What's your story?

Written by: Chris Warshaw on Jul 17, 2006 4:28 PM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA-Link Organizers

Did you know that every week more than 500 new people join the DFA-Link community?

This is great news and I'll send out more information next week about a major membership drive we're planning to continue to grow our community. But it's not enough to grow the progressive community. We also need to show that progressives are organized, mobilized, and working on local campaigns around the country. So, we've set-up an easy page where you can share your volunteer experiences from local campaigns. This is a great chance to show off all the good work that your group is doing. After you post your volunteer story, you can search for other stories from members of your group and other DFA members around the country:

www.dfalink.com/volunteer_storie...

Your volunteer stories are a great way to show the media that the progressive community is out in force. But you'll need the skills to get your story out. During the summer semester of DFA Night School, we're focusing on how to earn media attention for your local group and your supported campaigns. The first Night School session is coming up soon on July 25 (note the date change). Sign-up now:

www.democracyforamerica.com/nigh...

At your September DFA-Link meeting, you'll be able to immediately put your new skills to work and grow your group by developing earned media for your volunteers and their stories in local papers and media outlets.

The leader of this initiative will be DFA's new Field Director Charles Chamberlain. Charles just joined the DFA staff here in Vermont, but he has been a key member of the DFA community for more than three years. In 2003, he was a leader for Governor Dean's presidential campaign in Florida. And since 2004, he has been the President of Democracy for America Miami-Dade. You can reach Charles at cchamberlain@democracyforamerica.com.

Four months until Election Day

Written by: Chris Warshaw on Jun 29, 2006 4:11 PM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA-Link Organizers

There are only 4 months to go until Election Day. We need to make every day count! DFA groups all over the country are planning events to rally their communities and promote progressive candidates. From organizing movie nights, to phone banking events, to summer barbeques -- DFA groups know what they do this summer will determine what happens in November. Here are a couple initiatives that DFA groups around the country are working on:

1) Iraq War Forums: Over two dozen DFA groups are planning Iraq War forums. The forums help give ordinary Americans a voice and focus attention on the Republicans' mismanagement of the war. You can learn more about hosting a forum by signing up for a conference call with other organizers tonight (www.dfalink.com/forumscall) or by emailing Ari Fertig at afertig@democracyforamerica.com

2) Conference Call with DFA Chair Jim Dean: Speaking of conference calls, we are organizing a special conference call with DFA Chair Jim Dean next Wednesday night that you can join from your DFA-Link meeting. Jim will discuss the upcoming elections and some of the initiatives that DFA groups around the country are working on:

8:00 pm EST: www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=979...
9:30 pm EST: www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=979...

3) DFA Night School: The summer semester of DFA Night School starts next month! The summer semester will focus on training your group to get your message out through the media. There will be three workshops.

Tuesday, July 18: Working the Mainstream Media
Tuesday, July 25: Leveraging Blogs and Online Media
Tuesday, August 1: Sustaining your Media Presence

Sign-up to join a workshop from home, or set-up a house party with other members of your group:

www.democracyforamerica.com/nigh...

4) Candidate Support: DFA groups around the country are getting behind great local candidates. Many DFA groups have already let the local media know who they're supporting with well timed press releases. Check out Democracy for Chattanooga's endorsement in their local paper this week: www.chattanoogan.com/articles/ar...

We're working on the next round of national endorsements right now. The best way to get candidates into the mix for national support from DFA is to let us know who you're supporting on DFA-Link at:

www.dfalink.com/campaigns...

Thanks again for everything you do. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.

Sincerely,

Chris Warshaw
Democracy for America

Iraq War Forums planning call

Written by: Chris Warshaw on Jun 20, 2006 11:25 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA-Link Organizers

Dear Member,

Over two dozen DFA groups are already planning Iraq War forums. The forums will help put the war back on the national political agenda and focus attention on the Republicans' mismanagement of the war.

We are holding a conference call next Thursday, June 29 to share ideas and best practices for the forums. You can join the call at:

www.dfalink.com/forumscall

We are also finalizing DFA's next round of DFA-List endorsements. If your group is supporting a local candidate, please make sure you voice your support on DFA-Link at:

www.dfalink.com/campaigns

Thanks! Please shoot me an email if you have any questions or suggestions.

Chris Warshaw, DFA

Upcoming Burlington DFA events

Written by: Chris Warshaw on Jun 6, 2006 5:28 PM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA HQ Grassroots

Dear Burlington-area DFA member,

There are a couple exciting upcoming events that I wanted to let you know about.

1) Meet John Tracy, Candidate for Lt. Governor at the Chittenden South DFA-Link meeting.

7pm, Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Carpenter-Carse Library
69 Ballards Corner Road
Hinesburg, VT 05461
RSVP: www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=846...

In case you missed it, Matt Dunne also visited the Chittenden South DFA-Link meeting last month. He's running for Lt. Governor against John Tracy in the Democratic primary. You can read more about Matt at www.mattdunne.com....

2) On June 17th, author, political strategist and former Capitol Hill operative David Sirota will join Vermont's Independent Congressman Bernie Sanders at an event to discuss his controversial bestselling new book, "HOSTILE TAKEOVER: How Big Money & Corruption Conquered Our Government - And How We Take It Back". Sirota is a former spokesman for Sanders who went on to become a nationally known political strategist, organizer and writer. His book is the first and only book in the aftermath of recent major scandals that aggressively tackles corruption -- and both parties' complicity in it. As former Vice President Al Gore said of "Hostile Takeover": "Every politically engaged citizen should read this book."

The Burlington event will be held at Borders Book Store on Church Street at 6:00pm on June 17th. That will be just days after Sirota's featured appearance on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" on June 14th.

RSVP: www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=893...

3) Peter Welch's campaign kick-off:

Monday, June 12
Burlington Waterfront, One Main Street
Free breakfast at 8:30 a.m.
Speeches at 9:15 a.m.
Read more: www.welchforcongress.com/...

Thanks for everything.

Chris Warshaw, DFA

Help out with DFA-related research!

Written by: Chris Warshaw on May 17, 2006 11:28 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA-Link Organizers

Dear Member,

Please take a look at this DFA-related research project and complete the survey if you have a few minutes.

Thanks,
Chris Warshaw, DFA

_________

Greetings from London! My name is Clarence Tong and I'm an American graduate student from Pennsylvania studying at the London School of Economics. I am currently pursuing a research project to help better understand the Internet's long-term impact on citizen activism and would greatly appreciate your assistance.

Having followed DFA's unprecedented growth and successes in affecting electoral outcomes in recent years, I have chosen to focus my research how the Internet may have played a definitive role. Participation in the study is voluntary, but your feedback would be tremendously helpful. Please take a moment to complete my online questionnaire at:

dfaproject.741.com/index/dfa1.ht...

In this short survey, which should take no longer than 20 minutes, you will be asked about your personal experiences with DFA, the factors that have led to your participation, and your perspective on the contribution of the Internet to grassroots politics and citizen activism. Your participation in this research will contribute to a new and growing body of literature written on the role of the Internet in American politics today. Thank you very much for your assistance and please forward the link along to friends in your DFA chapter!

--Clarence Tong

Day of Action success! Iraq War forums next

Written by: Chris Warshaw on May 16, 2006 11:25 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA-Link Organizers

Last weekend, DFA members held over 100 Day of Action events! Now we need to apply the same organizing skill to change the course on the Iraq War. Polls show that the war is the top issue for more than 40% of Americans. There is deep frustration among these voters with how President Bush and the Republican Congress have managed the Iraq War. Moreover, many Americans are concerned that the war in Iraq has prevented us from addressing important problems here at home. We are all eager for a new direction.

Unfortunately, Congressional Republicans are continuing to try and sweep the war under the rug by repeatedly refusing to debate the war in Congress. Well, if they won't debate it in Congress, then we're going to start the debate from the ground up.

Last week, the New York Times released a new poll showing that Americans trust Democrats more than Republicans to deal with the war by nearly a 2-1 margin. If the war is part of the national debate, Democrats win. It's that simple. And a Democratic victory in November is the fastest way to bring a new direction in Iraq.

This summer, we're planning to hold "DFA Iraq War Forums" around the country. The forums you organize will help put the war back on the national political agenda and focus attention on the Republicans' mismanagement of the war. If local members of Congress have not signed H.R. 543 for an open debate in Congress yet, the forums are also a great way to spur them to sign on.

Please join an emergency conference call this Thursday or Friday to learn more:

www.democracyforamerica.com/iraq...

Our goal is to plan at least 100 Iraq War forums this summer to create national momentum for a real debate on the war. But we need the entire DFA community on board to make this work. Below are just a few reasons for why your group should hold an Iraq War forum:

1) It will start a national bottom-up debate on real solutions for the war in Iraq.
2) It will create a stronger climate for Democrats to take back Congress in November by highlighting the differences between Democrats and Republicans on the Iraq War.
3) It will spur members of Congress to sign on to H.R. 543 -- the discharge petition for an open debate on the war in Congress.
4) It will be a powerful recruitment tool to bring new members into your local group.
5) DFA Chair Jim Dean will visit one forum each month this summer.

Will you join a conference call this week to learn more?

www.democracyforamerica.com/iraq...

Thanks for all you do.

Event invitations

Written by: Chris Warshaw on May 10, 2006 2:36 PM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA-Link Organizers

We've decided to remove the event invitation tool from DFA-Link and combine it with the standard group email tool. This change will give you a lot more flexibility to edit your event details when you send email invitations to your group. It also should make the RSVP process simpler for DFA-Link members.

You can send an email to your group about an upcoming event in one of three ways:

1) When you're creating the event: During Step 4 of the event creation process, group organizers are automatically prompted to send an email invitation to your group. The event information will be pre-populated in the email.

2) From your event page: Just scroll to the "Organizer Tools" and click "Send an email invitation to your DFA-Link group". The event information will be pre-populated in the email.

3) From your group page: From your group's Organize page, click "Send an email to the group". You'll need to fill in the event details.

Try it out and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions!

Attend test on June 13!

Written by: Chris Warshaw on May 10, 2006 1:40 PM EDT

Linked to groups: test2

Dear Member,

Please attend test in on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 at 7:00 PM. You can RSVP at:

www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=545...

What: test
When: Tuesday, June 13, 2006, 7:00 PM
Where: Test Event
test
test MN 17055

RSS Feeds

Written by: Chris Warshaw on Apr 22, 2006 11:58 AM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA-Link Organizers

There are now RSS feeds for DFA-Link blogs and events. Just look for the little "Feed" graphic on your group page. You can paste this feed into all standard RSS readers (including My Yahoo and Google).

Homework Assignments

Written by: Chris Warshaw on Apr 11, 2006 10:20 PM EDT

Linked to groups: DFA Night School

I hope everyone enjoyed the first DFA Night School workshop on Moving our Message! Please post your homework assignments here.

The homework assignment is to write a letter to the editor on a local issue using the skills we learned on tonight's call:

- The Message Box
- The 5 C's
- 27-9-3

You can continue to send questions to training@democracyforamerica.com