Start convening a team of people who are excited about the campaign together, and always be inviting new people in.

     This is where you want to set the basics of your campaign. Things like your goal, and target.

From there, you can set up a petition using this petition tool to help you build public support for your goals (and to grow your list of people who may want to join your team).

     Get people to sign your petition.

Build partnerships with stakeholders in your community. Each place is unique, but here are a few good places to start:

• • • If you’re not part of a local 350 group, check out this map to see if there’s an existing 350 local group near you!
    • The fossil fuel resistance map for active fights against local fossil fuel projects.
    • Look for organizations in your community working on climate or environmental justice (here is a list of the Climate Justice Alliance’s member groups).
    • Think about other local progressive organizations that may support your efforts. Are there local chapters of Indivisible, MoveOn, NAACP, People’s Action, Center for Community Change, etc.?
    • Are there any local faith communities who are active on climate or other justice issues?
    • Are there local colleges or universities with active student climate or environmental clubs?

Secure local commitments — statements of support from local organizations, faith communities, businesses, leaders, etc. One way to do this is with a sign on letter that folks can add their names to (we like using Google forms).

As you start to gather speed, start planning out your campaign longer term (resources linked above and below… that’s kind of what this guide is for!).

Announce your campaign. We suggest a press conference with your team and partners, followed by a day of organizing. This could look like sending folks door-to-door to collect petition signatures. Make sure to meet afterwards to close the loop!

Deliver your message to your target. Set goals for petition signatures and statements of support. When you reach them, bring them to your target to open the conversation! [Note: There’ll be other meetings, we suggest starting politely, but firmly.]

The sky’s the limit here! The goal is to grow your group, build visibility and public support for your campaign, and to make your ask as appealing as possible to your target. Think: fun and political education oriented activities.

Once your campaign has picked up some steam and has a public profile, consider planning events or actions that put direct pressure on your target[s].

Propose your resolution to your target. You may encounter some opposition – don’t worry, we’ve planned for that!

 

Action is critical to create public awareness, produce decision dilemmas for our targets, and to win. Don’t stop taking action until you’ve succeeded!

 

Make sure you don’t shy away from your demands — we need climate action at the scale of the crisis, not watered-down compromises. Listen actively to what motivates and concerns your target, but remember your goals, and stick to them!

Celebrate your success and start planning for the next phase of the campaign, whether that’s pressuring elected officials, taking the fight to the state level, or engaging in implementation plans with your community.