Online Campaigning with Change.org

A Beginner’s Guide

Online Campaigning with Change.org

1. Change.org and Our New Petition Tool

2. What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

3. Choosing a Campaign and Targets

4. Writing a Winning Petition

5. Sharing and Spreading the Word

Online Campaigning with Change.org

1. Change.org and Our New Petition Tool

2. What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

3. Choosing a Campaign and Targets

4. Writing a Winning Petition

5. Sharing and Spreading the Word

Change.org

Change.org

change.org/petition

change.org/start_a_petition

Change.org Petitions

• Easy to use

• Real-time delivery of letters to targets

• Powerful sharing tools

• Email opt-in for nonprofits

• FREE

Online Campaigning with Change.org

1. Change.org and Our New Petition Tool

2. What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

3. Choosing a Campaign and Targets

4. Writing a Winning Petition

5. Sharing and Spreading the Word

• Pressure targets

• Promote your issue and build awareness

• Recruit new supporters

• Take advantage of the news cycle

What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

• Pressure targets

• Promote your issue and build awareness

• Recruit new supporters

• Take advantage of the news cycle

What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

• Pressure targets

• Promote your issue and build awareness

• Recruit new supporters

• Take advantage of the news cycle

What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

• Pressure targets

• Promote your issue and build awareness

• Recruit new supporters

• Take advantage of the news cycle

What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

• Pressure targets

• Promote your issue and build awareness

• Recruit new supporters

• Take advantage of the news cycle

What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

Online Campaigning with Change.org

1. Change.org and Our New Petition Tool

2. What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

3. Choosing a Campaign and Targets

4. Writing a Winning Petition

5. Sharing and Spreading the Word

Great Online Campaigns

• Address clear and specific issues

• Are timely

• Target decision makers

• Are easy to understand

• Appeal to a broad audience

• Get straight to the point

All About Targets

• Choose targets who are decision makers whenever possible

• Think about who might be easiest to influence with an online petition

• Targets don’t need to be well-known, but they need to be relevant

• Don’t be afraid to choose more than one target

• President Obama isn’t always the best target

Some Great Targets Besides President Obama

• Cabinet Officials (Secretary of State, Treasury Secretary, EPA Administrator, etc.)

• Senate and House Committee Members

• Local Officials (Mayors, School Boards, Utility Comissioners)

• Business Leaders (CEOs, Corporate Social Responsibility Officers, Communications and PR)

• University Presidents and Deans, NGO Leaders, Celebrities

Online Campaigning with Change.org

1. Change.org and Our New Petition Tool

2. What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

3. Choosing a Campaign and Targets

4. Writing a Winning Petition

5. Sharing and Spreading the Word

People Don’t Read on the Web...

...They Scan

Writing Great Petitions

• Clear Crisp Headlines

• Short

• Broken into “bite sized” paragraphs

• Note the first couple of words in each paragraph

Writing Great Petitions

• Intriguing headline

• Even shorter!

• No links needed

• Note the first couple of words in each paragraph

Online Campaigning with Change.org

1. Change.org and Our New Petition Tool

2. What Can You Do With Online Petitions?

3. Choosing a Campaign and Targets

4. Writing a Winning Petition

5. Sharing and Spreading the Word

Sharing and Spreading the Word

• Sharing is the key to success

• Start with email, Facebook, and Twitter. In that order.

• Built into Change.org

• Your friends, followers, fans, and contacts are are your outreach team

Sharing and Spreading the Word

• Sharing is the key to success

• Start with email, Facebook, and Twitter. In that order.

• Built into Change.org

• Your friends, followers, fans, and contacts are are your outreach team

Sharing and Spreading the Word

• Sharing is the key to success

• Start with email, Facebook, and Twitter. In that order.

• Built into Change.org

• Your friends, followers, fans, and contacts are are your outreach team

• Top petitions appear on weekly leaderboard and get highlighted via our weekly e-newsletter

Sharing and Spreading the Word

• Top petitions in each cause are featured as well

Sharing and Spreading the Word

• Top petitions in each cause are featured as well

Sharing and Spreading the Word

Real World Example

• Great sharing success

• Simple to understand, broad appeal

• Builds awareness

• Useful for offline lobbying efforts

change.org/start_a_petition

Questions?

robin@change.org