Host a Party with a Purpose
How to do a Zoom party for Democracy
Happy Birthday!
Are you celebrating a birthday between now and the election? What about a half-birthday? Make the occasion a reason to host a fundraiser for an organization doing the legwork to protect democracy.
What, no birthday coming up? No problem. You can host a party for no reason or pick a hero, artist, or astronaut and celebrate that person’s birthday. Hosting an online party strengthens democracy and you don’t have to talk to strangers to do it. Take it from Bob Deutsch.
In California, Bob invited his friends and family to join him in supporting the vital grassroots work that Central Valley Matters does to get out the vote. Across California's District 22, Bob cast a wide net, inviting neighbors and folks he bicycles with. “I was fairly liberal with the invitation,” he said.
Dolores Huerta
To inspire his party guests, Bob shared a video starring the great Dolores Huerta and her work with Cesar Chavez. Explaining how important it is to TALK to people, Bob, a dedicated supporter of Central Valley Matters, shared a story about voter despair. One man told Bob he wouldn't vote in 2024 because everything is "bad" and "they're all the same.” Luckily, Bob and CVM know how to empathize, and to encourage voters to engage. “If you can't vote for your future,” Bob replied, “maybe you can vote for your daughter’s future and your future grandchildren.”
At his Zoom party, Bob raised $8,600 for CVM. And the party raised everyone’s spirits.
Gary Lucks and Jen Adcock work with Resistance Action East Bay (RAEB), which helped Bob organize his fundraiser. Back in 2020, after COVID canceled in-person fundraising, RAEB launched Parties for Democracy. And in just three months, their Zoom parties raised almost $500,000.
Hosting a Zoom fundraiser is a simple yet effective way to raise funds for progressive causes. "It's easy and we're here to help,” Gary tells potential hosts. “Would you be able to spend 3-4 hours to raise $10,000?"
This fall Gary and Jen are on a mission to recruit 100 house party hosts who can each raise $10,000. To help hosts plan, they created a host toolkit and on-demand Zoom assistance. Here are a few tips:
Getting Started
Choose a date and theme three weeks in advance: Pick a date and theme that work for you.
Consider a guest speaker to draw people in: This could be a musician friend, a comedian, or a local politician.
Offer a menu of 2-3 choices on where to donate: Provide attendees with options to support different organizations. RAEB provides recommendations here.
Build your invite list: Identify 20-40 people among your network of friends and family to invite. Expect one-third to one-half of invitees to show up.
Develop a schedule for the event: This includes a line-up from introductions to conclusion with notes on timing, speakers, and slides. Here’s a sample.
Send follow-ups and emails after the event: Thank those who donated, encourage those who pledged to donate, and invite those who did not attend to also donate.
Tips on Engaging Attendees
Explain what is at stake: To keep attendees engaged and to build their sense of investment in a shared cause, hosts often share a personal story and talk about what is at stake. After the “why,” let participants know — “Here’s how you can help. Whether it’s $5 or $5,000, it’s all going to a good cause and we’re in this together."
Use incentives and personal connections: Motivate attendees with incentives, such as matching donations. At one recent event, Gary says, “Anyone who gave $350 or more got a blue baseball cap, ‘Make America Think Again.’”
Open the floor for Q&A and community conversations: Leave time for participants to share experiences and questions.
Give opportunities to plug in: Invite attendees to host their own Zoom fundraisers, or to volunteer with the organization receiving funds.
Have a team for tech: RAEB provides tech support to hosts. As Jen notes, “You can have all the talent and organization, and it can go south without someone who’s behind the curtain.”
We all need more reasons to celebrate and if you don’t have several online parties to look forward to, let’s change that!
By Haley Bash, Executive Director of Donor Organizer Hub. Thanks to Robert Deutsch, Jen Adcock, and Gary Lucks for their contributions.