Countdown to Change Host Guide Thank you for participating in our national launch of the Countdown to Change. With the first votes in the 2008 Presidential campaign now less than 150 days away, we are entering what will be the crucial stretch of this campaign. The challenge that we face together is to build supporters and votes in the key early states, which will ultimately bring about the real change we all know to be possible. Your event will help support our organizing efforts in Iowa, the first state in the nation to hold a caucus in the Democratic nominee selection process. The election results in Iowa and other early states will cause tremendous momentum for the winners of these contests as they head into the other primaries and caucuses across the country. Thank you for all of your hard work. If you run into any problems or have any questions you can call our headquarters at 866-675-2008. Before Your Party Step 1: Invite Family, Friends, and Neighbors Start with people you know. Think about family, friends, colleagues and neighbors who would be willing to hear more about Barack Obama. Aim to invite at least 10 people, knowing that not all will be able to attend. You’ll also want to consider reaching out to your larger community. You can find your local My.BarackObama group online and invite the members to attend by emailing the group’s listserv. You can also create your own event flyer and post it at your local coffee shop, grocery store, or library. Find a group: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group Create a flyer: http://my.barackobama.com/createflyers Encourage all of your attendees to RSVP for your event so that you know how many people to expect. If your event is listed online, send an email to all of your attendees using the Email Attendees link on the Manage Your Events page a week before the event and then again the day before to remind everyone of the event’s details.
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Step 2: Fundraising Goal Set a fundraising goal of at least $121. This amount represents one dollar for each day between your event and the Iowa caucus. Please encourage your guests to make a contribution. No matter the amount, every contribution benefits the campaign and brings us one step closer to victory! Step 3: Get your Materials in Order You will find the following materials in this packet: • This Countdown to Change Host Guide. • Sign-in Sheets. This is the form that you will want to have all your attendees use to sign in. • Supporter Cards. These cards will be signed by those people at your event who make a firm commitment to vote for Barack Obama in their state’s primary. • Contribution Forms. Every guest that makes a donation must fill out this form. • Postcards for Early States. Your guests should take the time to write a postcard to people in a key early state expressing why they support Barack. • You’ve Got a Friend in Iowa pamphlets. If your guests know people in Iowa and are willing to call in support of the campaign have them let us know. • Host Feedback Form. • Guest Comment Forms. • Action Items. • Countdown to Change Stickers. • Return Envelope. Pre-addressed postage-paid envelope for you to return everything you collect back to the campaign. Other materials you may want to have on hand: • Issue Flyers. Think about printing out flyers detailing Barack’s positions on important issues. These are available at http://my.barackobama.com/flyers. • Speakerphone to listen live to your state conference call or have computer speakers ready to listen to a recording of the call on your computer. You will be emailed the conference call number and passcode on September 14th. • Video. You may want to create a DVD of some of the campaign’s video content to show your guests. You can download videos online: http://my.barackobama.com/downloadvideos If you’d prefer to purchase a DVD, there is one available in the Obama Store: http://store.barackobama.com. • Obama merchandise. If you’d like to provide your guests with buttons or show your pride with an Obama t-shirt, you can find these items and others in the Obama Store: http://store.barackobama.com. • Camera. Don't forget to take pictures and share them with us after the event!
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During Your Party This agenda is meant only to be a suggestion to guide you in your activities: Guests arrive and sign in Welcome your guests and introduce to them to others at your house party. Make sure every attendee signs in on your sign-in sheet. Mix and mingle Invite everyone to socialize, but let the group know that you’d like the whole group to circle up for a discussion at a certain time. Introduce yourself and talk about your support for Barack Introduce yourself and share with the group why you decided to host this event and why you support Barack Obama. Aim to answer the question, why did you get involved with the campaign? Everyone has a unique story about how they got engaged, and your guests want to hear it directly from you. Your openness will help set the tone for the rest of the event. Call with State Director At 4:00 pm Eastern, you should dial into a conference call to listen to Paul Tewes, the Iowa State Director, provide an up-to-date report on the state of the campaign, why the Iowa caucus plays such an important role in the election, and what voters in other states can do to help Barack win. You will receive an email on September 14th with the conference call number and a participant pass code. Please try to use only one phone line per event by calling in on a speakerphone. There are limited lines and we want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to listen. Don’t worry if the 4:00 pm time doesn’t work for your party. Shortly after the call finishes, an audio recording of the conference call will be available for you to play for your guests at http://my.barackobama.com/hpcountdown. Reach Out to Iowa Ask your guests to write personalized messages on the provided postcards to send to an organizer in Iowa. Writing a message can be as easy as thanking them for their endless time and energy helping us in Iowa. They would also love to hear about why you support Barack Obama for president. Please make sure to leave room for postage. After you send your completed postcards back to us, we’ll apply the postage and mail them to organizers in Iowa that have been working hard to get Barack elected. Another way your guests can make a difference in Iowa is by reaching out to any friends or family they may have in the state. If your guests know people in Iowa and are willing to call them in support of the campaign please have them fill out a You’ve Got a Friend in Iowa pamphlet.
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Supporter Cards and Contribution Forms Before your group breaks up, pass around the supporter cards and contribution forms. Each person should take a moment to fill out a supporter card. It’s important to the campaign to know more about our supporters, including their backgrounds and willingness to volunteer. Thanks Thank your guests for coming and make sure to gather the sign-in sheets, supporter cards, postcards and contributions before your guests leave. After Your Party 1. Return all completed postcards, sign-in sheets, supporter cards, feedback forms and donations in the enclosed envelope by September 17th and address them to: Obama for America Attn: Grassroots Finance 233 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 1100 Chicago, IL 60601 Please make sure to include all completed postcards. We’ll place postage on all returned postcards and make sure they are sent to the early states. 2. Let us know how it went. You can include your host feedback form with your packet or fill it out online: http://my.barackobama.com/countdownfeedback. Please send all of your photos to photos@barackobama.com. 3. Think about sending a thank you email or note to all of your guests. 4. Did you enjoy making a difference? Why not make it a regular activity? Visit our Action Center to find out what we need your help with next: http://my.barackobama.com/actioncenter It’s people like you that make this campaign for change possible.
Thank You!
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