American for Safe Access Urge YOU to Host House Party to Defeat Cooley for CA Attorney General
Because we’re not used to the attorney general having much of an effect on our lives, most people aren’t following this election very closely but we know how bad Cooley is and if you’re reading this, so do you! House Parties are a fun way to get the word out about Cooley but are also one of our most important tools in defeating him. Your friends and family are much more likely to listen to you, someone they know and trust, about what’s up with Cooley than us. So lets get the word out, lets raise some money and lets keep California safe!
Send us an e-mail and we’ll send you our House Party Planning Kit that’ll have everything you need to throw your own Defeat Cooley House Party-Cooley one-sheets, newsletters, stickers, donation cards, sign-in sheets and lots more.
You can sign up to host a house party by e-mailing Rachel at Rachel@safeaccessnow.org. We will be sending an ASA staffer to several NotCooley house parties so sign up now to be considered.
All you have to do is register; we’ll walk you through the rest!
Find out how to host a house party below.
NotCooley Downloads: NotCooley.com
- Download a NotCooley color Flyer to post
- Download a B&W Flyer
- Download a Sign up sheet
- Sign up to help defeat Cooley
- Download a NotCooley Sticker
- register to vote
- Not sure if you are registered to vote? Click here
What is a house party?
•   House parties are informal fundraisers organized by supporters who want to help sustain our movement. We have a goal of generating a minimum of $500 at each house party through a pitch for support made by the party’s host. Some people do traditional mix & mingle parties and others do sit down dinners and ask the guests to donate whatever they would have spent on dinner that night, we’ve seen baking parties, dance parties and any kind of party you can think of. It’s all about finding the right match for you and your friends.
Steps to a Successful House Party
•   Pick a date: The best times to schedule house parties are Wednesday and Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Once you’ve settled on a date, confirm it with Rachel atRachel@safeaccessnow.org
•   Build a guest list: Invite your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and members of groups you’re involved in. Recruit co-hosts to help you spread the word and invite their contacts. The general rule is to invite four times as many people as you expect to attend (really!).
•   Plan the party: Think about details like: easy directions to your home or the party location; clearly indicating your house for the day of the party; where your guests will park; where in your home is the most comfortable to accommodate the group; providing enough seats; where food and drink will be located; etc. Maybe consider a theme to encourage attendance and fun! Costume party, dance party, craft party, whatever…as long as you make it clear that fundraising for ASA is a priority! Food and drink is up to you, but food that can be eaten while standing is best. Finger foods that don’t require utensils like hors d’oeuvres, cheese and crackers, veggies, cookies and brownies work well. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy.
•   Send invitations: Use Evite.com or Party4aPurpose.com instead of paper to save trees and time! When you let us know about your party we’ll send you ideas for invites and text for the invitation in your kit.
•   Make a pitch plan: Make a plan for presenting your guests with information about the organization and making the pitch for support. In the kit, we’ll have scripts and ideas for how to make a strong pitch. You can call Rachel any time to help coach the host to make the perfect pitch.
•   Enjoy your party: Have fun! Raising funds for and awareness for our movement and the work of ASA is pretty cool.
What the heck do we do during the party?
Organize your party in whatever way you think will work best –be innovative and creative. Should you want a guideline, here is a party timeline (for a 6pm to 8pm event) you can use:
6:00-6:30 Host welcomes arriving guests. Guests sign-in (we’ll send it to you!) so that we can keep them updated about ASA in the future.
6:30-7:00 Guests mingle, enjoy food and drink.
7:00-7:30 Host addresses group, welcoming them and makes a 10-15 minute presentation about who Cooley is, what he’ll do if he’s elected and how we cans top him. We’ll get you scripts for this!
7:30-7:35 Host explains why they want to defeat Cooley and why it was important enough for them to host this party and asks guests to make a financial contribution to the campaign. Rachel will talk you through the pitch and the best way to do it before the party.
7:35-8:00 Host thanks guests for their support. Host invites guests to have more to eat and drink.
We’ll Bring:
If you’re in the bay area, an engaging representative or several to talk with your guests about Cooley
Guest sign-in sheets, ASA swag, newsletters, and literature
Donation envelopes, invites, scripts, thank you notes, cards for guests to sign and send to our POWs, donation forms-opportunities for you and your guests to get involved, take action, and support ASA
Party Supply List
Food and Drink: Finger foods are great! Food preparation can be as simple or elaborate as you like.
Savory: Fruit and veggie platters, chips and dips, cheese and crackers, pita and hummus, breads or rolls, skewer-style grilled veggies, soups, etc
Sweet: Cookies, brownies, cupcakes, etc
Beverages: Alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages
Supplies: Plates, cups, napkins, utensils, garbage bags, theme supplies
FAQs
How many people should I invite? Figure out how many people fit comfortably in the party space. Invite four times as many people as you hope will attend. We know this sounds crazy, but this equation has been tested and found to hold up.
Should I have a co-host? A co-host’s primary purpose is to expand and diversify your guest list along with helping to plan and prep. If you have a great space but not a large guest list or a great list but a studio apartment, then co-hosting may be an excellent idea.
Who should I invite? Family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, folks in other groups you are a part of-anyone who you think would care or be interested in learning about our movement. Also, keep in mind that although having some folks who already love ASA in attendance is helpful for getting others excited, the main function of a house party is to reach out to a new group of supporters who aren’t familiar with our work.
What’s in it for ASA? Beyond raising funds and having the opportunity to meet a new group of potential supporters of our work, house parties are a great way for fostering community connection. By throwing a party for us, you and your guests are supporting the work and mission of the organization.
What’s in it for me and my guests? You and your guests will have the opportunity to get involved in making this movement possible, and participate in an engaging discussion about this topic and the future of ASA.
What’s involved in being a host? A host is responsible for making the pitch for support-explaining to their guests why they financially support ASA, and then asking the guests to join them in supporting the organization (we will help you in choreographing this pitch pre-party). The host should therefore be a donor to ASA, as a pitch is not generally successful unless it is made by someone who is also investing in the organization’s work. Besides this, the host and any co-host(s) take on the usual party planning responsibilities: pick a date, invite your friends, prepare refreshments, plan out the event, and enjoy your party.
