How to Get Event Attendance

Thank you so much for joining this fight. Elizabeth is proud to count you among her best supporters. Grassroots teams — made up of people like you — are the backbone of this campaign and at the heart of why Elizabeth is running for president.

Recruitment is at the core of being an event host. You’ll recruit attendees and new volunteers with old fashioned shoe leather techniques as well as cutting edge digital mobilization tools. You’ll recruit all of these people to build more power to win our campaign and elect Elizabeth Warren as our next President while teaching activist skills volunteers can use for years to come.

Our emphasis on recruitment is also a philosophical commitment to promoting civic engagement – our democracy depends upon it. There is an inherent value in engaging a lot of people. This mini-toolkit will walk you through the basics of how to start recruiting attendees and volunteers:

MAKE VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT CALLS

Calling potential new volunteers directly is one of the best ways to recruit people to join this fight. Since Elizabeth launched her campaign at the end of 2018, hundreds of thousands of supporters from across the country have signed up to volunteer with the campaign through our website.

Switchboard is our tool that allows us to plug these potential new volunteers into local volunteer efforts — like your events. You can sign up for a Switchboard training here.

As you call through the list of volunteer prospects, use the Switchboard Talking Points as a guide. The goal of a Switchboard conversation is to schedule a prospective volunteer for an event or training. Remember this as you reach out and have a conversation with them!

USE WARREN COMMUNITY PAGES

All In is our online community for Warren supporters across the country. Joining communities for your state, your interests, and your values can be a great place to start finding more supporters in your area! Connect with other hosts for tips, meet people who might be interested in getting more involved, and share links to sign up to your event.

You can also join our volunteer Slack channel! This is a space for hosts and volunteers around the country to connect, share ideas, and talk about the work they are doing!

CONFIRM NEW VOLUNTEERS

After someone has said they’re planning to attend your next event, give them a call (or text) beforehand to confirm their attendance and see if they have any questions. Let guests know if they need to bring anything to your event, and encourage them to bring a friend!

Make sure to also follow-up the day after the event. Thank them for coming, give them the resources to keep volunteering on their own, and invite them to any additional events you’re planning in the future!

WELCOME YOUR GUESTS

Once you’ve invited new guests, it’s important to make sure new members feel welcomed!

Follow these steps to help welcome new members and ensure they feel a part of the movement to elect Elizabeth:

  • Make sure someone is at the door to greet any new attendees and welcome them to Team Warren. This is a great chance to get them to sign in, introduce yourself, and share why you’re in this fight.

  • Run your event in a way that works for first time volunteers, too! Avoid jargon, or inside jokes, or assuming that everyone is on the same page with your plans. Check out our glossary of organizing words here.

ORGANIZE A COMMUNITY BUILDING EVENT FIRST!

Have fun! You are dedicated members of Team Warren fighting the good fight every day, but we are prepared to be in this for the long haul and make sure we don’t burn out. Have a social event: do a potluck in a park, attend a community fair or event together, recognize birthdays, or organize a happy hour! These social events are also a great time to get people signed up for upcoming events!

KEEP GUESTS INVOLVED AND INTERESTED

So much about getting people to keep coming back is about making people feel like they are included and that it’s worth their time. Here’s a good baseline to make sure you’re hitting:

  • Making people feel valued. Dedicate a portion of your event to celebrating success, welcoming new members, and talking about why you’re all in this fight. Use the online community or your closed social media or email groups to credit people for their hard work. Send thank you emails. Try to be specific with praise.
  • Keep inviting people to your next events! Gather emails, phone numbers, and social media handles (and use Reach) to keep them updated on events that are to come in the future.