HOUSE PARTY KIT

As we all know, an informed citizenry is essential to a healthy democracy.

By hosting a house party where you talk about Free Speech TV, watch our show, or screen one of our programs, you are sharing a valuable resource that is critical for a more balanced media landscape. Your party will share Free Speech TV with like-minded people and connect them to information they haven't seen anywhere else on television. It will also afford them the opportunity to make a contribution, so we may continue to offer our uncompromising and diverse programming.

We at FSTV are asking our viewers nationwide to host house parties to Take Back Your Media! to help strengthen the network of dedicated Free Speech TV supporters. We are viewer-supported and commercial-free, and hope that with your help we can expand our audience base and amplify the importance of truly independent media in the U.S.

Our House Party Kit will provide you with all the information you will need to guide you through hosting a successful event, whether large or small, fancy or casual. Our goal is to provide you with tools to make your party planning easy and the support to make your party an educational and fundraising success.

Cheers!

Click here to download the pdf version of the house party kit.

If you would like to request an FSTV program DVD, or need additional info,
please contact:

Erin Stark
303-442-8445 x103, erin at freespeech.org

Madelaine Maior
303-442-8445 x126, madelaine at freespeech.org

Or visit our Web site at www.freespeech.org

STEP 1: ORGANIZE

1 - Time Line
Included in your kit is a sample time line and checklist to help get you prepared for your party.

2 - Invitation List
Depending on your time, space and resources you may want to host a small party with your closest friends, or a party with a few dozen of your co-workers and fellow activists. Regardless of the size of your party, you will need to invite 3 times as many people as you can comfortably accommodate. If you want to invite more people, consider asking a friend to co-host and they can invite half the people. Suggested guest list:

Family - your parents, grandparents, kids, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings…
Friends - remember to invite the friends of your spouse/partner
Social Acquaintances - friends you see on occasion, from an old job or college…
Neighbors - upstairs, downstairs, next door, the whole block or neighborhood association. The folks you run into at the grocery store, walking the dog…
Religious Group - from church, temple, mosque or other religious gathering place
Labor Union - union leaders, stewards, activists and coworkers
Work - your boss, clients, and past/present coworkers
Volunteer Work - charity work acquaintances
Recreational Friends - bowling league, volley ball team, poker buddies, gym…
Professionals who know you personally - your dentist, pharmacist, hairdresser…
Other groups - PTA, political groups, peace and environmental groups…

Evite is a great, free website that makes sending and tracking your invitations easy. Once you register you can design your evite, include maps, create an address book, ask your guests to bring something, set capacity limits, and set your party to be public or private. Once your invitations are sent you can track the responses from your guests, send email reminders, and with the Guest Options, your friends can easily invite more people to your party. Check out these sample invitations and then design one of your own: Sample Paper Invites & Sample Evite Text

3 - Follow Up Phone Calls
Some people will RSVP, while others need follow-up calls to remind them of your party. Below is a sample phone script to help you make your follow-up phone calls to find out if your guests will attend.

"Hi, this is [YOUR NAME]. I wanted to make sure you got the invitation to my house party on [DATE]. As you may already know the US media is in its worse state ever. I want to share with you an independent media outlet called Free Speech TV - the nation's leading progressive television network. The event is at my home on [DATE]. Will you be able to come?"
[If they are coming] "Great, I'll see you then."
[If they are not sure] "I hope you can come because Free Speech TV has changed the way I look at news and media in our country. I am more informed about the issues that face our country today, than I was before watching Free Speech TV."
[If they can't come] "I'm sorry you won't be able to come. I hope that you will still consider making a donation to Free Speech TV at www.freespeech.org. They are working hard to reshape our media, and need our help."

STEP 2: GATHER MATERIALS

1 - Equipment
You will need a working DVD player OR a TV with operational Dish Network satellite and receiver. Also, consider having a camera around to snap some shots of your event. If you send us your party pictures, we will post them on the freespeech.org Web site!

2 - Supporting Materials

Timeline & Checklist FSTV Highlights

Sample Invitations FSTV Brochure

Party Guest Book FSTV Newsletter

Pledge Cards How to get FSTV

Receipts for Donations Wrap - Up Form

FAQ's FSTV merchandise

Promotional DVD: Please contact us to request FSTV Programs on DVD!

3 - Refreshments One sure thing will get people to come to a party - refreshments! You can ask your co-host or some of your guests to also bring something to the party. Here are some suggested snacks that won't break your budget:

Step 3. The Party

1 - Before the Party
Make sure the party space is comfy and there is plenty of seating for everyone. Try to set up the space in a user-friendly way so that guests move through refreshment lines easily and all promotional materials are accessible to every guest. Have a sign-up table near the front door, and ask your greeter to have everyone to sign in, distribute pledge cards and collect contributions. You can build the excitement about meeting your fundraising goal by having a party thermometer that you add to as each guest contributes. It's also good to post suggested contributions. If possible, have the www.freespeech.org Web site up on your computer at the party to make online credit card donations easier.

2 - Party Program
Here is a sample program for a one to two-hour house party:

Guests arrive, sign-in, mingle, and have refreshments (15 min)
Brief introduction by the host(s) with a welcome and overview of the party (3 min)
More socializing (10 mins)
Presentation
Discussion (15 - 30 min)
ASK - The "Pitch" is made by the host. Includes how to make a donation (5 min)
At the end of your party, give a fundraising update and if you are close to meeting your goal ask that everyone pitch in to help you reach it. Make a final announcement to remind your guests to drop off their pledge cards before they leave.
Party continues and guests are thanked as they leave

3 - Presentation and "Ask"
Personal face-to-face fundraising is by far the most effective form of fundraising. Just take a few minutes to tell your guests why YOU support this cause. Talk about what first got you involved - speak from your heart and what you feel most strongly about. Don't be shy. If you have presented your event as a fundraiser, your guests expect you to make an appeal for donations. Consider asking a friend or a guest speaker to also do an "ask".

Fundraising Tips If raising funds to support FSTV is your intention, make it clear in advance that this is a fundraiser. You can ask for a minimum donation or suggest that people give what they can. Either way, make it clear that one of the purposes of the party is to raise funds.

Give receipts to the people who request one, and have your greeter fill them out. Free Speech TV will also send receipts to all donors from your house party.

STEP 4: AFTER THE PARTY

1 - Thank You Notes
It is important to thank everyone who attended your party. Below is a sample thank you note that you can use:

Thank you for joining me at my recent Reclaim Your Media! party. I hope that you walked away with an increased awareness of the value independent media has in our country. Your support of the work that Free Speech TV does is your vote for a healthier media landscape. Thanks again for joining this grassroots movement toward reclaiming our media.

2 - Talk to Us!
We want to you to let us know how your party turns out! So please send us your Wrap - Up Form, stories, pictures, and other feedback after your party. Send your pictures and stories to madelaine at freespeech.org so we can post them on our Web site!

We appreciate your support by holding this event, and sincerely thank you for supporting the independent media movement.