wait time for set up and delivery. 

    • Do you prefer evenings or weekends? Most events can happen any time of day. Canvassing will happen at a fixed time and date, set by the organization organizing the canvass.

    Consider your space: 

    • Have a favorite coffee shop or brewery? Go for letter writing/postcarding; it’s better-suited for venues with background noise. 

    • Do you have outlets, room to spread out, and minimal background noise? Go for phone banking! 

    • Do you want to show slides? (OK overachiever! We see you!) Make sure you have access to a TV or projector setup. 


    Other factor: costs and asking others to contribute

    Are you able to cover some costs? Do you feel comfortable asking your friends to contribute financially? Postcarding/letter writing costs anywhere from $5-15 per person per hour, between the cost of materials and stamps. Fundraising is all about asking people to contribute their version of an ambitious donation. All other activities are free. 

PS. Want to host a public Climate Changemakers Hour of Action? Learn more.