Home » Help
Have questions on how to use DFA's awesome online tools? Looking for a guide to help you plan an upcoming event? This is the place for you. Check out the links below for help on doing everything from sending a message using the DFA Community Tools to some things to keep in mind when planning a phone bank.
Still have questions? Feel free to give us a shout via phone or e-mail at any time.
Adam, Kate and Michael
DFA Field Team
field@democracyforamerica.com
(802) 651-3200 ext. 127
ONLINE
Creating a new DFA Community Profile
Logging into your DFA Community Profile
Personalizing your DFA Community Profile
Finding DFA Members near you
Sending a message to friends and DFA Members
Creating a new DFA Group
Finding and joining DFA Groups
Inviting friends to join your DFA Group
Creating a new event
Finding and RSVPing for an event
Inviting friends to join you at an event
Inviting DFA Members in your area to join you at an event
Applying for an endorsement
Finding and supporting candidates
OFFLINE
Organizing a canvass
Organizing a constituent meeting
Organizing a house party
Organizing a phone bank
DFA MATERIALS (Ready-to-Print PDFs)
DFA contribution form
DFA issue guides
DFA postcard
Sample press release
Sign-in sheet
ONLINE
Creating a new DFA Community Profile
* Fill out all the required information in the "Create New Account" box – e-mail address, first name, last name, zip code and password.
* When complete, click "Signup."
* Your new DFA Community Profile is up and running, but before you can create an event or join a group, you must first confirm your account. A confirmation e-mail should be delivered to the e-mail address you used to create your account in a few minutes. Click the link in that e-mail to confirm your account.
* Congratulations! You have successfully created a new DFA Community Profile.
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Logging into your DFA Community Profile
* Enter your e-mail address and password into the "Login" box.
* When complete, click "Login."
* Congratulations! You have successfully logged into your DFA Community Profile.
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Personalizing your DFA Community Profile
* Once logged in, click on "Dashboard" in the top right corner of the page.
* Click on "Edit your account information" in the "Information" box.
* Click on "User image" under "Edit Account Menu" to upload a profile picture.
* Or, click on "Personal" under "Edit Account Menu" to tell us a few fun facts about yourself.
* Congratulations! You have successfully personalized your DFA Community Profile.
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Finding DFA Members near you
* Go to the "Community" tab in the toolbar along the top of the page.
* Click on "Find Members."
* From here, you can search for DFA Members in your area and around the country by zip code, state, name and more.
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Sending a message to friends and DFA Members
Follow these same steps to send a personal message, invite friends and DFA Members to events, or invite friends and DFA Members to join your DFA Group.
* Once logged in, click on "Inbox" in the top right corner of the page.
* Click on "Compose Message" on the left of the page.
* Choose the type of message you want to send – personal message, event invitation, and more.
* Add friends you have on the DFA Community as recipients by clicking on the "Friends" button and marking the checkboxes next to their names.
* Add groups you organize in the DFA Community as recipients by clicking on the "Groups" button and marking the checkboxes next to their names.
* Import contacts directly from your Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail accounts by clicking on "Other Contacts" and "Important addresses from Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo."
* Add a list of e-mail addresses you have saved to your computer by click on "Other Contacts" and "Bulk Add emails" and pasting the e-mail addresses into the pop-up window and clicking "Add emails as recipients."
* Write your message.
* Click "Test / Preview Message" at the bottom of the page to send a copy of your message to your e-mail account.
* Click "Send Message" to send your message to your recipients.
* Congratulations! You have successfully sent a message.
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Creating a new DFA Group
* Go to the "Community" tab in the toolbar along the top of the page.
* Click on "Find / Create Groups."
* Click on "+ New Group" on the right.
* Fill out all the required information – group name, description, location and more.
* When complete, click on "Create Group."
* Congratulations! You have successfully created a new DFA Group.
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Finding and joining DFA Groups
* Go to the "Community" tab in the toolbar along the top of the page.
* Click on "Find / Create Members."
* From here, you can search for DFA Members in your area and around the country by zip code, state, name and more.
* Click on the name of the group you want to learn more about.
* Click on "Join Group" in the "Membership" box to join.
* Congratulations! You have successfully joined a DFA Group online.
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Creating a new event
* Go to the "Community" tab in the toolbar along the top of the page.
* Click on "Find / Create Events."
* Click on "+ New Event" on the right.
* Choose the type of event you want to create.
* Fill out all the required information – event name, agenda, venue and more.
* When complete, click on "Create."
* Congratulations! You have successfully created a new DFA Event.
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Finding and RSVPing for an event
* Go to the "Community" tab in the toolbar along the top of the page.
* Click on "Find / Create Events."
* From here, you can search for DFA Events in your area and around the country by zip code, state, event type and more.
* Click on the name of the event you want to learn more about.
* Click on "Submit RSVP" in the "RSVP to Event" box to join.
* Congratulations! You have successfully RSVPed to a DFA Group online.
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Inviting DFA Members in your area to join you at an event
To send an e-mail to ALL DFA Members in your area:
* Send your invitation to field@democracyforamerica.com along with the area you'd like to target.
* We'll send your message out to everyone in your area. Your message will appear in DFA Members' inboxes with you name, as if you'd sent it out yourself.
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Applying for an endorsement
* Go to the "Community" tab in the toolbar along the top of the page.
* Click on "Find Candidates."
* Click on "+ New Campaign" on the right.
* Fill out all the required information – candidate name, campaign name, and more.
* When complete, click on "Publish Live" to submit your campaign for endorsement.
* Congratulations! You've successfully applied for an endorsement.
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Finding and supporting candidates
* Go to the "Community" tab in the toolbar along the top of the page.
* Click on "Find Candidates."
* From here, you can search for candidates for endorsement in your area and around the country by zip code, state, event type and more.
* Click on the name of the event you want to learn more about.
* Click on "Join campaign" in the "Voice your Support" box to add your name to the candidate's list of supporters.
* Or, if you're a group organizer, click on "Voice support on behalf of a group you organize" to add your group to the candidate's list of supporters.
* Congratulations! You have successfully added your support to a candidate's campaign for office. The amount of support shown online helps determine who will win a national endorsement.
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OFFLINE
Organizing a canvass
Canvassing – walking a neighborhood, knocking on doors and talking with neighbors – is both easy and fun. It is also by far the best way to win votes in an election and educate people on an issue. Canvassing has a high impact on people because it allows for two-way communications between the campaign and community members. Our easy-to-follow canvassing guide shows you how to organize a successful canvass using our Stand with Dr. Dean campaign as an example issue to organize around.
Download and print out or canvassing guide
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Organizing a constituent meeting
Organizing a constituent meeting is easy and it's a great way to get more people involved with the Stand with Democracy for America. Constituent meetings have a high impact on elected officials because it allows face-to-face, two-way communication with the community members they're elected to serve. Our easy-to-follow constituent meeting guide shows you how to organize a successful meeting using our Stand with Dr. Dean campaign as an example issue to organize around.
Download and print out our constituent meeting guide
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Organizing a house party
Hosting a house party is easy and it's a great way to get more people involved with your local DFA Group or Action Team. House parties have a high impact on attendees because it allows for face-to-face, two-way communication between the campaign and community members in a casual setting. Our easy-to-follow house party guide shows you how to organize a successful party using our Stand with Dr. Dean campaign as an example issue to organize around.
Download and print out our house party guide
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Organizing a phone bank
Phone banking -- calling community members to discuss candidates and issues -- is easy and it's one of the best ways to contact people about elections and politics. Phone banking has a high impact because it allows for two-way communications between the campaign and community members. Our easy-to-follow phone banking guide shows you how to organize a successful phone bank using our Stand with Dr. Dean campaign as an example issue to organize around.
Download and print out our phone bank guide
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DFA MATERIALS
DFA contribution form
Use this contribution form to ask for donations at events and meetings. Print it out and bring envelopes in which checks can be sealed along with the forms and then drop them in the mail, it's just that easy.
Download and print out our contribution form
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DFA issue guides
Print out this quick issue guide to pass out at events and give attendees unfamiliar with DFA an overview of what we stand for. This one-page guide outlines our positions on Achieving Universal Healthcare, Solving the Climate Crisis, Reforming the Democratic Party, and Ending the War in Iraq.
Download and print out our issue guide
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DFA postcard
Democracy for America's all-purpose postcard. Print it out and use it to mail invitations to an event. Use it to write your local elected officials and congresspersons on important issues like healthcare. Use it to write "Thank you" notes to event attendees, members who have recently joined your local DFA Group, and more!
Download and print out our all-purpose postcard
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Sample press release
Alert media outlets in your area of major events you and your DFA Group are planning. Print out this sample press release and use it as a template for your own event. Then, send your own release off to local newspapers, radio and television stations in your area.
Download and print out our sample press release
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Sign-in sheet
Your events and monthly meetings are a great way to build lists of progressive activists in your area for future actions. Print out this DFA Sign-In Sheet and have your event and meeting attendees sign in. Keeping good records will make hosting future events easier for you and other progressive activists in your area.
Download and print out our sign-in sheet
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Videos of some of the 64 House Healthcare Heroes standing strong for a public health insurance option
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver
Congressman Lloyd Dogget
Congressman Keith Ellison
Congressman Bob Filner
Congressman Phil Hare
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey
Congresswoman Maxine Waters