Why host a house party?

Vote Climate U.S. PAC works to slow climate change by electing candidates to put a price on carbon, get off fossil fuels and switch to clean, renewable energy. Passing federal climate legislation, like a carbon fee is the single most effective step we can take toward addressing climate change. It starts with electing the candidates to get it done.

What is a Vote Climate U.S. PAC house party?

House parties are a very effective, grassroots organizing and fundraising tool. Vote Climate U.S. PAC’s ability to accomplish our mission depends partly on our ability to raise the necessary funds. Remember, our goals at each house party are to educate invitees and build relationships in order to:

• Recruit Members – Large membership numbers move decision-makers, donors and others to respond positively to our issues.
• Recruit Volunteers – A large corps of volunteers will assist Vote Climate U.S. PAC in providing help with phone calling, door-to-door canvassing, house parties, the essentials of successful individual donor campaigns.
• Raise Funds – Funds raised help to produce our ads and make media buys in targeted districts to elect candidates to slow climate change.
• Recruit New House Party Hosts – House parties are a classic grassroots organizing tool, providing ongoing outreach and education. More house parties mean more members, volunteers and funds to accomplish our mission.

Host a House Party

If you have friends, family, neighbors and/or coworkers, and a place to hold it – you can host a house party. It’s simple. It’s effective.

Here’s how:

• Secure a location, set the date and time.
• Send an email or a snail mail invitation to all of your friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers, with date, time, place, directions, purpose of the house party and host’s contact information (phone number and email).
• Invite twice as many people than you expect to attend, about half will come.
• Follow-up and try to get firm commitments from people to attend.
• Make reminder calls the night before your house party to enhance attendance. Remind invitees of date, time, and place.
• Tell people in advance of the purpose of the house party (see “Purpose of a House Party” above) and ask them to bring their checkbooks.
• Send thank you notes to attendees after the house party.

Where to Hold House Parties

A house party can be held wherever people will come – yours or a friend’s house, the library, church or school or any other convenient neighborhood meeting place.

You can have a straight meeting, serve coffee and desert, have a wine and cheese party or have a full-blown dinner party.

Doing a house party with a friend will give you a bigger list of possible invitees. You can share the work of inviting your contacts, preparing for and hosting the meeting and follow-up.

Role of the Host/Speaker at the House Party

The role of the House Party host is to:

• Invite participants.
• Serve refreshments.
• Tell invitees the purpose of the House Party and ask them to bring their checkbooks.

The role of the House Party speaker (who is sometimes the host too) is to:

• Be sure that everyone signs in and fills in all requested contact information (See Sign-in Sheet.)
• Make the presentation or if hosting only, arrange for a speaker to make the presentation. Remember from above, your goals at each house party are to educate invitees and build relationships in order to slow climate change.
• Please note: Initially we will only be scheduling house parties, with in-person speakers, in the Baltimore/Washington, DC metro area. We are scheduling video/Skype house parties outside of this area.