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CITIZENS’ TOOLKIT A P R O B L E M S O LV E R ’ S P U B L I C AT I O N
CONTENTS 1. Introduction..................................................................................................... 1 2. Take Action..................................................................................................... 2
Creating a No Labels......................................................................... 3
Inviting Friends to Join the Movement........................................ 3
Hosting a House Party...................................................................... 5
Writing a Blog Post........................................................................... 6
Writing a Letter to the Editor......................................................... 8
Writing an Op-Ed............................................................................... 9
Problem Solver Petition Template................................................ 10
3. Resources........................................................................................................ 11
No Labels Sign-Up Form................................................................. 12
Contacting your members of Congress...................................... 13
No Labels: Fact Sheet....................................................................... 14
Problem Solvers: Fact Sheet........................................................... 16
National Strategic Agenda: Fact Sheet...................................... 18
Make Congress Work! Fact Sheet................................................. 19
4. No Labels Back Office Contact Information..........................................20
INTRODUCTION
AMERICANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM ARE FRUSTRATED WITH WASHINGTON’S DYSFUNCTION. Congressional approval ratings are routinely around 10 percent, but most members of Congress from opposite sides of the aisle still refuse to work together.
YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THAT. You have the power to promote a new politics of problem solving where people on the left, the right and everything in between are willing to collaborate with one another to seek a shared success for America. And we’ve just launched our campaign to create a national strategic agenda and shared goals.
ENCLOSED ARE TIPS FOR CREATING A LOCAL NO LABELS CHAPTER AND A LIST OF 14 SIMPLE WAYS YOU CAN TAKE ACTION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY. But first, it is important to understand why organizing in your congressional district and communicating with your members of Congress can make such a big difference.
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For four years, No Labels has been working to mobilize citizens and our elected leaders behind a new politics of problem solving. We’ve hosted meetings for nearly 100 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle who agree with the new politics of problem solving and meet regularly to build trust and solve problems for the American people. These meetings are the only large-scale, organized forums on Capitol Hill for rankand-file members to discuss issues with colleagues from across the political spectrum. And we just launched our campaign to create a national strategic agenda, shared goals for both Republicans and Democrats to get this country moving forward.
WE NEED YOU TO HELP CREATE NEW INCENTIVES IN WASHINGTON. WORKING TOGETHER SHOULD BE A SIGN OF STRENGTH, NOT WEAKNESS, AND OUR LEADERS MUST FOCUS ON THE NEXT GENERATION INSTEAD OF THE NEXT ELECTION. This is just the beginning. As No Labels brings more members into the problem-solving process and continues to develop and advocate for common-sense ideas, we will be fueled by a grassroots citizens army that is growing every day in number and intensity. We need our leaders to work together now, and the only way that will happen is if more of us demand it. We need to make it politically unacceptable for members of Congress not to engage in problem solving by having constituents like you hold them accountable.
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K A T E
N o I ACT 15 WAYS to effectively spread the word about No Labels and persuade your members of Congress to support the new politics of problem solvering
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1. WRITE A PERSONAL EMAIL asking your friends and family to join the movement at NoLabels.org.
2. FOLLOW NO LABELS on Facebook and Twitter and share our content with your friends by going to Facebook.com/NoLabels and Twitter.com/NoLabelsOrg.
3. SIGN UP AT NOLABELS.ORG for ProblemSolver’s Daily, an email newsletter that features the most important news of the day from a No Labels perspective.
4. SET UP A CALL with a member of the No Labels Back Office Staff to talk about your progress and additional steps you can take. Get in touch with us by calling 202-588-1990 or by emailing Anthony Pigninelli at anthony@nolabels.org
5. REACH OUT TO OTHER ESTABLISHED GROUPS IN YOUR COMMUNITY . Ask these groups to include information on No Label in their next emailnewsletter or let you talk to their members about No Labels at their next meeting.
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6. WRITE A BLOG POST and share it with your friends and family over email, Facebook and Twitter. Make sure to also send it to Anthony Pigninelli at anthony@nolabels.org. Promote it as well.
• Initial informational meetings to encourage people to join your No Labels chapter.
• Writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper.
• Writing letters to your members of Congress as a groupYou can find tips for writing a blog post on pg. 12.
8. EMAIL, CALL OR WRITE LETTERS to your members of Congress urging them to support the new politics of problem solving and participate in events hosted by No Labels to advance problem solving.
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You can find the links to your lawmakers’ Facebook pages and Twitter feeds at action.nolabels.org/ congress.
You can find tips for hosting a House Party on p. 8.
You can find tips for writing a blog post on pg. 12.
7. HOST A HOUSE PARTY House Parties can serve many different purposes:
9. WRITE ON YOUR LAWMAKERS’ Facebook walls and tweet at them asking them to work across the aisle and become a Problem Solver. Ask your friends to do the same!
You can find the contact information for your members of Congress at action. nolabels.org/congress, and some suggested talking points on pg. 18.
10. WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITORS of your local paper urging your member of Congress to support the new politics of problem solving. Alternatively, you can thank them for already participating in the effort.
You can find tips on writing a letter to the editor on pg. 13.
11. WRITE AN OP-ED FOR YOUR LOCAL PAPER explaining the importance of No Labels and an approach to problem solving
You can check out a suggested op-ed outline on pg. 14, and the No Labels Back Office Team is happy to help you through the writing and placement process!
12. CREATE A PETITION and gather signatures urging your members of Congress to support the new politics of problem solving and participate in events hosted by No Labels to advance problem solving. Then, deliver them to the closest district office. There is always strength in numbers. Joining with others in your community is one of the most effective ways of getting your members of Congress to become Problem Solvers. You can gather signatures by speaking to community groups, talking to your friends and setting up a table in high-traffic areas and at community events.
You can find an example petition on pg. 17. Email Anthony Pigninelli at anthony@nolabels.org to request a version of the petition tailored to your members of Congress.
be found on their websites, which you can search for here: action. nolabels.org/congress.
14. REQUEST PERSONAL MEETINGS at the district offices of your members of Congress to ask them to participate in No Labels events supportive of the new politics of problem solving. You can do this individually or with a group. We encourage group meetings. If your member is unavailable, meet with their staff and tell them about No Labels.
15. CONTACT YOUR MEMBERS’ NEARBY DISTRICT offices to find out when they’ ll be in the area and request a meeting. These numbers can be found on their websites, which you can search for here: action.nolabels.org/congress.
13. ATTEND LOCAL EVENTS OR TOWN HALLS held by your members of congress and ask them to join the events hosted by No Labels to support the new politics of problem solver. publically. This approach has been successful in the past.
The best way to get a list of upcoming member events in your area is by calling your members’ district offices. These numbers can 13
CREATING A NO LABELS CHAPTER
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KNOW YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
If you are not sure which members of Congress represent your area, you can look it up at action.nolabels.org/ congress. NAME YOUR GROUP.
We recommend differentiating your group by state and area. Ex: No Labels Florida – Ft. Lauderdale Chapter. REGISTER YOUR GROUP WITH NO LABELS.
Make sure to let us know that you are forming a No Labels chapter by emailing Anthony Pigninelli at anthony@nolabels.org so we can provide you with support, keep you up to date and connect you with other No Labels chapters.
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PICK A REGULAR TIME TO MEET. Try to find a day and time that works for the members of your chapter to meet at least once a month to touch base and discuss next steps in person. ELECT GROUP LEADERS.
At one of your first meetings, you should elect chapter members to fill certain roles. We suggest your chapter have at least a president, vice president and communications director with one member being in charge of keeping in touch with the No Labels Back Office Staff.
DETERMINE YOUR GOALS.
TAY SSOCIAL
R iT Figure out what actions you would like to take part in and come up with concrete goals.
U STAY IN TOUCH!
Make sure to let us know what you are up to by emailing Anthony Pigninelli at anthony@nolabels.org.
EXAMPLE FACEBOOK POST:
(Rep./Sen.) Example, as a constituent and a voter, I urge you to participate in the events hosted by No Labels to support the new politics of problem solving. Nearly 100 members of Congress are participating and supporting the creation of a national strategic agenda and shared goals that both sides of the aisle can agree on. You can find more information at NoLabels.org
EXAMPLE TWEET:
@RepExample, I urge you to participate in @NoLabelsOrg #ProblemSolvers events and help create a national strategic agenda based on shared goals.
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• START BY REACHING OUT to your friends and asking them them to spread the word. Send them an email, post on social media, or tell them over the phone. • KNOW YOUR “ELEVATOR PITCH” – the short version of why you think others should support No Labels and join your No Labels chapter. • PUT UP POSTERS about your group in coffee shops and other places that will allow you to do so. Include contact info as well as the time, date and location of your next meeting. • SET UP A TABLE IN A PUBLIC, high-traffic area of your community with information about No Labels and a sign-up form for those who want to get involved. - You can find a sign-up form template on pg. 23. - You can find a fact sheet on the members of Congress participating in No Labels “Problem Solvers” events on pg. 24. - You can find a fact sheet on the Make Congress Work! action plan on pg. 25. - You can find a fact sheet on the Make Government Work! action plan on pg. 26. • ASK OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS TO LET YOU SPEAK to them about No Labels and how they can get involved. • WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR or an op-ed to your local paper about why you created a No Labels chapter in your community. Don’t forget about local community websites and blogs too.
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