Clean Energy Forum Organizing Guide

INTRODUCTION The Senate has now released its version of the Climate Bill, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (CEJAPA), and it’s up to us to mobilize our communities and engage our Senators to make sure they strengthen and support this vital legislation. Only by doing this, can we assure that President Obama heads to COP15 with the American people united behind him for clean energy solutions! The passage of strong domestic climate legislation by the Senate would create the ideal political environment, setting up the Obama Administration to play a leading role, for striking a meaningful global treaty at the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen (COP15). This fall, we have an oppor tunity to implement policies to create millions of new jobs, revitalize the American economy, solve climate change, and help create an international treaty that is more just, equitable and cooperative. Between now and December 2009, we must “Focus the Nation” on seizing this opportunity to build the new energy economy.

Students, educators, faith and business leaders, citizens and elected officials, everyone has a critical role to play - especially you! We’re so glad that you’ve joined us to help prepare your community, your government, and the nation to take action this fall.

This guide will help you do just that by leading you step-by-step through the organizing process as you:

Form a core team Assess the landscape Plan your Forum Manage logistics Invite speakers, participants, and Senators • Create compelling visuals • Perform diverse community and media outreach • Carry your momentum forward after the event

The first step is to organize a local campaign to empower your community around a “Clean Energy Forum”.

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For you veteran FTN organizers this is not a town hall. This is a new and innovative model that will help you accelerate your community’s transition to the clean energy future. As you move through this guide you will begin identify the differences between a town hall and a Clean Energy Forum. For more in depth details into the new forum module check out our “FTN – Clean Energy Forum Event Module”.

and REMEMBER . . . Throughout the development of your local campaign process, it will be impor tant to stay in touch with your National Organizer, so we can assist and help you trouble shoot challenges ever y step of the way. It will also be impor tant for you to share with your National Organizer your tactics and progress by repor ting your challenges, problems and successes, so that information can be shared with other Focus Organizers across the countr y and used to identify and trouble shoot difficulties others may encounter.

We look forward to working with you to move your community and our country towards a just and sustainable clean energy future!

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STEP 1: Building a Team FOCUS LOCAL Your first step to organizing a successful event is building your infrastructure for communication by signing up on Focus Local.

Making your presence know on Focus Local also aler ts our National Organizers that you are activated and ready to get organizing.

Take a moment to check out the online organizing guide. By signing on Focus Local, you’ll be connected to other activists from Focus the Nation and our allies Energy Action Coalition and 1Sky.

When you first sign up make sure you check to see if there are groups already organizing in your state (read how here). If there isn’t anyone organizing in your area try creating a group. This group will let you host discussions and share documents, photos, and videos with your organizing team. More importantly it’ll let you recruit new members as they log on and start organizing.

REMEMBER: Focus Local also has a great ‘Invite Your Friends’ tool which lets you send emails to people in your email contacts, inviting them to join your organizing team. See how here!

CORE GROUP Now that you are connected to Focus Local, building on an existing group or creating a core group of volunteers, is your next crucial step in laying a solid foundation for a Clean Energy Forum. It will be the most impor tant step to planning a great event and launching longer-term initiatives. Focus Local should help you identify the people who will help you organize a successful event and build a lasting coalition. Even if there is an already existing team on Focus Local, it is impor tant to identify core team members so that you can help strengthen the capacity of the already existing team. Combine forces to create a better and bigger team!

See, “FTN – Online Organizing and Focus Local Guide” for more details on how to organize online.

A Diverse Team Building a team means reaching out beyond the campus. It’s essential to get input and help from the different sectors of your community. Building a more just and prosperous clean energy future requires involvement from ever yone. Tr y to involve community college campuses in your area; community-based organizations, local unions, your utility board, faith organizations, social ser vice agencies, youth/student groups, businesses, communities of color, working class communities, and other local groups or community activists. REMEMBER: The more widespread and diverse sampling you have of clean energy stakeholders, the more powerful your ask will be to your policy makers.

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Recruiting Your Team Star t with what you know: friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. Star t with those in your core network; move outward from there, and into the different groups within your community. Making the Ask When asking people to join, it’s impor tant to provide clear parameters. Establish regular meeting times, and assign clear roles so your group members have a sense of ownership in the event. Ever y core member should be assigned a specific role and set of responsibilities within the team. Team Size A functional team requires commitment, so your core members should all be able to dedicate time to working on the local campaign and the Clean Energy Forum. Make sure you have a core group willing to fill all of the necessar y roles. Extra team members are a good idea since turnover happens and things can come up. Be prepared to shift core members around and share responsibilities.

Meetings For ever y team meeting you should have: • A predetermined time and place • A predetermined agenda • Assigned roles like facilitator, time keeper, mood watcher, note taker food & drink provider, etc.

Identifying Inter-generational Partners and Mentors One way to improve your organizing effor t and event is to seek coaching, mentorship and/ or technical assistance from older community members. Remember our movement can only be successful if we build bridges of collaboration between generations. National Organizers will work with you to identify barriers and/or potential problems, and help locate intergenerational allies and par tners to help trouble shoot or assist you in gaining access to communities, resources and perspective to move beyond these issues. Here are some places to look: • Members of the community that function in a professional, academic or institutional capacity. Your university, local nonprofit ser vice provider, professional networks or business associations, your local mosque, church or temple. • Within the networks of your team’s friends, colleagues and family. Ask around. • Ask your National Organizer for some connections to par tnerships in your area.

For your first meeting it’s a good idea to: • • • •

Host it in a comfor table place Make sure your team gets to know each other Brainstorm and toss around lots of ideas Discuss roles and responsibilities

During meetings make sure to set the tone. That way you won’t waste time. You should ensure that ever y member has the chance to voice his or her opinion. At the end of ever y meeting, recap the meeting, go over end goals, and discuss the process ahead.

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Dividing Up Roles and Responsibilities AND THE FIRST ROLE GOES TO... FOCUS ORGANIZER Acting as the lead facilitator and responsible for communication and coordination with FTN HQ, and for the oversight of all other roles. They are also act as the primar y facilitator of the local campaign team and it’s Clean Energy Forum. Depending on your team size, team members might need to wear many different hats. Make sure to assign folks clear goals and responsibilities based of this handy to-do list of roles you need to fill: Pre Event Planning Responsibilities Here are the bases you need to cover in the weeks leading up to your event: • OUTREACH – You’ll need someone to get out in the community and find allies to help with the event. It is vital that this person makes a concer ted effor t to bring diverse communities and communities of color into the organizing process, as well as identify inter-generational par tners that can provide insight and mentorship. • FORUM LOGISTICS – Designate team members to concentrate solely on the event details to make sure the infrastructure is prepared for the Clean Energy Forum. Manages and coordinates panelists and volunteers. Handles other logistics, and makes sure the event is executed smoothly. • LISTENING SESSION – Designate a team member to be in charge of organizing and facilitating the listening session(s) with members of your community, see Step 2 for more information Listening Sessions.

• LEGISLATIVE ENGAGEMENT – A member of your team will need to be in close contact with the Focus the Nation HQ to outreach and communicate with Senate offices. • PUBLICITY – You’ll need to generate buzz and publicity for your event by creating and distributing posters and flyers, doing outreach to aler t different par ts of your community, and building excitement on campus to fill seats. It will be this person job to get the word out; they live and breathe attendance! • COMMUNICATIONS – Good press can double your event’s impact; find a team member to works directly with Focus the Nation HQ to develop and execute media outreach and community messaging associated with the event.

Day of Event Responsibilities Find team members to cover these responsibilities on the day of your event to make sure it comes off without a hitch. Make sure it doesn’t overlap with an existing responsibility! • FORUM MODERATION – Find moderators to use the training and resources provided by FTN for the Clean Energy Forum. They’ll use successful moderation and facilitation skills to guarantee a safe, civil and efficient forum. • REGISTRATION & PROCESSIN – Capture registration data for events, survey materials, fundraising oppor tunities and other methods of tracking par ticipation at events. Communities and the Road to Copenhagen

• DOCUMENTATION – Document all questions, answers, asks, dialogue and commentar y of the Clean Energy Forum. Your team should take video, audio or hand written minutes. FTN HQ will distill their documentation of the event into Clean Energy Action List.

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STEP 2: Action Planning Assess the Landscape Once you have a dedicated team, it’s time to star t planning your event. Every community is different, so plan your event with local issues, community politics, and organizations in mind. Keep in mind who speaks for your community’s different groups and be sure to invite them. REMEMBER: Try to tie your event into the existing landscape. Look for community events, celebrations, environmental festivals, green job fairs, university forums, or other events you could advertise or incorporate your local campaign to build a Clean Energy Forum.

CAMPAIGN PLANNING FTN is here to help you and your team set up your local campaign plan. Call your National Organizer to setup a local campaign-planning meeting. During this planning session we can discuss the objectives, deliverables, benchmarks and time frame. This will help us assess what kind of suppor t to provide you and your local campaign. In our planning session, we will help you: • Identify problems, scenarios, and solutions before they interfere with your event planning. • Develop a schedule of milestones. • Develop a plan to achieve your over arching community and Clean Energy Forum goals.

A real quick way to see if there are any groups organizing or events planned in your area is to use Focus Local’s Groups and Events searches to see what’s happening.

Community Listening Sessions A great way to take the pulse of your community, generate buzz, and bring new folks into your organizing effor t is to host a listening session. Each listening session is a great way to “prime the pump” in your community as you plan your Clean Energy Forum. A listening session is a small event hosted in a home, neighborhood meeting place, or on campus. They are meant to host 10 to 30 people. This type of small scale event will allow you to invite and to make a “soft” introduction to community sectors you may not have a relationship with. This is a method for broadening par ticipation in your local effor ts, beyond the “usual suspects” that might already be present on your university or in your community. Lastly, it’s a great way to build community trust in your team and your effor ts. See, “FTN – Listening Sessions Event Module” for more information on Community Listening Sessions.

REMEMBER: Listening Sessions may not be a fit for every team. If your team already possesses strong relationships and social capital outside of the University and/or campus setting these Listening Sessions may not be necessary.

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Get ready for your planning session with FTN by thinking ahead about your event. Here’s what to consider. Goals Star t by thinking about how the theme of your event can add to what’s already happening in your area. This may mean that in addition to strong federal climate legislation, you may want to target specific aspects of current legislation, the need for Green Jobs, a dir ty industr y, or a set of climate related issues that are relevant in your state. Tr y to frame a por tion of your event around those issues. If your state is already a leader in climate change policy you can orient your discussion towards accountability as well as how you can ser ve as a model for other states and communities. If your Senator hasn’t been a legislative leader on climate change, focus on moving them into that role. The Clean Energy Forum is similar to a Town Hall in that it is a public gathering, with a diverse population. Yet the political environment since our last round of town halls in April has deteriorated, creating a negative stigma and chaotic environment where the civility and quality of discussion has been reduced due to a lack of framing and structure for these public events. If your Clean Energy Forum is done right it can help move our countr y past this stigma! Fundraising and Sponsorships Many events can be put together for free. If your event plans do include costs, it’s impor tant to recognize where you have resources and where you’ll need help. Before you think about writing any checks, work with your team to get donations, sponsorships, and use existing free resources: • Tap businesses, organizations, and universities for free ser vices and materials. • Hold a creative fundraiser like the Polar Bear Plunge. • Search for local caterers or stores that could provide food. Remember to keep it organic and sustainable! • Meet with sustainable businesses to request sponsorships. • Propose a ser vice swap with businesses or organizations for food, equipment, or a free venue.

REMEMBER: The Clean Energy Forum is different from an old school town hall, in that it is a space where: • Structured and civil discussion and exchange of ideas on the subject of a Clean Energy Future and climate legislation can take place, • Stake holders in the public, private and government sectors can make their case for policy support and/ or recommendations for strong climate legislation and other legislation. • Community members, stake-holders, and Senators can engage in a civil and productive way, which is facilitated and ‘safe’. •Commentary and recommendations regarding strong climate legislation and subjects related to clean energy can be gathered for synthesis and national policy impact. • Your team can recruit supporters for continued action leading up to COP15

Location and Timing A great source of free rooms and locations is your local college campus (High schools can also be an option). Colleges often have tech suppor t that can help you if you need equipment. If you’re working with multiple campuses, think about hosting some events at each campus. Other potential locations include: • • • • • •

local theaters auditoriums stadiums churches & synagogues convention centers community centers

Make sure your location has easy central access and is wheelchair accessibile.

Early in your organizing process, tr y to create a shor t list of ideal locations so that you can reser ve them with time to spare. Remember it is vital to hold your event between October 16th and November 15th!

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STEP 3: Recruiting Participants The Par ticipant Coordinator is generally responsible for building a strong panel of speakers and participants for your Clean Energy Forum. With the help of the organizing team, Par ticipant Coordinators will bring key stakeholders and exper ts to the table to discuss the most relevant issues related to climate legislation.

IDENTIFYING PANELISTS When it’s time to nail down your list of panelists a great place to star t is your fellow organizers and their personal networks. Other resources can be identified by your National Organizer. Cast a wide net, but identify who should fill the high-profile slots: elected official (your Senators preferably), member of the business sector, and an advocate in the climate or social justice movement. Before you star t contacting people make sure you:

MAKING THE ASK Once you’ve set your goals, get on the phone and start attending public meetings and events. Give potential panelists specifics but be flexible with their schedules. The key to bringing in speakers is to let them know that this is a great opportunity for them, their organization, and the community to get publicity, share valuable information, and have a productive discussion about clean energy and climate legislation.

• set goals (Specifically panel diversity and size - remember more panelists equal less time for community input) • make a timeline • do background research on each target • develop a script • have a plan B REMEMBER: Some of the most important stakeholders in the climate debate are your community’s disenfranchised and marginalized. Make sure you recruit panelists and participants from communities of color and working class communities Their voice is vital!

Even if someone isn’t able to participate due to time constraints or lack of space on the panel, keep the door open for future coordination. When talking to potential or unavailable panelists, make sure to ask them about getting their organization to endorse or sponsor your Clean Energy Forum. Ask them to spread the word about your local Be flexible! Plan Bs campaign and the methods of your forum. can sometimes be Keep an organized database of your conbetter than Plan As. tacts. Communicate this information to your National Organizer so they can betONCE THEY’VE ter support you.

SAID YES After geting a commitment, you should: • follow up • make them feel valued • connect them with other par ticipants • keep them informed as your event shapes up

Once you’ve developed a list of committed individuals, make sure to adver tise their names and exper tise’s in your team’s materials, media, and general outreach.

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH - BROADENING PARTICIPATION You and your team should create an ideal percentage breakdown of par ticipants for your Clean Energy Forum. You should create this breakdown by investigating the stakeholders in your community and by working directly with your National Organizer. FTN will coach you as your team develops these numbers. These breakdowns will be based on your desired ethnic, class and inter-generational diversity at the Clean Energy Forum. Remember these numbers are an objective to shoot for in terms of diverse participation. They will help you measure the effectiveness of your outreach. They are not set in stone! Where to Start Each community is different, therefore you will have to decide the best way to get out there and talk with the different sectors you want involved. First develop a plan with your National Organizer to target those community sectors outlined in your breakdown. Then star t chatting with folks throughout your community. The more you talk with people and put a face on your event, the more likely you are to get a bigger turnout. Also work with what you have- ask your team about their connections to diverse groups and organizations to reach out to. Other good places to star t are: • • • • • • • • • • •

community based organizations social clubs civic organizations local government forums cultural and ethnic festivals political organizations local churches community fairs lectures athletic events ar t shows

What to Say Listen, listen, listen! What does the community want to talk about? Strategically integrate the common themes and similarities found in your outreach into your planning process and event. Share what you learn. Highlight the solidarity of ideas that are coming up in your conversations with your community. Convey these issues as elements of your Clean Energy Forum. It’s all about making people feel involved and excited. They’re not just coming to an event. They’re becoming involved in a community forum on how to build a more just and prosperous clean energy future. When you invite people encourage them to bring their friends, family, and colleagues. REMEMBER: FTN HQ will be creating partnerships at the national level. Many of these new partner organizations may have chapters and members who can join your team, so be sure stay in good contact with your National Organizer.

REMEMBER: Amplify your message by putting up signs at coffee shops, grocery stores and community bulletin boards, and talking with business owners and customers.

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STEP 4: Political Engagement Solving the climate-energy crisis is not a technical problem, it’s a political problem. Our leaders need encouragement to build up the willpower to stand up to entrenched interests and solve this problem as President Obama heads to COP15. Focus the Nation HQ will be performing two large rounds of Senate outreach for the Clean Energy Forum campaign, but you will play a role as well. Your event is first and foremost about bringing your community together for a productive discussion about the Clean Energy Future that is relevant to them. Politicians are an impor tant par t of your community, but they are not the community. Together we will do the best we can to get your Senator to attend, but with or without a politician present, you will still be building the momentum, dialogue and political will necessar y to generate strong climate legislation. REMEMBER:

Your Role: State Office Outreach After a discussion with your National Organizer, you should reach out to your Senators’ district offices. From there you can develop relationships with their Legislative Assistants and other staff in order to: • Talk to them about the strategy, form and function of your Clean Energy Forum. Through this you will build transparency and trust, and thus increase the probability that your legislator’s will participate in the forum. • Get a better understanding of the allies and partners of the Senators office, which might serve as good panelists • Find out who the Senator’s constituencies are. You can invite them to the Listening Sessions and provide them with advance tickets to the Clean Energy Forum.

For this outreach you should be working with your National Organizer very closely. FTN is here to guide you every step of the way. So don’t go in alone!

Make Your Event Appealing to Your Politician! Constituent-focused Politicians need popular suppor t from their constituents. Your Clean Energy Forum is appealing because it is constituent driven, it is highly organized, and it provides the elected official an oppor tunity to reach a large audience of suppor ters and potential suppor ters. High-profile Politicians want to go to events that are guaranteed to get media. To be sure that your event will be covered by some local media’ you will work directly with FTN HQ to execute successful press outreach. Make sure to pick a venue that fit’s the expected size of your event. An event does not look nearly as impressive if there is empty space. Communities and the Road to Copenhagen

Build a Broad Coalition The more diverse your coalition, and the larger por tion of your community it represents, the more appealing your event will be for politicians. As early as possible, star t executing your outreach to make your team and volunteer squad as diverse as possible.

REMEMBER: Be extremely courteous, & follow up on all of your communication with the state office.

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Civil, Civic Engagement Remember the most impor tant way to guarantee a successful Clean Energy Forum is to keep it safe and civil! The best way to convey the spirit of these events is to demonstrate patience, transparency and a willingness to communicate your methods even when they are being challenged. Moderation The Clean Energy Forum Moderator should conduct the moderation of the event. During the Clean Energy Forum, the moderator will focus solely on moderation of the group. It will be ver y impor tant that the Moderator of the Clean Energy Forum has complete control of the venue.

REMEMBER:

It’s important for your team to announce the rules and parameters for the forum both verbally and on paper before the commencement of the event.

Controlling the venue through structure and adherence to the rules and parameters of presentation and discussion will give folks the assurance that the forum has the capacity to be a civil gathering. This will create a space and atmosphere where both panelists and participants will have the oppor tunity to speak candidly about climate legislation and how it affects them. See, “FTN – Clean Energy Forum Event Module” for more details on moderation tactics.

You’re probably wondering how the Clean Energy Forum Moderator will be prepared for such an impor tant task. Easy - FTN HQ will help prepare them. As you get closer to your event, remember to stay in touch with your National Organizer, and we will make sure your team gets tapped into the training and resources they need.

REMEMBER: Nobody wants to come to a hostile event intended to criticize them. Be clear, in all your communication with political staff and participants, that this event is focused on solutions and opportunities. While some politicians have admittedly horrible records on the issue of climate and energy, the future is yet to be written.

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STEP 5: Visuals With space reser ved, logistics in place, and a solid list of par ticipants, it’s time to get the word out about your event. To do that, you’re going to need posters, t-shir ts, brochures and other visuals that promote your event in an appealing way.

STAY LOCAL FTN Central will provide free logos and poster templates, but it’s always a good idea to localize your effor ts. Use the local lens! Last year UVM and FAU used the FTN logo, but used their school colors and logos to give it a campus feel. Local Talent It’s great to tap your local talent. Check out these possible ideas: • Challenge students to design fun and inviting visuals for silk-screened t-shir ts, banners, etc. • Do you have a team member or contact that’s a communication/PR exper t or graphic designer? • Contact your local college’s PR staff. They are exper ts at making the college look good, and will jump at the chance to connect the college with the community. They can help with visuals as well as media outreach. • Ask an established PR or graphic design firm to do pro-bono work for your event.

REMEMBER: Take pictures and record videos as you organize! It’s important to have great visuals for your posters, but it’s also important to document the organizing process. You’re making history and we want to share those images with the nation!

MESSAGING For all materials keep the message: • simple • positive • inclusive Make sure you include: • exciting • date • solutions & • time oppor tunity • schedule oriented • location • sponsors • key speakers • contact info • fun graphics

EVENT VISUALS Visuals are an essential par t of your event. These can include: * * * * * *

posters flyers pamphlets sidewalk chalk post cards door hangers

Make it a goal for your visuals to be unavoidable on campus and around town.

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STEP 6: Getting Media Coverage Like many of the tasks you will face in this process, you should work ver y closely with your National Organizer when it comes to media outreach and strategy. Together we will figure out the following things: 1. How to frame and personalize your stor y 2. How to localize your stor y 3. Who to target 4. How, when, and where to execute strategy

A great way to increase the attendance at your event is to get large amounts of media coverage. You are planning a notewor thy event that gives your community a voice on impor tant issues, if you reach out in the right way, and in collaboration with FTN HQ your event will receive coverage.

Strategy REMEMBER: Make sure you run any press materials your team creates by your National Organizer prior to submitting them.

Make a list of all of the repor ters and bloggers at your local weekly, daily papers, TV and radio stations. Work closely with your National Organizer to develop strategy for your outreach to these media folks.

MEDIA OUTREACH After you make your list of targets, and finalize your strategy, you will want to do some press outreach. Here are some tips: • The most effective way to get a repor ter’s attention is to talk with him or her on the phone- so call! • Write a script and have all of your materials ready, so you can confidently convey impor tant information. This will increase their confidence to work with you. • Research their past coverage so you can lead by saying, for example, “I enjoyed your ar ticle on the Green Jobs Day of Action.” • Make sure to ask if they have time to talk, and be concise. • Remember that by aler ting them to your event, you’re doing them a favor, not vice-versa.

REMEMBER: Soon there will be media templates available on the webpage to help guide your outreach. Make sure you check the organizing page to find and use these.

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Press Releases You will also be using tools like press releases and letters to the editor once you’re ready to execute your strategy. Here is a brief press release outline: • date & contact info at the top • catchy title 1. Paragraph - a brief summary of the who, what, where, when and why 2. Paragraph - quotes 3. Paragraph - statistics & background info 4. Paragraph - additional quotes 5. Conclusion - any other integral info Press releases can make or break a news stor y. Make it catchy, concise and make sure all quotes are approved.

Letters to the Editor (LTE) When writing LTEs remember to: • Check with your local paper for formatting and submission guidelines. • Reference a previous ar ticle and frame the problem and solution as well as why we need change. The opinion page is one of the most read par ts of the newspaper, so getting an LTE published is a great accomplishment.

FOLLOWING UP When your event gets covered, make sure to acknowledge it in your materials and follow up with the repor ter.

REMEMBER: Put together a comprehensive packet of all of your news coverage so that everyone who participated in the event knows what a success it was.

Tell them what your team is doing in the long-run and let them know that you’re a resource when they need information on similar events and initiatives. Also, remember to connect them to Focus the Nation.

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STEP 7: The Big Day After all of the hard work, your team is ready to cross the finish line. To make sure that ever ything runs smoothly make sure that these bases are covered: • • • • • • • • •

time keeping and documentation sign ins technical logistics and equipment par ticipant coordination nametags and greetings programs video and photo documentation introductions clean up

It’s a good idea to assign one or two team members or volunteers to each thing. Map the details out one to two weeks beforehand and then arrive early on the big day. TIP: It may be a good idea to have volunteers that didn’t help organize the event available to help on the big day. TIP: As people arrive and as people leave, make sure that you have several ways for them to sign up to get involved with your local climate movement. Focus the Nation will be providing sign in materials for you to capture impor tant information about your par ticipants.

STEP STEP 88:: Building Building Momentum Momentum HIGH QUALITY LOBBY VISITS After your Clean Energy Forum, FTN HQ will distill and synthesize Clean Energy Action Lists from the public commentar y and recommendations made at your event. These Clean Energy Action Lists, can be used by your team to create next steps; re-engaging your community and your senators.

See, “FTN – Clean Energy Forum Event Module” and the “FTN – Legislative Engagement Guide” for more details on the Clean Energy Action Lists and high quality lobby visits.

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STEP 9: Feedback and Exit Survey Focus the Nation wants to hear from you. We will conduct two feedback sur veys. Your National Organizer will guide you through a feedback sur vey after your Clean Energy Forum and post the COP 15 summit in Januar y. Make sure you get a chance to work with your National Organizer on your feedback sur veys so we can assess: • What skills and capacity we assisted your team in developing through out the campaign? • What on the ground par tnerships worked best in suppor ting your team? • The effects of the stipend on your ability to organize your local campaign? • The effects of your event budget on your ability to organize your campaign? • Your suggestions for improving our legislative and community outreach strategies? • Your suggestions for improving our forum modules?

CONCLUSION This guide is not meant to be comprehensive, nor is it meant to be at all restrictive to your effor ts. Use it exactly as it is titled- to guide your effor ts as you move forward. Remember our number one priority is to empower you and increase the effectiveness of your effor ts. This combined with our other guides and modules will only help you achieve a por tion of your goals.

To be fully successful you will have to communicate with, and depend on your National Organizer, and your team of volunteers. Only by working together and in collaboration with our community stakeholders can we achieve the clean energy future we all deser ve! Now let’s get organizing!

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