Calling party for Brian Schatz Host Guide
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Overview
Top Sen. Schatz is in a neck-and-neck race, and MoveOn members can be the difference in helping him win on August 9. Senator Brian Schatz will fight to expand Social Security and bring well paying clean energy jobs to Hawai’i–but only if enough people come out to vote for him. That’s why MoveOn members across Hawaii are teaming up to make calls to progressive voters who are likely to support Schatz, but don’t have a history of voting in Democratic primary races. Every call we make gets Sen. Schatz one step closer to victory!
Before Your Event
Before your event
Here are six things to do before your party to make it a success:
Step 1: Post your action
If you haven’t done so already be sure to post your event by clicking here and going directly to the event posting page. Once you’ve posted your event, you will have access to your host tools page and everything else you will need in order to organize a fun and successful election call party.
Step 2: Invite your community to your call party
Think about your family, neighbors, religious groups, and other clubs or organizations you are in. You can send an email through your event management page and post the RSVP link on your Facebook. Use this as an opportunity to reach out to others you wouldn’t normally reach out to. To win this election, we need to build relationships and bring in volunteers from all parts of our communities. Use this as a chance to reach out to groups or churches you’ve never worked with before, knock on a neighbor’s door you’ve never met, or put up a few flyers in a different part of town. If you are part of a Council, you can use the Recruitment Tool to call and invite other MoveOn members.
Step 3: Prepare your venue
Call parties are fun and a great opportunity to socialize with other progressives. Your role is to help maintain this balance between uninterrupted calling time and socializing time. You also want to think about how to create an environment that makes attendees want to attend again or host their own party. Here’s a few things to think about:
- Is your venue (your home or other location) accessible to lots of communities? Is it near public transit or does it have parking?
- Do you want food there?
- Do you have enough chairs or places to sit?
- Do you want music on when people arrive?
- Should you invite people to walk to a coffee shop or get ice cream afterward?
- Read through our event venue guidelines if you have questions.
It’s OK if your call party is as simple as folks just making calls—that’s the ultimate goal!
Step 4: Make reminder calls the day before your party
The best way to boost attendance for your party is to pick up the phone and invite folks personally to your party. We’ll send reminders to everyone who RSVP’s for your party, but a personal note and/or call from the host is a good idea. You can see everyone who has RSVP’d and their phone numbers through your host tools page.
And as a reminder, only 50% of the people who RSVP will actually come, so make sure you increase your attendee max for your party to account for the drop off rate. And making reminder calls is a good way to make sure that everyone who signs up to attend actually shows up. If you have more questions, feel free to email us at electionhelp@moveon.org.
Step 5: Review and print these helpful Materials
Sign In Sheets
Calling instructions for those with a computer.
Calling instructions for those with a phone only.
Calling script for printing
During Your Event
Call Party Agenda
1. Get the party started (10 min)
Kick things off by introducing yourself, welcoming your guests, and going over the agenda for the party.
2. Call into the training call to prepare you and your guests to make calls. You will be emailed the information ahead of your party. (10 min)
3. Call practice (10 min)
Before the calling begins, you and your guests will take a few minutes to get familiar with the call script and do a quick practice call with a partner.
4. CALL! Start making calls (2 hours)
After everyone gets a chance to practice, tell your guests to spread out, find a seat or some space to stand if they prefer, and log into the calling system. In order for the system to work at it’s best, it’s important to keep as many people on the line making calls as possible throughout the shift.
5. Calling debrief (5 min)
After calling wraps up, take a few minutes to debrief the call party. Ask folks to share highlights and discuss what worked well, and what could’ve made the party even better.
The party program ends at this point. And if you’re up for more mingling with MoveOn members, by all means, continue the party!
After Your Event
Step 1: Fill out a post-party survey
You will receive a survey in an email the night of the party. This is critical—both to share your experience hosting the party, and to gather information about how many people you called and who signed up for an event. Please watch out for the survey email, and fill it out completely. Thanks!
Step 2: Send in photos from your event
You and your guests can send digital photos to photos@moveon.org.
Step 3: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Add new attendees to your Council!
If you had new people come, add them to your Council from your Council page: http://moveon.org/organize. If you have questions, make sure to contact your organizer or Regional Organizer.
