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Text Bank in a Box

Checklist for Hosting a Text Bank

The Toolbox

Invitation Email Template

Hey there!

 

I recently found out about an awesome activist group called Movement Labs. They support progressive candidates and local and national activist organizations through peer-to-peer texting; they help with voter registration, invite people to events and protests, recruit people to run for local office, and help motivate people to go the polls.

 

Peer-to-peer texting is incredibly impactful, easy, and fast—you can message 300 people in just 15 minutes. I’m hosting a virtual texting party where we can get together and volunteer for Resistance Labs by texting together!

 

Please join me {TIME OF EVENT} on {DATE OF EVENT} at {LOCATION OF EVENT}.

 

I’m really excited about this opportunity to get involved and hope you can join. I’ll share more information closer to the event with details about what we’ll need!

 

Best,

{YOUR NAME}

Following up with RSVP's Email Template

Hey there,

 

Thanks for RSVPing to the texting party! I’m excited to volunteer together for this important cause.

 

A few small asks before you arrive:

 

 

As a reminder, we’ll meet on {DATE OF EVENT} at {TIME OF EVENT} at {LOCATION OF EVENT}.

 

If you have any questions before, just let me know. Looking forward to seeing you and working together!
Best,

{YOUR NAME}

Post-Event Email Template

Hi friends,

 

Thanks so much for coming out this week to join our texting party with Resistance Labs! You made a great impact texting for {CAMPAIGN NAME}, and I hope that you had fun.

 

As a quick reminder, some folks may still be replying to texts over the next week so please keep an eye on Spoke to follow up with any new messages.

 

If you’re interested in continuing to volunteer, please keep it up! You can text whenever you want (like when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store), or do your own texting party.

 

Also make sure to like the Resistance Labs Facebook page and join the Facebook and Slack communities if you haven’t yet.

 

Thanks again for joining to help make a difference, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

 

Best,
{YOUR NAME}

Troubleshooting Tips

  • With any technical issues, ask questions within Slack in the #questions channel or reach out to any staff members or interns who helped you organize the text bank.
  • Create an open dialogue about the process so that volunteers feel comfortable asking you questions, whether about the campaign or specific issues like tagging, as they get started.
  • Share the Spoke link and campaign instructions for the campaign you’re texting from, but encourage folks to join the Slack and/or Facebook group as well so that they can stay up to date in the future.

The Playbook

  1. Pick a date, time, and virtual conference platform for your text bank.
  2. Head to our text event request form and let us know you’re interested in hosting a text bank!
  3. Invite your friends! Shoot them an email or send them a Facebook invite.

Before the event

  1. Send a reminder to your guests! You can also link them to our new texter training, but you should also go over training on the day of the event.
  2. Look for an email from us the day before or the morning of your event. In it, we’ll include everything you need: the campaign signup link, a link to any special instructions the campaign has, and the contact information for an RL staff member who can help you out if anyone has any trouble.

During the event

  1. Remind folks not to edit the initial text! This script was carefully crafted in collaboration with the campaign or organizing partner. The other scripts can (and should!) be modified to sound natural and fit the exact response you get.
  2. Make sure folks know how to apply tags and mark their results. This is the most important part of the work that we do! Please read through the workflow instructions before your event so you know the question we are asking and what tags we are using.
  3. Need support? Check out our Knowledge Base or drop your questions in Slack for real-time assistance!

After the event

  1. Send out a short thank you and let your guests know what an awesome impact they had!
  2. Remind your guests to check in to Spoke frequently—at least daily—for a week after the texting event. Responses trickle in over time so it’s important they check Spoke to respond to replies ASAP.
  3. Ask folks to join our Facebook group and Slack communities to find out when new campaigns go live.