Want to start a Blue Wave postcard group of your own but feel daunted by where to begin? Check out our top tips and give us a shout if you have any questions!
Tips For Starting a Blue Wave Group:
- Check out our toolkit online before you establish a group: https://www.bluewavepostcards.org/for-activists/organizer-tool-kit
- If your friends and family members, or others within your networks on social channels aren’t like-minded, look for local organizations in your area to meet more people and tell them about your plans. Consider checking out groups such as the following to find local chapters: Indivisible, Forward Majority, Swing Left, Common Cause, or county or state Democrats.
- Once you’ve established your group, start fundraising to build a pool of funds for future postcard campaigns (stamp costs really add up!): https://www.bluewavepostcards.org/for-activists/group-fundraiser
- Treat your postcard group like a book club. Check in with members from time to time, especially if there’s a lull in campaigns. When there are active campaigns, forward our campaign update emails to your group and ask them to order postcard kits.
- Organize a postcard party so that more members are engaged. This can be in-person or via video chat. Consider finding local speakers for your event.
- Follow-up is key. Everyone is busy, so be sure to check in with folks when there’s an active campaign if you don’t hear back. And ask people to report in with a number of cards written a few days before the deadline so that people get everything shipped out in time.
If you'd like to join a BWPM group, visit Blue Wave's group finder on our map for a nearby group to join: https://shop.bluewavepostcards.org/pages/group-map
And be sure to contact a group organizer in your area to join their group: https://www.bluewavepostcards.org/for-activists/contact-an-organizer
Have other tips to share? Please email sani@bluewavepostcards.org and we'll add them to our list!
-Sani, Director of Communications [bio]