OUTREACH LEADER PACKET
ABOUT THE CHANGE PROJECT Mission Statement: The Change Project elevates the voices of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) people and advocates for an improved quality of life through the arts, education, and local policy initiatives in the Deep South and Midwestern United States.
Vision Statement: The Change Project envisions a society that accepts all people regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Founded in 2012, The Change Project was inspired by a capstone project of founder Steven Romeo. The organization brought visibility and empowerment to LGBTQ identities through its first photo campaign, “Embody Progress.” Shortly thereafter, The Change Project developed “Shop Progress,” an online and touring vendor space featuring affordable products with activist messaging. In November of 2015, The Change Project was honored by the White House as a “Champion of Change."
The Change Project recognizes that each person’s experiences are uniquely theirs and believes that all people should be able to share their story. We highlight the intersectionality inherent in human identity and demonstrate how understanding this framework is important to achieving social equality.
The Change Project works with queer folks in Southern, Midwestern, and rural communities, QTPOC, youth, people living with HIV, and low income communities. The Change Project provides leadership opportunities to those from the communities we serve through an expansive internship program where emerging leaders entering the nonprofit sector gain experience advocating for social change, coordinating dynamic programs, and developing grassroots level funding strategies.
PROGRAMS Shop Progress is a fundraising program of The Change Project. We believe that advocacy should be affordable and effective in its messaging. Additionally, the Print Shop increases the capacity of other non-profits ability to access low-cost advocacy apparel. Â All items are screen printed by the staff of The Change Project.
 Faces of LGBTQ America creates a dialogue about the intersectional nature of LGBTQ identities. Beautiful portraits paired with the stories of those photographed will be curated in an online collection, and in physical form. By sharing the stories of LGBTQ people from all walks of life, we create an online community of support.
IAMHIV seeks to work toward the end of stigma by engaging people living with and affected by HIV in a mass photo campaign. This campaign intends to give a face to the virus - the familiar face of "everyday people just like you." This campaign is currently focussed in 7 of the states with the highest HIV rates in the country. These states are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The Embody Progress Conference is an annual conference that is held in an area of the country that is traditionally under resourced with regard to LGBTQ issues, providing access for all individuals regardless of barriers, presenting upto-date resources and information, relevant in trends and topics, and providing space for all voices to be uplifted in unison.
Queer Library is a just pay shipping mail-order library. The collections is exclusively filled with LGBTQ content and/or written by LGBTQ Authors. You can join the library and start checking out books for just $7/month.
Rise Up America is a policy-based action program of The Change Project with progressive values at the core. Using a coalition model to create change, Rise Up America focuses on building power across issues on the local level.
GETTING INVOLVED Internships  - Come twerk for Change because Twerkship is the best ship. In all seriousness, we need your help. Internships with The Change Project are remote, flexible, creative, and engaging. They are project based with our current programming. Compensation ranges from college credit to free swag to coins in your pockets.
The Pride Team - This team is the core of the fundraising program  of The Change Project. This team of people will travel the country from June September implementing the Shop Progress program of The Change Project. This is a paid position.
Brand Ambassadors - Want to be involved in spreading the word about The Change Project? Our brand ambassador program allows you to do that. You must have at least 5,000 followers on any social media platform.
Board of Directors - Want to help lead The Change Project? Get in on the ground floor as The Change Project develops its first national board of directors.
Rise Up America Chapter Leader - Volunteer community organizers that believe in creating change in their city. Chapter Leaders organize community members for meetings, policy discussions, and movement-building activities like rallies, house parties, and direct actions.
YOUR PRIORITIES
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FUNDRAISING One way The Change Project engages their donors is through Shop Progress. Designed with queer people in mind, Shop Progress creates innovative, fresh fashion that intentionally seeks to encompass the vast array of identities within the LGBTQ+ community so that you can wear your story on your sleeves. Basically, we need the coins to execute the awesome programs you saw in the previous pages. SO, sling some t-shirts and have fun!
OUTREACH
While you are slinging those shirts, keep an eye out for people interested in getting involved with The Change Project. You'll need a cute elevator pitch (sample one coming in a few pages), a good eye for some loyal volunteers, and an engaging smile! Keep in touch with the volunteers you recruited.
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WHAT TO EXPECT In general, a pretty fun day. PRIOR TO YOUR EVENT
1. About one month out, beginning the recruitment process for your volunteers. You should have about 3-5 with you at all times. The more fun you have the better! Your point of contact with The Change Project will work with you on posting an ad on volunteer match and sites similar so you can set up shifts for your volunteers. Note: every event is unique and has different rules regarding how many volunteers we are allowed to have. Please make sure you have confirmed with your point of contact.
2. Some emails with logistics such as load in, load out and procedures set out by your event hosts. Sometimes this information comes out the day before, so make sure you keep in touch with your point of contact.
3. One check-in phone call with a member of the leadership team of The Change Project just to make sure any questions you may have are answered.
4. TELL THE INTERNET WHAT YOU ARE DOING! Telling more people in your community that you are working with The Change Project is an effective way to spread the word about the work that we do.
DAY OF YOUR EVENT
1. This will be a busy day, as we are usually one of the most popular booths at any event or conference. Make sure you are managing your volunteers wisely. For summer events, It will be hot.
2. Arrive on the early end of load-in time. We estimate that it will take you between one hour to one hour and a half to complete the set-up for the booth.
3. Bring water and snacks! Since this is going to be a long, busy day, make sure you are taking care of yourself too.
4. Take pictures! Take pictures of the booth. Take pictures of people wearing our shirts. Take pictures of cute puppies. Take pictures of the whole team. Then send them to us. We want to post these on instagram and our other social media.
QUICK ELEVATOR PITCH SAMPLE The Change Project is an LGBTQ arts and advocacy organization to improve the lives of LGBTQ people through the arts, education, and policy-based advocacy across the Deep South and Midwest!
THE NITTY-GRITTY Setting Up the Booth
Get everything to the booth site.
Open the tent. Your pride may have already provided a tent and is set up.
Use Tape and zip ties to put up the purple banner Right justified on the tent
Bring the tent all the way up. Use Tape and zip ties to put up the Shop Progress banner Left justified on the tent
Begin constructing the t shirt wall by placing the black poles through the back frame of the tent
Place the tank tops on the hanger and the chain through the shirt like below.
Repeat for the 7 chains and place on the pole.
Place 7 more shirts on hangers and place below. Do not run the chain through the shirt. Secure hangers together with binder clips.
Set up the table with remaining shirts, collateral, buttons, ribbons and soap
Use the last chain to hand the totebags on the outside of the tent
Your tent should look like this
Handling Cash Opening and Closing the Register After you login with your unique ID to the register ipad, use these instructions to open the cash management. Your starting cash will disclosed in details via email prior to the start of your event. YOU MUST OPEN AND CLOSE THE DRAWER. Track your cash sales and manage your cash drawer with the Square app on an iPad or Android tablet. Note: Cash drawer management isn’t available on smartphones. Enable Cash Drawer Management From the Square app, access your in-app menu by tapping the following icon in the navigation bar: Three Horizontal Lines Tap Settings > Cash Management > toggle the switch next to Cash Management on. Enter your default starting cash amount and select your report delivery preferences. Start a Cash Drawer Session After you start a cash drawer session, you’ll see basic information on the current session, including starting cash amount, cash sales, cash refunds, cash paid in/out and the expected cash amount in the drawer.
From your in-app menu, tap Reports > Current Drawer. Tap Starting Cash to enter the starting cash amount in your drawer. Tap Start Drawer > Confirm Start Drawer. Enter an optional drawer description. Go back to your Register to start accepting sales. With Cash Management enabled, you can also start a new drawer session by entering a sale and tapping Charge. When the Start Drawer prompt appears, enter your starting cash amount > tap Start Drawer. Add a Description to a Cash Drawer Add a drawer description to help identify your cash drawer during a session. From your in-app menu, tap Reports > Current Drawer. Tap Drawer Description and enter a description.
TIPS & PITS Add a little bit of body text