How To Host a House Party

What are house parties?

House parties are casual gatherings where moms, dads, grandparents, and others in your community learn about air pollution and climate change, and how these issues affect their families and communities. At house parties, participants share stories, make connections, and take action. The purpose of a house party is to organize, motivate, and activate volunteers. House parties can be used to engage and educate the community about local, state, regional, or federal issues. They include a call to action focused around our issues. House parties are a way to inspire volunteers and take action.

House party goals

• Bring like-minded members of the community together to hear about opportunities to get involved with Moms Clean Air Force.
• Engage in discussions about air pollution, climate change, and other environmental health concerns in the community.
• Build and solidify relationships in the community.
• Take meaningful action on our issues.
• Inspire volunteers to commit to getting involved.

Materials

• Folders (with Moms Clean Air Force fact sheets)
• Sign-in sheets
• Pens
• Moms Clean Air Force t-shirts
• Snacks and beverages
• Name tags
• Thank you cards

Before the house party

• Find a host location for your event. Possibilities include a volunteer’s house, a local coffee shop, the local library, or an online platform like Zoom.
• Confirm the date, time, and location with your host.
• Invite a few local organizations to join as partners in the event. Ask if they can help with outreach.
• Invite your local network. Use email, social media, phone calls, and in-person conversations to let people know about your event.
• Confirm partners if partnering with other organizations/groups.
• Assign attendees a role during the event. (Examples: bring snacks, napkins, veggie platter; be a greeter; make sure everyone has signed up; take some pictures; Tweet about the event)
• Make sure attendees RSVP via Facebook event, registration page, etc.
• Touch base with your host to go over logistics and make sure you have enough chairs, etc.
• Call to confirm attendance the day before the event.

Crowd building

• Confirmation process—call, email, text message, and tag your attendees via Facebook to remind them about the event
• Use social media to promote the event and create excitement. Take pictures and short videos while you are preparing your materials and post them.
• Make sure to invite local community groups, local organizations, faith-based institutions, and local parenting groups.

During the house party

• Show up early to set up.
• Ensure that there are enough chairs for everyone you expect to attend. Greet each person
  as they arrive and give them a name tag.
• Introduce yourself to the group. Briefly state why you are involved with Moms Clean Air
  Force, share your personal story, and invite a few attendees to share theirs (5–7 mins).
• Give an overview of Moms Clean Air Force.
• Discuss urgent air pollution issues.
• Make an ask. Examples: sign a petition, host a house party of your own,
  attend an upcoming event, sign up to be a volunteer, sign an LTE, attend a meeting with
  an elected official.
• Take pictures with the group during the event.
• Thank the host and everyone who attended.
• Let everyone know that you will be following up with them to remind them of upcoming events.
• Take a final picture with the group and post it on social media.
• Consider making short videos of the discussion or of the moms talking about why they are there and why they care about air pollution so that you can share on social media.

After the House Party

• Check in with us and let us know how it went! Email Hailey Duncan, and let her know how many people attended and what actions you’ve planned as a result of the house party.
•  Follow up and thank the attendees to remind them of their commitment to take part in
  future actions.
• Thank your guests via social media.
• Post pictures of the event and let other members know that they can attend upcoming events, etc.

Dos and Don’ts

DO

• Make confirmation calls to people who registered.
• Practice your remarks, including your personal story about why you care.
• Be friendly, meet everyone, and work the room.
• Keep the talking section short.
• Follow up with sign-ups from the party.
• Take a lot of pictures and post them on social media.

DON’T

• Don’t let anyone leave without signing in.
• Don’t forget to follow up and thank the attendees.
• Don’t talk for more than 5–7 minutes.