Fundraising Web-a-thon Phone Banking Script
Hi, is this ______? I’m ___________ and I’m calling because this is not the best of all possible worlds and we do not have to live this way! I got your name from _____________.
I’m calling about the campaign “The Revolution We Need...The Leadership We Have” and the national fundraising web-a-thon to raise $12,000 today.
After we talk I encourage you to tune in to the web-a-thon. (by going to revcom.us or putrevolutiononthemapwebcast.blogspot.com)
Today all over the country we are calling people who have connected with this campaign in various ways, to give people a very meaningful way to contribute to this campaign by donating money today, to get the revolution we need and the leadership we have, Bob Avakian’s leadership, out much more broadly in society in many different ways.
Are you familiar with Bob Avakian and his work?
If yes, find out what people think and go deeper into the content of the Message & Call and the various ways that we are connecting Avakian’s leadership up very broadly.
If no, start with what is in the Message & Call.
[From short version: In Bob Avakian, the Chairman of our Party, we have the kind of rare and precious leader who does not come along very often. A leader who has given his heart, and all his knowledge, skills and abilities to serving the cause of revolution and the emancipation of humanity. Bob Avakian has developed the scientific theory and strategic orientation for how to actually make the kind of revolution we need, and he is leading our Party as an advanced force of this revolution. He is a great champion and a great resource for people here, and indeed people all over the world. The possibility for revolution, right here, and for the advance of the revolution everywhere, is greatly heightened because of Bob Avakian and the leadership he is providing.]
[It’s important to get into some of the substance with people, including how Avakian & his leadership is concentrated in e.g. the Revolution Talk, or the Memoir, how BAsics will able to connect this in a concentrated way with people so they can wield it themselves, and how prisoner’s are connecting with this through the Revolution newspaper, we should try to bring the conversation back to what it is that people are being asked to contribute to, what they are being brought into.]
There are major questions on the political landscape right now, around immigration, the environment, the continuing murder of people by the police and the position of Black people in society, the on-going wars…. Think about what a difference it would make for people to know that there is a movement for revolution being built right now, and that movement has a leader with a strategy.
Let me tell you what we are raising the $12,000 for today:
* Major web promotion of Bob Avakian’s historic talk, “Revolution: Why it’s Necessary, Why It’s Possible, What It’s All About”; as well as major outdoor screenings in New York City parks.
* Raise urgently needed money for the Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund so they can renew existing Revolution newspaper subscriptions to prisoners and fill hundreds of requests for subs on a waiting list.
* Initial promotion of the upcoming publication of BAsics – a back pocket size book of about 100 quotations from Bob Avakian.
These plans are only possible with your support and participation.
Will you give $__________________ to make this possible? [put in an specific amount that aims high based on who you are talking to]
[Premiums: there are 2 levels of premiums that we should ask people to consider
The first for a donation of $100 or more people will receive one book/DVD to be chosen from the following: Revolution Talk DVD, From Ike to Mao & Beyond: My Journey From Mainstream America to Revolution Communist, Away with All Gods: Unchaining the Mind and Radically Changing the World, Dialogue between Cornel West & Carl Dix DVD, DVD of Raymond Lotta Program on The Capitalist Oil Spill from Revolution Books (including Q&A).
The second level, for a donation of $250 you will receive a combination of three of the items listed of your choosing.]
[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?
You can donate by going on-line, by sending a check or money order in the mail, or by taking your contribution to a local Revolution Books if there is one in your area. (See below for info).] Also people can earmark their donations.
If you are making your donation on line, can you go on line right now?
If you are sending in your donation, will you send it early this week? We are aiming to have $12,000 in hand for these projects by the end of the week, and we’d like to know we can count on yours.
[If they say they can only send the contribution later, please note down when they plan to do this so you can follow up.]
If someone wants more information about donating to PRLF (Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund) ask the person if we can have PRLF follow up with them directly or they can call 773-960-6952, which is PRLF’s phone number.
Be sure to record any earmarks on the pledge form.
1) Fill out pledge form.
2) Ask if they will take the “Revolution on the Map” Challenge—call 5 friends and ask them to match their donation.
3) Briefly, find out a little about why they’re making the donation & whether they want to make a comment.
If they say no, tell them:
Okay, not everyone can give that much. Can I talk with you a bit about why this makes a big difference?”
Have you seen Bob Avakian’s clip “Why Do People Come Here From All Over the World?” from the Revolution Talk. If not, you can go watch it during the web-a-thon between 8-9pm ET, or right after we get off the phone, and then think about what a big difference it will make if this was contending in society.
Or
Here, while I’m on the phone with you check out this clip from the Revolution Talk, ‘Yes There is a Conspiracy to get the cops off’ or ‘Isn’t the problem human nature’. [Have a list of RevTalk short clips available as well as the tracks for the full talk. You can pick a clip relevant to the conversation you have been having.]
One important way to go at this, when you’re having a lot of back and forth with someone:
Well see, this conversation we’re having here, this is the kind of conversation that needs to be going on all over society and that’s what your contribution will help make possible—if this Revolution Talk is pushed out much more broadly in society, if Avakian and his voice are connected up with prisoners, people in the projects and barrios, students, intellectuals, all those who are looking for some real answers, looking for a way out. [You can go into an example here to bring this out, or use a quote that brings out e.g. what a prisoner has said about engaging Avakian, or a scenario where people have the BAsics and are able to pull it out and wield the content in struggles over whether this is the best of all possible world and does the world have to be this way.]
[After you’ve said a bit more about what the $12,000 is for, you can ask:]
How much do you think you can give?
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). 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.
***
On the Revolution Talk:
This is the most radical, and most libratory video you can find online. There really is nothing else like it in answering deeply the three questions in the title, three of the most important questions of our time. Having this online (in both English & Spanish) makes Avakian himself accessible to potentially millions of people that could not be reached otherwise.
But just having the talk available does not in and of itself drive people to watch it; there is a huge potential audience which must be reached, made aware of it, and drawn to it. There is a deep desire among millions for answers and analysis – to go “under the hood,” the hidden truth behind the workings of the system. The truth concentrated in this Revolution talk can cut through, can intrigue, illuminate and inspire.
We are raising funds to advertise the Revolution Talk on the highest rated news blogs like Huffington Post and for a concentrated push for 1 week of Google Adwords. We are also raising money for 3 Outdoor Film Screenings in NYC parks.
Information on BAsics -- a pocket sized book of about 100 Avakian quotations. BAsics will make BA, his work, and leadership much more widely known, and enable people to grasp, wield, and discuss his understanding and development of the strategy for making revolution, his path-breaking re-envisioning of socialism and communism, and his ability to speak to key questions with depth, nuance, insight, heart, and humor. Think of this: You can't change the world if you don't know the BAsics.
On PRLF:
Money raised during during the Sunday web-a-thon if it's earmarked "PRLF", will help pay for complementary subscriptions to Revolution for prisoners across the country. The PRLF portion of the Revolution web-a-thon will feature powerful readings of letters by actors and spoken word artists of letters from prisoners, some of which you can see now on PRLF's YouTube Channel, www.youtube.com/prlfvideos.
Everyone who donates to PRLF this day will receive a booklet of letters from prisoners.
PRLF's goal is to raise $3,500, funds that are urgently needed to renew existing Revolution Newspaper subscriptions to prisoners and fill hundreds of requests for subscriptions on a waiting list.
PRLF has a beautiful new website, www.prlf.org, (http://www.prlf.net/).
Reference Information:
HOW TO DONATE:
On line: 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 347-638-4486 on Sunday, August 8 after noon EDT. Or if someone prefers calling RCP Publications direct, they can call 773-227-4066.
By Mail: Make checks or money orders payable to RCP Publications, Box 3486 Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 60654 or go to bookstore if applicable.
At Revolution Books Stores: Revolution Books stores in different cities are participating in the web-a-thon and are collecting donations. Their addresses will be on the web-a-thon blog. Donations given at Revolution Books should be clearly marked as for the web-a-thon.
Pledges will be counted if the person making the pledge lets us know that it will be coming in within the week or by a specific date. Please check the new pledge form for how to record pledges correctly so that they can be included in the fund drive total. We will keep a separate count of pledges and announce this. Call RCP Publications at 773-227-4066 or email rcppubs@hotmail.com when someone makes a pledge according to the new pledge form.
If you’re part of a team, then the captain of the team should keep RCP Pubs updated on pledges. They should email or call RCP Pubs (773-227-4066) with these pledges as they are made. Pubs will want to know the first name of the person making the pledge, the amount and the city.
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, 347-638-4486 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 August 8
4-5 EST / 1-2 PST Introduction; We Are Building a Movement for Revolution – will include reading of the Message & Call for the Campaign & clips from the Revolution Talk
5-6 EST / 2-3 PST Make Bob Avakian a Household Name: Hear the Revolution Talk & More on BAsics - – will include the video, “Next Stop..Revolution” and clips from the Revolution Talk
6-7 EST / 3-4 PST A Capitalist Oil Spill: A System Not Fit to Be Caretaker of the Planet, And the Revolution We Need! featuring Raymond Lotta
7-8 EST / 4-5 PST Prisoners Connect with the Revolution - Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund programming
8-9 EST / 5-6 PST Arizona Freedom Summer featuring Travis Morales in the studio & the full section from the Revolution Talk on “Why Do People Come here from all over the world?” by Bob Avakian (English & Spanish)
9-10 EST / 6-7 PST The Revolution We Need; The Leadership We Have – will include short video on the conversation with Cornel West & Carl Dix on “After Obama – the continued need for resistance and liberation.”
