Start by answering a few core questions:

• What is the purpose of this event? (e.g., recruit volunteers, share stories, pressure a specific Republican)
• What action do I want attendees to take by the end?
• How will this event help build momentum over the summer?

Set one or two clear goals. Example: “I want to recruit 5 new volunteers and collect 3 stories we can share.”

Event ideas include:

You don’t have to do it all. Pick the event that makes the most sense for your community, and go from there. What matters most is showing up, speaking out, and bringing others along with you.

Choose your format:
Will this be in-person, virtual, or hybrid? Let your audience and event type guide the choice. For example:

• A strategy meeting works well in person.
• A social media action or training can be hosted over Zoom.
• A storytelling event might benefit from both in-person connection and digital reach.

Pick a date and time:

• Avoid holidays and peak travel periods.
• Weeknights or weekend afternoons tend to draw the best attendance.
• Give yourself at least 10–14 days to prepare and promote.

Coordinate with partners: If you’re working with another local group or Democratic organization party, loop them in early to align calendars and resources.

For in-person events:

• Consider public libraries, community centers, coffee shops, or someone’s living room.
• Make sure it’s accessible (ADA-compliant, safe, and near transit if possible).
• If outdoors, have a rain plan.

For virtual events:

• Set up a Zoom or Google Meet link in advance.
• Learn how to use breakout rooms, screen sharing, and mute controls.
• Share tech access instructions clearly with attendees.

To make your event official, and easy to find for others in your area, be sure to list it on our national Organizing Summer event page. This helps our team support you, gives your event more visibility, and lets attendees RSVP directly.

Why list your event?

• [If it is Public] It will be included on the national Organizing Summer map.
• You’ll get access to an event host dashboard where you can manage RSVPs and send messages to attendees.
• Our team can promote your event through emails, texts, and social media when possible.
• You and your attendees will receive automatic reminders for the event!
  

How to list your event:

1. Visit our Organizing Summer Event Registration Form here.
   
2. Fill out the event details:
   • Title: Make it clear and inviting (e.g., “Charlotte Community Strategy Meeting: Holding Rep. Budd Accountable”)
   • Event Type (in-Person or virtual)
   • Date, time, and location
     1. The location will be private until your attendees register.
   • Brief description of the event and what attendees should expect
   • Any directions you want your attendees to receive. This should include:
     1. Any materials they may need to bring
     2. [If in-person] Arrival instructions, parking, etc.
   • Agree to our event hosting rules!
3. Once submitted, you will receive an email to confirm your event. From here, you will receive a link to your Event Dashboard. Save this email and link!

Managing your event listing: 

This is your Event Dashboard! Here, you can edit the event details, manage and email your attendees, and get the link to share your event. Once you see this page, you are ready to start recruiting attendees!

No organizer does it alone! Recruit friends, fellow volunteers, or new contacts to help run the event:

• Identify a co-host: Find someone you trust to help guide the event and share some of the responsibility!
• Share the event with aligned organizations: You likely have partner organizations in your community who are aligned with the goals of your event. Reach out and see if they want to partner on it! This can be anything from completely sharing the responsibility of the event, to simply sharing it with their members or network. 
• Some other potential volunteer leadership roles to help share the responsibility:
  • Snack Captain: Put someone in charge of providing snacks, water, food, or any other comfort needs!
  • Recruitment Captain: Identify someone to help spread the word with your community about the event.
  • Training Lead: If you are running an event that requires training supporters on a tactic, identify someone you believe would be a good public speaker or trainer to lead on it!

Pro tip: Assign roles early so everyone knows their responsibilities and feels invested.

Your personal network is the strongest starting point. People are much more likely to show up when they hear directly from someone they know.

• Make a list of friends, coworkers, neighbors, classmates, local activists, and family who care about the issues.
• Think about community spaces you’re part of: book clubs, church groups, sports teams, group chats.
• Don’t assume people aren’t interested, reach out personally and make the invitation clear and easy to accept.

Pro-tip: For every person who says yes, ask them to invite 2 or 3 friends to join them. This is an easy way to double your attendance!

The most effective invitations are direct, personal, and one-on-one.

Some tips as you start to invite people to your event:

• Texts, phone calls, or DMs are better than a mass post.
• Mention why you’re hosting this event and why it matters now.
• Make it easy: include the date, time, location, and RSVP link from you event dashboard, our official platform for volunteer-hosted events.
• Invite people in the places you already naturally communicate. If you text regularly, send them a text! If email is the norm, send them an email!

Use your own words! If you need help crafting the invite, here’s a template to start from:

Once you’ve reached out personally, use your public channels to spread the word.

• Post on Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, and TikTok or wherever your network primarily exists.
• If your state or local party has social accounts, ask them to share your event.

Go beyond your circles by plugging into community spaces:

• Ask local advocacy groups or neighborhood associations to forward your invite.
• Post on local Facebook Groups, Nextdoor, Slack communities, or Reddit threads.
• Drop flyers or posters at coffee shops, libraries, or co-working spaces (where allowed).
• Partner with other local activists or groups to co-host and amplify.

Pro tip: Mention your event during other meetings or calls you’re already part of, word of mouth goes a long way!

Even people with good intentions forget—follow-up is critical! Check in with your attendees using multiple methods to confirm their attendance, and make sure they remember!

• Attempt to confirm their attendance through at least two methods, for instance a phone call and a text, a text and an email, or a phone call and social media dm.
• Send a reminder two days before the event and again the morning of.
• ActionKit allows you to message RSVPs directly from your event host dashboard via email! 

Sample Reminder Text:

Can’t wait to see you at the Organizing Summer event tomorrow! We’ll start at [Time] at [Location/Link] and take real action together. Let me know if you need anything! 💥

Purpose: Be clear about why people are here and what you’re hoping to achieve.
People: Create a welcoming, inclusive space where people feel seen and safe.
Participation: Don’t just talk at people—give them something meaningful to do or say.
Action: Drive toward an impactful, concrete step attendees can take.
Next Step: Keep momentum going with a clear invitation to stay involved.

Purpose: Make a plan about the most effective way to hold Republicans accountable in your community

Brief Agenda/Event Flow:

• Kick off with a welcome
  • Introduce yourself, let folks chat and get to know each other 
• Provide a brief overview of what GOP reps are doing in your area.
  • Did they vote for the budget bill to gut Medicaid and food assistance Check here.
  • Are they supporting cuts to the federal workforce that are affecting your community?
  • Do you live in a district with a Republican that is particularly vulnerable? Check out these ‘Districts in Play’ to see who is most afraid of losing their seat in Congress this November. 
• Break into small groups to brainstorm goals: 
  • Who are you trying to reach? 
  • What tactics will work in your community?
  • Who’s in the community? What issues affect them the most?
• Share ideas out and document them.
  • Use a whiteboard, poster paper, or a shared document to track ideas.
• Make a plan, together.
  • Decide together what the best course of action is. 
  • Plan another upcoming event based on what you all come up with.
    
• Assign next steps: 
  • Who’s doing what for the event? 
  • Tap everyone in to help spread the word and recruit!
    

Pro Tips: Use a whiteboard, poster paper, or shared doc to track ideas. If in-person: bring snacks or coffee to make it feel approachable and casual.

Purpose: Show public opposition in a highly visible and energetic way.

Flow:

• Start at an off-site location to make signs, banners, etc!
  • Welcome folks and give a quick overview of why you are hosting an accountability campaign against a Republican representative
  • Share the plan: making posters, banners, staging a protest, or dropping visuals in high-traffic areas.
  • Provide supplies: markers, poster board, paint, zip ties, chalk, etc.
  • Review safety precautions such as staying out of the road, not engaging with opposition, etc. 
• Move to the location for the visibility event:
  • A popular public space
  • Outside the Republican’s office
  • Check your local laws and ordinances about permits for gatherings – If you need a permit, make sure you have one!
• Capture content! Take photos/videos and tag state/local accounts. Encourage all attendees to do the same and share them online.
• Pro-tips: Keep it legal and safe—don’t block roads or private buildings. Have a press or social media lead to coordinate visuals and coverage.

Purpose: Deliver your message face-to-face (or via staff) at your GOP rep’s local office.

Flow:

• Meet up beforehand to review your message and materials.
• Choose 1–2 people to be lead speakers. Others can deliver written letters or petitions.
• Be polite but firm—this is your community’s voice.
• Take a photo outside afterward and share what happened with your networks.
• Debrief: What went well? What should we do next?

Pro Tips:

• Call ahead to ask when staff will be available to receive visitors.
• Dress neatly and keep your tone grounded in community concern.

Purpose: Build goodwill and demonstrate Democratic values of care and responsibility.

Ideas:

• Partner with a local mutual aid group for a food drive or cleanup.
• Set up a donation drive for abortion funds or voting access orgs.
• Include short remarks about how GOP policies are harming the people you’re serving.

Agenda/Flow: 

• Welcome & Framing
  • Introduce yourself and thank participants.
  • Share why this service matters—connect it to Republican accountability and Democratic values of community care.
  • (Optional) Invite a local partner or impacted community member to speak briefly.
• Service Activity
  • Engage in the activity: sorting donations, packing care kits, park cleanup, etc.
  • Encourage conversation and connection.
  • Document the event with photos or video.
• Debrief and Wrap-up
  • Invite attendees to reflect on what they’ve learned or why they joined.
  • Make the connection to political action.
  • Thank everyone for their time and effort.
  • Offer clear next steps: invite them to your next visibility event, accountability action, or planning meeting.

Tips: These can draw in folks who are less political. Use them to build relationships and gently move people to more direct action.

Take 10–15 minutes within 24 hours of your event to reflect:

• What went well?
• What could be improved next time?
• What kind of conversations or energy did you notice in the room?
• Which attendees showed leadership or interest in doing more?

Use these reflections to guide your next steps and improve future events.

Send a thank you message to everyone who attended. Include:

• A genuine thank you for showing up and making an impact
• A recap of what you all accomplished (e.g., “We reached 45 people and planned two more actions!”)
• A clear next step, such as:
  • Attending your next event
  • Joining a team chat or digital community
  • Becoming a co-host or partner for a future event
    

Sample Follow-Up Email:

Subject: Thank You + What’s Next

Hi [First Name],

Thank you so much for joining our Organizing Summer [event name] on [date]!

Together, we [short summary of what you did]. This is what people-powered organizing looks like.

We’re just getting started—our next event is [details of upcoming event or action], and I’d love to see you there.

Here’s where you can sign up:

If you’re interested in helping host, lead, or spread the word, reply here—I’d love to connect.

In solidarity,
[Your name]

Pro-tip: If achievable, make these personal. Give attendees a call, send them a direct text, etc. Don’t just do a mass email!

Keep a list of:

• Who attended
• Who expressed interest in helping more
• What follow-up action you sent
• Notes about their skills, interests, or stories

If you’re using ActionKit, make sure attendees are tagged as completing the event, so you can email them through ActionKit as well!

Build on the energy of your last event! Keep your group engaged by inviting them to:

• A strategy session to debrief and plan your next action
• A visibility or protest event
• A leadership training to develop their skills
• A social gathering or storytelling circle to deepen connections

Consistency builds community. Aim to stay in touch at least weekly with your local network—through events, updates, or informal chats.

Stories inspire others to take action. Use photos, videos, quotes, or short summaries to:

• Post on social media and tag @TheDemocrats
• Share with us in Discord! We want to hear about how it went. Hearing a positive account of others’ events is the best way we can drive more folks to get involved.
• Submit to your regional organizer or DNC staff contact.

Yes, you absolutely can! This guide is designed to walk you through every step. You don’t need to be a political expert—just someone who cares about your community and wants to hold Republicans accountable. We’ll give you the tools, and you bring the energy.

Nope! As long as you’re following local laws and using public or accessible community spaces, you’re good to go. If you’re unsure, reach out to your regional organizer or local partner group.

Think about spaces where people already gather or feel comfortable. Great options include:

• Local libraries or community centers
• Coffee shops or bookstores
• Public parks
• Living rooms, backyards, or porches
• Places of worship or union halls
• Online (Zoom or similar platform)

Choose a space that’s accessible and easy to find!

Start with your own network! Invite friends, coworkers, neighbors, faith or social groups—people you already know and trust. Then:

• Text or call them directly
• Ask others to co-host and bring a few friends
• Share your ActionKit link far and wide

It’s okay to start small—five committed people is more than enough to make a difference.

That’s okay! You’re not expected to have all the answers. Try saying: “That’s a great question—I’m not sure, but I’ll find out and get back to you.” Then reach out to your regional point of contact or the DNC organizing team for support via Discord or email.

Yes! In fact, we encourage it. Partnering with local organizations, issue-based groups, campus orgs, or community leaders strengthens your turnout and impact. Just be sure your goals align with the Organizing Summer message.

That’s totally fine! Some of the most meaningful organizing happens in small groups. What matters is that people show up, take action, and leave ready to do more. Every conversation counts.