# Biweekly Upcoming Events Email

**Cadence:** Every other Sunday evening, sent for the next two weeks. Predictable rhythm matters more than perfect copy.

**From name:** A real human (the membership lead or rotating organizer).

**Subject line options (pick one, lower-case):**
- "this week and next at [org name]"
- "three things to come to in the next 14 days"
- "[first name], here's what's happening"

---

## The structure (use every time — your base learns the rhythm)

### Top of the email — one sentence of context

One sentence about why this week matters. Tie it to the campaign or to the moment. Not a paragraph. One sentence.

*Example: "The state legislature comes back into session on Tuesday, which means our paid leave bill gets its first committee hearing — and we'll be there."*

---

### The three asks, in order

Always three, in this order. Reply > RSVP > Recruit.

**1. The high-bar ask — a house meeting or a 1:1**
- *What:* House meeting at [host name]'s home in [neighborhood]
- *When:* [day, date, time]
- *Where:* [neighborhood + cross-streets; full address by reply]
- *Who it's for:* Anyone — bring one friend
- *Why come:* [one sentence — "We'll hear from three members about their paid leave stories and decide what to do at the committee hearing"]
- *RSVP:* [Action Network link]

**2. The base meeting (or skill-up)**
- *What:* Monthly base meeting *or* skill-up ([Phone banking 101 / Storytelling for organizers / Know your rights])
- *When:* [day, date, time]
- *Where:* [physical location + Zoom link]
- *Childcare:* [yes / by request — name the person to email]
- *Food:* [yes — pot luck / provided]
- *RSVP:* [Action Network link]

**3. The low-bar / one-action ask**
- *What:* [Phone bank / text bank / postcards / rally / public comment / hearing]
- *When:* [day, date, time]
- *Where:* [physical or virtual]
- *How long:* [Just two hours / drop in for any amount / 15 minutes from your phone]
- *RSVP:* [Action Network link]

---

### Spotlight (every other issue — alternate with a story)

One short paragraph (3–4 sentences) on a member or a leader doing the work.

*Example: "Last weekend, Cynthia hosted her first house meeting in East Point. Nine neighbors came. Three of them signed up to host their own. Cynthia's been a member for eleven months — and last month she said yes to her first leadership cohort. We're proud of her."*

(With Cynthia's consent. Always with consent.)

---

### One closing line

A real sign-off from a real person.

*"See you Thursday — text me if anything gets in the way. — Jamal"*

---

## Format example (paste-able skeleton)

> **Subject:** this week and next at [org name]
>
> Hi [first name] —
>
> [One sentence of context — why this week matters.]
>
> Three things in the next 14 days:
>
> **1. House meeting at [Host]'s — [day, date, time]**
> [One sentence about what we'll do.]
> [RSVP link]
>
> **2. [Base meeting / skill-up] — [day, date, time]**
> [Location + Zoom + childcare note.]
> [RSVP link]
>
> **3. [Low-bar action] — [day, date, time]**
> [One sentence — how long, what to expect.]
> [RSVP link]
>
> **Member spotlight: [Member first name]**
> [3–4 sentences. Consent-checked.]
>
> See you [day] —
> [Your first name]

---

## What NOT to do

- **Don't list more than three events.** A long list is a closed door — it tells members the org is busy without them. Three asks, ranked. Trust the rhythm.
- **Don't lead with a foundation deadline or an internal staffing note.** Lead with what matters to the members.
- **Don't write paragraphs.** This is a glance email. Members read it on their phones between shifts.
- **Don't send from `info@` or `noreply@`.** Send from a real human's name. People reply to humans.
- **Don't recycle the same spotlight member quarter after quarter.** Rotate. Many leaders, not a few stars.

---

## What to track

- **Reply rate.** Reply > RSVP. A "yes, I'll be there" by text is more reliable than an Action Network RSVP.
- **House meeting attendance over base meeting attendance.** When your house meeting numbers exceed your base meeting numbers, you have an organizing org, not a mobilizing one.
- **New hosts per month.** Every email should produce at least one new house meeting host within two weeks. If it doesn't for two months, the email isn't asking clearly enough.

---

## Why this is structured this way

- **The three-ask, ranked format** is what Marshall Ganz calls a "ladder of engagement" — the email itself does the work of moving someone from one rung to the next.
- **House meeting is the top ask** because Module 3 of the course teaches it as the central organizing form. The email reinforces what the course teaches.
- **The spotlight is a member, not a staff person.** Snowflake leadership means many faces, not the executive director's face every week.
- **The rhythm is biweekly, not weekly.** Weekly emails train members to delete you. Biweekly trains them to expect you. Helen Butler and the People's Agenda have been organizing on a calendar like this for over twenty years.
- **No more than three events** because abundance in an email is scarcity in attention. Choose for your members.
- **A real human's name and reply-able email** because the relationship is the org, not the brand.

— Module 4, *Base Building From Scratch*