Revolution #205, June 27, 2010

Phone Banking Script "Put Revolution on the Map" Fundraising Web-a-thon

Many people are planning to be part of the “Put Revolution on the Map” National Fundraising Web-a-thon, which includes massive phone banking for contributions to reach the $10,000 goal, and to drive people to watch the web-a-thon. Some people put together this suggested phone script to help in that phone banking. Having a script makes it possible for many, many more people to participate. Enlist your friends to help!

Phone Banking Script

“Put Revolution on the Map” National Fundraising Web-a-thon

Sunday, June 20. Livestream broadcast from 4pm to 10pm Eastern daylight time.

Is this ______? I’m ___________ from __________________. I got your name from _____________.

I’m calling about our campaign to put revolution back on the map and our first-ever “Put Revolution On The Map” national fundraising web-a-thon and phone banking to raise $10,000 to launch this campaign into higher gear. This $10,000 is needed immediately to do 3 things, and I’m calling to ask you to donate today to make these possible.

[Many people will say early on that they cannot afford to give right now. Ask them, “Have you heard about this campaign, or read the statement, ‘The Revolution We Need…The Leadership We Have’?” Ask them to listen to what the money will help accomplish and then decide what they can do to make this happen.]

Put Revolution on the Map in Detroit: Revolution writers and distributors going to Detroit in the last half of June to let the people, who are still seething in anger at the police murder of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones, know that there is a revolutionary movement that will not be backed down; and this revolutionary movement will also be at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit with thousands of people from around the country who are debating how to make a different and better world. We have plans to distribute 40,000 copies of “The Revolution We Need… The Leadership We Have” and 4 workshops at the U.S. Social Forum with writers for Revolution. $5,000 pays for half the cost of materials, travel and living expenses.
A major highway billboard advertising Bob Avakian's talk, “Revolution: Why It’s Necessary, Why It’s Possible, What It’s All About.” This is located by the entrance to the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit. This billboard will be up in conjunction with city-wide screenings of the Revolution talk,at the Social Forum itself and in the oppressed communities. Cost: $2000, for 4 weeks.
Revolution Reporters in the Gulf, and at the Gulf Oil Emergency Summit: Extraordinary Crisis Demands Extraordinary Response. Plans to rally people to stop this catastrophe, protect the environment, and to spread revolution. Revolution reporters Larry Everest and Orpheus have been on the ground in the Gulf bringing out stories BP and the Obama administration don’t want you to know about: the extent of the damage, the suppression of scientists, the blocking of aid and volunteers. The Emergency Summit (on Saturday, June 19) brought together scientists, artists, academics, and people from the poorest wards, fisherpeople, students and revolutionaries. Raymond Lotta went to New Orleans to participate in the Summit. $4000 pays immediate travel and living expenses for the Revolution reporters and Raymond Lotta.

What happens in Detroit and the Gulf in the next week can profoundly affect the whole way tens of thousands come to understand what it means to make revolution and what it means when we say This is NOT the Best of All Possible Worlds—and We Do Not Have to Live this Way. These are events that hold the potential of impacting an entire society. This can be a real beginning.

All this is only possible with your support and participation,

Will you give $__________________ to make this possible? [put in an amount that aims high based on who you are talking to
[Wait for an answer before saying anything else.]

[If they say yes, Thank them. If they did not specify what they will give, ask “Do you know how much you will be able to donate so I can record your pledge? Can you go on-line right now? Be sure you tell them how to donate. (See below for info).]

You can ask if they will take the “Revolution on the Map” Challenge—call five friends and ask them to match their donation.

We should also find out if people want reminders.

[If they say no, tell them you understand, not everyone can give that much. Then fill them inmore about the plans and what they will see in the web-a-thon, encourage them to watch, and ask again for a donation that is less than before. You might ask if they will take the “Revolution on the Map” Challenge of getting friends to match a donation.]

Whether people say yes or no to the donation we really want them to watch the web-a-thon. Be sure they know how to log in (at revcom.us).

Continue: There are much greater plans ahead over the summer.

You can tune in to the “Put Revolution on the Map” national web-a-thon to learn more about these 3 projects we’re funding: the campaign and upcoming plans. This web-a-thon will give you a sense of how this national movement for revolution is taking shape.

The webcast airs live on the internet starting at [________time, Sunday June 20] [ Have the webcast schedule handy to refer to, posted at the end of this script.] Log on by going to revcom.us.

Ask if they plan to watch the web-a-thon.

Will you invite your friends to watch this event? [Ask if they would like you to send an email they could forward, or tell them they can find the information on revcom.us.]

Of course, always thank people for any donation or if no donation, thank them for their time, and encourage them to watch the web-a-thon and email others to watch it, too.

***

Reference Information:

Tell them how to donate: You can donate online at revcom.us via the paypal button. You can earmark contributions. NOTE TO PHONE BANKERS: You can walk someone through donating online, but you cannot take their credit card information. If someone wants to donate over the phone, they can call the official web-a-thon call center at 347-316-9853 or RCP Pubs at 773-227-4066 on Sunday, June 20 after noon EDT.

Make checks or money orders payable to RCP Publications, Box 3486 Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 60654 or go to bookstore if applicable.

For donations of $250 or more they will receive a DVD of Raymond Lotta’s talk, “Capitalist Oil Spill—A System Not Fit to be Caretakers of the Planet and the Need for Revolution.”

Pledges are not counted in the fund drive totals until they come in. But we will keep a separate count of pledges we expect to receive, and announce this. When someone makes a pledge, please email or call RCP Pubs with this information. So things do not get double-counted, be sure to include the donor’s name (at least first name and last initial, and the city, and say it was from web-a-thon fundraising.) If you are phonebanking with a lot of people, one email can be sent that includes all the names and amounts of pledges. Please don’t wait until the end of the evening, try to send them in hourly if you can so we have a sense of how things are developing.

We recommend you read these things:

Message and Call, “The Revolution We Need… The Leadership We Have”
Revolution #204 articles on the Gulf, and #203 centerfold articles on Detroit and the Gulf

On Sunday, Sunsara and Annie want to read blurbs and comments from people who are supporting this effort about why they are donating. They also want to hear what questions are coming up from people. They will be calling for people to send these in during the webcast and will address some of them live.

So, please send or call in any blurbs, comments, and questions right away to:

Campaignwebathonny@gmail.com or call 347-316-9853 on Sunday.

A thermometer showing our progress will be updated regularly on Sunday. You can see this on the web-a-thon information page—go to revcom.us on Sunday and click on the link “Find Out More.”

Schedule

Sunday, June 20: Livestream broadcast from 4pm to 10pm Eastern daylight time

4pm-5pm [3pm CDT, 1 pm PDT]: Sunsara Taylor and Annie Day on “What is the Campaign ‘The Revolution We Need... The Leadership We Have?’"
A reading of the Message and Call, “The Revolution We Need the Leadership… We Have.” News of the campaign, updates on the recent 10-day effort to distribute 200,000 of the Message and Call, upcoming plans.

5pm – 6pm: [4pm CDT, 2pm PDT] “What, You Still Don’t Know Who Bob Avakian Is?”
Clips from the talk by Bob Avakian, “Revolution: Why It’s Necessary, Why It’s Possible, What It’s All About,” letters from prisoners, and more.

6pm – 7pm: [7pm CDT, 5pm PDT] Live from the Gulf
Michael Slate interviews Larry Everest, hot off the Gulf Oil Emergency Summit.

7pm – 8pm: [5pm CDT, 3pm PDT] Live from Detroit with Sunsara Taylor interviewing Carl Dix.

8pm – 9pm: [6pm CDT, 4pm PDT] Raymond Lotta on the Gulf Oil Spill, “A Capitalist Oil Spill… A System Not Fit to be Caretakers of the Planet and the Need for Revolution.”

9pm – 10 pm: [8pm CDT, 6pm PDT] Arizona, Gaza, Prisoners, and more
Michael Slate, Alan Goodman, Sunsara Taylor, and more.

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