TIPS: How to get help from existing organizations
SIGNS: Downloadable PDF ideas for signs
This is a basic guide for establishing, promoting and implementing your Tax Day Tea Party. If you see changes that need to be made, contact us and let us know what need to be edited.
Step 1: Avoid Duplicating Efforts - Check to see if someone else has already started planning a Tea Party in your city.
This is a problem we ran into for Chicago. A small group had been planning on meeting earlier in the morning and for a slightly different type of rally, but we didn’t catch it before setting ours up. We’re now hoping we can combine the two events on April 15th, so hopefully it will all work out.
Here at TaxDayTeaParty.com we have a page with a full list of known Tea Party events for April 15th. You can check that page to ensure there isn’t already an event happening in your city/town.
You’ll also want to search Facebook “Tax Day Tea Party” or “April 15 Tea Party”, along with the name of your city/town, to see if an event has already been set up.
If nothing has been set up, then someone needs to get the ball rolling. And since you’re reading this… it sounds like that someone might be you
Step 2: Coordinate - Send an email to amykremer@gmail.com letting her know you wish to set up a local Tea Party in your city.
Amy will work with you and help you get your Facebook Event page set up. You can do this on your own, of course, but it’s easier for us to make sure we’re not duplicating efforts if we’re all collaborating with our actions.
Once your Facebook Event page is set up, you need to start working on the details of your Tea Party (What, when, where, what time, how, etc…)
Step 3: Pick a Location - Now it’s time to ponder on various locations. Ask yourself “Where is the best place to host a Tea Party? In front of the Federal Reserve Bank? In a park? Where will you get the most attention? Where have protests been held in the past? Where was the February Tea Party held?”.
It’s also important that you check with your city/town to see if a “Demonstration Permit” is required to protest at a public property (I know… what about free speech?). We got around this here in Chicago by staying on sidewalks and marching through town instead of being stationary in a park or plaza.
Once you’ve gone through all the options, checked out what you think is the best location and found it to be feasable and confirmed it has enough space to contain a big crowd, go ahead and put it in your Facebook event page.
Send out an announcement to your members letting them know and begin putting together an email list of everyone you know so you can inform them as well.
Step 4: Prepare Media Campaign - Open up a plain text document on your computer. Now go to EVERY newspaper, TV and radio website in your city/town and hunt for phone numbers, fax numbers and emails. Build a list of each, and plan to contact each outlet through all three methods. You’ll likely need help with this if you’re in a large city, so get with some of the people coming to your Tea Party to help out if need be.
Draft a press release announcing your planned Tea Party. We have press release templates you can use if you do not know how to write one (coming soon.)
Send your press release out (make sure you have PLENTY of contact information on it. You can put our Press Secretary, Julie Johnson, on the release if you’re not comfortable speaking with the media)
When do I send the press release out?The day, specifically, can vary. But usually you’ll want to send it on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. You’ll also want to do at least three press releases total… one the day you announce your plans, one as the event draws closer, and the last one the day before the event.
COMING SOON! RESOURCES We’re working on press release templates, sign ideas, sign up sheet templates, email announcement templates and other resources that will help you plan your Tea Party. Stay tuned and watch for this to be published.
