The NORML Women’s Alliance is a female focused outreach and education project of the NORML Foudnation (a 501(c)3 tax-deductible nonprofit). For more information go to www.norml.org/women.

Host a House Party The women of NORML are coming together across the country to talk to their friends and neighbors about the issues that matter most to them, and why organizing for marijuana legalization is so important. By agreeing to host a house party, you’ll identify yourself as a leader in your community and help get other supporters fired up to organize and legalize.

Your NORML Women’s Alliance house party is sure to be a success if you’ve got plenty of goodies to go around. Our House Party Kit includes everything you need to plan and host a successful event.

THANK YOU

For hosting a NORML Women’s Alliance house meeting in your community

House meetings are at the core of our strategy to win, and hosting an event is a great

way to inspire others to take ownership over this movement in your community.

Across the country like-minded women are coming together in living rooms to talk

about the issues that matter most to them, and why organizing for the legalization of

marijuana is so important. By agreeing to host a meeting, you’ve already identified

yourself as a leader in this community.

You’re taking an important first step in creating the relationships that will power this

movement by becoming a host. At your meeting, you will be talking with your

friends and neighbors and strategizing about how to grow support for marijuana law

reform in your community. This effort won’t be successful without people like you,

who are ready to join the fight for reform. By hosting a party you’ll get other

supporters in your community fired up to organize.

This guide will help you make your event the best it can be. We’ll walk

you through the steps of finding a location, coming up with an agenda, recruiting

folks to come, running your event, and more.

GET STARTED To host a successful event, you should follow a few simple steps. Find a good location for your event. The best place to host an event like this

would be your home—a quiet place to talk and organize.

CHOOSE A PROGRAM This guide includes three different program options for NORML/NWA house meetings. Pick the one that’s best for you and your guests. 1. Film & Discussion Screen a short film about NORML’s accomplishments, then lead a discussion about the issues that matter most to your guests. 2. Guest Speaker Invite a leader from the local marijuana drug law reform community to speak about recent accomplishments and what’s at stake. 3. Fundraising Dinner Party CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR EVENT

Registering your house party online will help people in your area find your

event and make it easier for you to invite your friends and community

members.

INVITE PEOPLE TO YOUR HOUSE MEETING The best way to get people to your event is by having face-to-face

conversations with people you know. Start by making a list of the friends and

neighbors who may want to know more about what the NORML Women’s

Alliance has done for the marijuana law reform movement, who have been

active in your community in the past, or who are interested in organizing

around local issues. These are the people who will be most likely to get

involved in the effort. Take the time to talk to these folks about why you’re

involved—it’s the best way to get people excited about attending your event.

Invite at least 50 people to aim for a gathering of 15-20 attendees. Don’t be

afraid to invite more people than you need. You can talk to them in person or

pick up the phone—just remember to ask your attendees to RSVP online so

you know how many people to expect. You can ask your friends to bring along

some friends of their own. This will not only help you meet your attendance

goal for your event, but it will also give you a new network of neighbors to

reach out to the next time you host. If you’re active on social networks like

Facebook, Twitter, and others, you can use these as effective tools to promote

your event. It’s quick and easy to post information that your friends will see

when they get online, too. However, it’s important to remember that nothing

can take the place of you talking to them directly on the phone or in person.

GET YOUR MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER There are a variety of crucial materials that you should review and print out

before your event. We’ve provided these to make it as easy as possible to host

your event, including agendas, thank you cards, and checklists.

If you’re screening videos, you will need to make sure you have a place to

show them where they’ll be visible and audible to all your guests.

DURING the EVENT Be prepared before your first guest arrives. Get there early to set up your space, and if you’re using any equipment like telephones, test that it’s working properly. Set out refreshments for your guests to help make them more comfortable and break the ice. Don’t forget to assign someone to manage the sign-in sheet so you can have a record of all the guests that attend—it’ll help you follow up with folks after your event. You can use the following agenda as a guide for hosting a successful event: Getting Started WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION (10 MIN) Introduce yourself with your name and where you’re from, and then ask your guests to sign in. Have your guests introduce themselves. Everyone should say their name and where they’re from. Let everyone know that as a group, your guests and you make up “we.” SHARE YOUR STORY (5-10 MIN) Take a couple minutes to share your story about why you are involved in the effort. This is an important part of getting to know your guests and setting the tone for the discussion, so you may want to prepare for this part beforehand. Here are some questions to help you craft your story: • What inspired you to host this event? Why are you excited about the NORML Women’s Alliance? • Why do you think supporters need to stay engaged? • What does participating mean to you? What have you learned or what’s happened in your life to bring you here, and why is it important to be here now? • What’s changed in your life that brought you here? Then, you can ask your guests to do the same.

Main Program (Choose one) 1. Film and Discussion DISCUSS THE VIDEOS (10 MIN) Conduct a discussion about the videos with your guests. You or one of your

guests can lead the discussion, but you’ll be strongest with everyone

contributing their ideas and shared goals for the future.

Consider setting up a whiteboard or piece of butcher paper and assigning two

guests to take down the ideas of the team. Tell your guests that there aren’t any

bad ideas, and that the point is to write every idea on the board. In your

discussion, you can expect to have lots of ideas and a foundation for future

action by your team.

Here are some questions to help you get started: • What stood out most to you about what you heard tonight? • What do you think are the most important issues in this election? • Have you been involved in the past or is this your first time? What brought you here tonight? • What do you think members of our community can do to make a difference?

2. Guest Speaker • In Person • On the Phone • Skype • Google Chat/Google Hangout

INTRODUCE THE GUEST SPEAKER Provide a brief introduction for your speaker, outlining their role and accomplishments, and why you invited them to speak at your NORML Women’s Alliance event. LISTEN TO THE GUEST SPEAKER The guest speaker will speak for a short amount of time, and you want to make sure that everyone at your meeting can clearly hear them. Encourage your guests to listen carefully, since many of the topics discussed will inform your discussion after the call. DISCUSS THE SPEECH (10 MIN) Conduct a discussion about the night’s events with your guests. You or one of your guests can lead the discussion, but you’ll be strongest with everyone’s ideas and shared goals for the future. Consider setting up a whiteboard or piece of butcher paper and assigning two guests to take down the ideas of the team. Tell your guests that there aren’t any bad ideas, and that the point is to write every idea on the board. In your discussion, you can expect to have lots of ideas and a foundation for future action by your team. Here are some questions to help you get started: • What stood out most to you about what you heard or experienced tonight? • What do you think are the most important issues in this election? • Have you been involved in the past or is this your first time? What brought you here tonight? • What do you think members of our community can do to make a difference?

3. Fundraising Dinner Party

• Set a fundraising goal o Feel free to suggest that all guests make a minimum donation in

order to attend.

• Inspire action and start the night off by playing campaign videos throughout the house to get people to talk about.

• Play a game: asking people to guess different members of congress who

support marijuana law reform.

• Make sure everyone at the party knows that they were invited because you believe they are the people who can make a difference in this campaign.

• Include a link to your personal fundraising page in your invite so your guests can donate before the event.

• Mix and Mingle: o Invite everyone to socialize, but let the group know that you’d like

the whole group to circle up at a certain time.

• Order the NORML Women’s Alliance fundraising packet.

• Introduce yourself and talk about your support for legalization.

• Set a time for everyone to eat (sit down or buffet).

Wrapping Up MAKE THE ASK (10 MIN) Ask your guests to volunteer with their friends and neighbors. Remind your

guests that we’re just getting started. We need every single person to step up

and advocate for the legalization of marijuana, because the strength of this

movement lies in the connections and networks we have in our communities.

Committing to volunteer tonight is an important first step.

Ask them to host their own house parties. Consider passing around a donation

bucket (see donation guidelines included in this packet).

It will take supporters across the country, with a shared purpose and vision, to

make the NORML Women’s Alliance as successful as possible.

This movement is built on empowering others to be leaders in their

community, and with you and your guests, we’ll make a lasting and far-

reaching difference.

CLOSE (5 MIN)

Thank your attendees and remind them that you’re looking forward to seeing

them at your next event. Let them know you’ll be following up with them soon.

**REMINDER: SNAP A PICTURE

Having a camera at your event will make it easier to share the story of how it

went. Try to take a picture of your group and some additional photos of

attendees working and interacting with one another.

AFTER the EVENT The day after your event is just as important as the time leading up to it. Your

role as host is not complete until you enter data from your event and let us

know how it went. It is only through your feedback that we’ll learn how to

make events even better in the future.

SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK

How did your event go? What worked best? Did your guests make the

commitments you were looking for? Did the program go smoothly? Share your

feedback with us. Providing feedback is one of your most important roles as a

host. Your feedback will make future events better and help us continue to

grow and improve. You should also offer to send the ideas generated from your

brainstorm out to your volunteers via email or at the next team meeting.

THANK YOUR GUESTS

Send individual thank-you cards or emails to your guests. Follow up with those

who committed to get involved, and spread the word about the next NORML

Women’s Alliance event in your community. Ask your guests to call those who

were not able to attend to let them know what they missed and how they can

get involved in the future.

Tips for recruiting for your event: Getting the word out in your community and following these simple best

practices will help make sure your event is as successful as possible.

MAKE IT PERSONAL Your friends and neighbors will be more likely to attend because you are the

organizer. Share your story when talking to potential guests. You can recruit

your friends online via social networks, email and other web tools, but there is

no substitute for person-to-person contact. Taking time to interact on a personal

level and share why you’re interested is the best way to get people excited

about attending your event.

THINK BIG Although you may want only 15-20 people to attend your event, you will need

to recruit about 50 to ensure you meet your goal. Don’t be afraid to invite more

people than you think you need, since some folks may have something come

up at the last minute.

BRING FRIENDS Encourage your friends to bring along some of their own. This will not only

help you meet your attendance goal for your event, it will also give you a new

network of neighbors to reach out to the next time you host.

THERE ARE NEVER TOO MANY REMINDERS As you know, people are busy. Don’t be afraid to remind them via email, text,

and calls a couple days before the event, the night before the event, and the day

of the event. Registering your event and asking attendees to RSVP will ensure

that each guest receives a reminder the day of your event.

Confirming your guests: Confirming your RSVPs is the way to ensure that you hit your attendance

goals and that as many people participate as possible. If you’re feeling a little

intimidated, don’t worry—we’ve put together some guidance to help you get

started.

PICK UP THE PHONE

Phone calls are the best way to confirm your guests. Keep calling until you get

your guest to pick up—leave a message if you have to, but tell them in your

message when you’ll call back.

DON’T BE NERVOUS

The folks you’re calling have already RSVP’d for your party, so you don’t

need to worry that they won’t welcome your call. They shared their phone

number with you to make it easy to get in touch with them. When you’re

picking up the phone, you’re talking to a friend, so don’t be nervous.

SHARE DETAILS

When you call your guests, tell them details like the materials you are

preparing, if you want them to bring anything, and any special directions or

instructions. Knowing what to expect will help your guests feel more

comfortable.

FIND TIME FOR QUESTIONS

Make sure you give your guests the space to ask questions when you are

calling to confirm their RSVP. It will give them the chance to get important

information and give you an idea of what to expect.

Organizer Checklist BEFORE THE EVENT [ ] Find a location [ ] Register your event at: [ ] Set a goal for house party guests [ ] Invite your guests [ ] Confirm your guests [ ] Buy a party pack (optional) [ ] Practice with technology [ ] Create an event page on facebook DURING THE EVENT [ ] Set up your technology [ ] Serve refreshments (optional) [ ] Set up your location [ ] Confirm one last time with your guests [ ] Pass out your agendas AFTER THE EVENT [ ] Do your data entry [ ] Share your feedback [ ] Send your thank you cards [ ] Confirm your next house party

HOUSE MEETING AGENDA 1. Welcome 2. Introduction: Share Your Story 3. NORML Women’s Alliance Accomplishments for the Reform Movement 4. Main Program 5. Debrief 6. Next Steps 7. Commit to the NORML Women’s Alliance