Invest in Peace: Sample Scripts--Outline Version
Script 1—Friends or Family
- Connect (relationship-building conversation)
- Introduce your involvement in the campaign and context of the call
- How long you’ve been involved
- You’re calling to tell them about the campaign and ask for donation
-
Get permission to talk/ask
If they say yes, continue. If no, see if they’re open to setting a time to talk about it and do so. If not, thank them and close the conversation.
NOTE: If there’s a possibility that they already donate to the campaign, you may want to ask them to find out for sure.
- Highlight campaign success and activity
Examples to choose from—don’t feel compelled to use them all!
- Active in all 50 states with teams in more than 275 Congressional districts
67 Congressional co-sponsors and growing
- During Mother’s Day Peace of the Pie national action campaign, delivered pies to more than 200 Congressional offices around the country and to all 66 cosponsors on Capitol Hill.
- For Father’s Day, did a letter-to-the editor campaign led by the Student Peace Alliance, asking for what every father really wants for their children: a world with far less violence.
- More than 60 State Coordinators in more than 35 states
- More than 1,000 participants at the 2007 National Conference for the bill’s reintroduction
- More than 450 Congressional offices in the first six months of 2007—nearly double that in all of 2006
- Gained endorsements from more than 20 cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco
- Globally, have 24 other countries organizing for ministries and departments of peace and they are counting on the United States to lead in this area.
- People in Japan are actually fundraising to donate not to their own campaign, but to ours because they believe a U.S. Department of Peace will have such a significant impact in their lives and in the world.
- Add local activity you know of and/or are involved in
- Frame the big picture
- A true social movement, comparable to abolition, women’s suffrage and civil rights
- Focus on preventing and reducing violence by addressing root causes
- Importance of creating an infrastructure in government to support us being more skilled and identifying and resolving conflict before it erupts into violence
- Other statistics on violence that you think will be meaningful to this person
- Other talking points that you think will be meaningful to this person
- Why you personally are involved; what it means to you
This is especially powerful if it’s something that is meaningful to both of you
- Ask
Invite them to be a Peace Partner, a monthly sustaining donor whose credit or debit card is charged for a fixed amount each month. If they’d prefer, one-time donations are also wonderful.
- If no
Thank them for talking with you; see if they want to get involved in the campaign in other ways.
- If maybe
- Share ways to donate
- Peace Partner
- Guarantee Fund Member
- Visionary Circle Member
- Provide them with additional information (in person or via mail or email)
- Point out the possibility of “one percent for peace” (we’re asking for 1% of the federal discretionary budget to establish and maintain a U.S. Dept. of Peace—some estimates indicate that’s the equivalent of what we spend in one month in Iraq—so a powerful amount is to donate 1% of net monthly earnings)
- Empower them to select the amount that is perfect for them--$15 or whatever works!
- Set a time to follow-up and get their decision
- If yes
- Share ways to donate
- Peace Partner
- Guarantee Fund Member
- Visionary Circle Member
- Determine donation amount
- Point out the possibility of “one percent for peace” (we’re asking for 1% of the federal discretionary budget to establish and maintain a U.S. Dept. of Peace—some estimates indicate that’s the equivalent of what we spend in one month in Iraq—so a powerful amount is to donate 1% of net monthly earnings)
- Empower them to select the amount that is perfect for them--$15 or whatever works. (Guarantee Fund and Visionary Circle members give about $84 per month—that’s just about one latte per day!)
- Complete their donation
- If you’re online, go to either your Personal Donation Page or the Peace Alliance donation page and enter their information for them OR
- Take down their information, and go online to complete their donation later (make sure you shred any personal information after you have entered online) OR
- Give them your donation page information
Be sure to follow up and make sure they donated if you don’t do it for them.
- Thank them and wrap up the call in appreciation
Congratulations on having the courage and commitment to share the campaign and fundraising with others!
Script 2—Current Volunteer
- Connect (relationship-building conversation)
- Introduce your purpose in calling
- Get permission to talk/ask
If they say yes, continue. If no, see if they’re open to setting a time to talk about it and do so. If not, thank them and close the conversation.
- Update on national and local activity (if interested)
Examples to choose from—don’t feel compelled to use them all!
- Active in all 50 states with teams in more than 275 Congressional districts
- 67 Congressional co-sponsors and growing
- During Mother’s Day Peace of the Pie national action campaign, delivered pies to more than 200 Congressional offices around the country and to all 66 cosponsors on Capitol Hill.
- For Father’s Day, did a letter-to-the editor campaign led by the Student Peace Alliance, asking for what every father really wants for their children: a world with far less violence.
- More than 60 State Coordinators in more than 35 states
- More than 1,000 participants at the 2007 National Conference for the bill’s reintroduction
- More than 450 Congressional offices in the first six months of 2007—nearly double that in all of 2006
- Gained endorsements from more than 20 cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco
- Globally, have 24 other countries organizing for ministries and departments of peace and they are counting on the United States to lead in this area.
- People in Japan are actually fundraising to donate not to their own campaign, but to ours because they believe a U.S. Department of Peace will have such a significant impact in their lives and in the world.
- Add local activity you know of and/or are involved in
- Frame the big picture (if applicable; they may already have this vision)
- A true social movement, comparable to abolition, women’s suffrage and civil rights
- Focus on preventing and reducing violence by addressing root causes
- Importance of creating an infrastructure in government to support us being more skilled and identifying and resolving conflict before it erupts into violence
- Other statistics on violence that you think will be meaningful to this person
- Other talking points that you think will be meaningful to this person
- Why you personally are involved; what it means to you
This is especially powerful if it’s something that is meaningful to both of you
- Ask what motivated them to become involved in the campaign
This helps them reconnect with their own passion and vision
- Explain need now
We’ve been building the grassroots so effectively, we’re at risk of outstripping our capacity. Time to build a fundraising base so we are a sustainable movement
- Ask
Invite them to be a Peace Partner, increase their giving if they already are one, and get involved in the donor campaign like you are
- If no
- Thank them for talking with you; share upcoming activities and your enthusiasm for seeing them there
- If maybe
- Share ways to donate
- Peace Partner
- Guarantee Fund Member
- Visionary Circle Member
- Provide them with additional information (in person or via mail or email)
- Point out the possibility of “one percent for peace” (we’re asking for 1% of the federal discretionary budget to establish and maintain a U.S. Dept. of Peace—some estimates indicate that’s the equivalent of what we spend in one month in Iraq—so a powerful amount is to donate 1% of net monthly earnings)
- Empower them to select the amount that is perfect for them--$15 or whatever works!
- Set a time to follow-up and get their decision
- If yes
- Share ways to donate
- Peace Partner
- Guarantee Fund Member
- Visionary Circle Member
- Determine donation amount
- Point out the possibility of “one percent for peace” (we’re asking for 1% of the federal discretionary budget to establish and maintain a U.S. Dept. of Peace—some estimates indicate that’s the equivalent of what we spend in one month in Iraq—so a powerful amount is to donate 1% of net monthly earnings)
- Empower them to select the amount that is perfect for them--$15 or whatever works. (Guarantee Fund and Visionary Circle members give about $84 per month—that’s just about one latte per day!)
- Complete their donation
- If you’re online, go to either your Personal Donation Page or the Peace Alliance donation page and enter their information for them OR
- Take down their information, and go online to complete their donation later (make sure you shred any personal information after you have entered online) OR
- Give them your donation page information
- Be sure to follow up and make sure they donated if you don’t do it for them.
- Thank them and wrap up the call in appreciation
Congratulations on having the courage and commitment to share the campaign and fundraising with others!
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