FAQ

First of all, know that you’re not alone. Whether you’re new to civic engagement or a longtime activist, you notice how much work it takes to digest the constant changes at every level of society and government. It’s a lot.

For that reason, it’s best to pause first before charging into further engagement. Instead, discern two things: what you want to do and how to take care of your own well-being.

What to do and why: If you try to take on every issue, you’ll get diffuse results. Focus your priorities and goals by taking some time with our Action Planner worksheet to get clear.

How to sustain your commitment: If you try to do it all for too long, those diffuse results can cause cynicism and eventually burnout. For that reason, it’s essential to discern what will nourish you deeply. Using our Activism Self-Care Plan will help you persevere.

Visit this page to sign up and join 41610 Americans engaged in advocating for democracy and constitutional freedoms. Welcome!

1. Check your spam folder or search for checklist@americansofconscience.com in your email.
2. Tell your email program you want our email in your inbox. Follow the steps for white-listing.
3. You can always find the most recent checklist on our website at https://americansofconscience.com/checklist/ .

When communicating with your senators and representative, here’s the preferred order for the best results:

1. In-Person Visit: Personal interactions can have a significant impact. Schedule a meeting or attend town halls to discuss your concerns directly.
2. Phone Call or Voicemail: Calls are often more effective than written communication. Make your voice heard by calling their local or D.C. offices.
3. Postcard to a Local Office: Send a postcard to their local office for faster processing. Letters to D.C. can take weeks due to screening requirements.
4. Email or Fax: While less effective than phone calls, emails are still an important way to communicate. Look up your elected official and complete the form on their website (used to screen out feedback from non-constituents).
5. Social Media Engagement: Tagging elected officials by name or commenting on their social media can raise visibility and may catch the attention of their staff, but they should be used as a supplement to other forms of communication.

By following this order, you can maximize your influence and ensure your voice is heard in the legislative process!

Yes.

We get this question a lot. You presume your like-minded MoC will do the right thing, so you don’t want to bother them, right? Yet every senator and House rep holds their office because donors got them there, not just your vote. Contacting them reminds who they really work for (you).

Contact your members of Congress with:

• Praise: Tell them you like the job they’re doing for you. These compliments often go on the top of the daily pile.
• Stories: Sharing your personal experiences (for example, trying to access reproductive care, or having difficulty buying a home) is what your elected official needs in order to illustrate the importance of a new law or legislation.
• Your views: Every time you call, your opinion is recorded by a staffer. When you’re among many who are advocating for or against an issue, those daily tallies can influence your elected officials’ priorities.
• Requests: Just because they agree with you, doesn’t mean they’re doing everything they can to further a cause. Congress has been gridlocked for years and is holding fewer subcommittee hearings. Insist that they use their influence to move the needle on issues of democracy and equality by introducing or co-sponsoring legislation or making public statements for or against specific issues.

Your tax dollar funds congress members’ salaries for life. Insist that they work for you, not their biggest donors.

It might seem repetitive, but it is important to call multiple times. On your second (or more) call, you can say something like, “I’ve called about this issue before. Could you give me an update on the progress [name] has made on this?”

Often we assume that registering our opinion is the only point of the call, but you can ask for more than that. Request that your MoCs make a public statement of opposition or support, to co-sign specific legislation, or to use their influence to speak to the committee in charge of an issue. Insist they work for your vote.

You can’t. Please don’t try. You are only the boss of your own MoCs. You elected them, and they represent you in Congress. MoCs outside your district work only for their own constituents. Calling other MoCs might unintentionally sabotage local activism efforts.

Two workarounds: If another MoC is doing something you detest, tag them and say so on social media. Express clearly what you oppose and what you want. Their own constituents may catch wind and carry your efforts forward.

The second exception is expressing gratitude. When an elected official does the right thing, the Americans of Conscience checklist includes an address to send them postcards of thanks.

You’re one of more than four million Americans with no voting voice in Congress. In addition to working for DC statehood, PR statehood, and voting representation, here are some ideas:

DC and PR residents can appeal directly to Congressional committee chairs on legislation (since they represent all Americans in that capacity).

Location location location. DC residents can also volunteer to hand-deliver letters to MoCs for their friends. DC’s residents can stage rallies and protests that MoCs will see and that other Americans can’t attend. Consider those as a viable alternative to calls if you’re able.

Muddy focus, muddy results. Americans of Conscience Checklist focuses on three issues:

• Thriving democracy – through voting rights and access.
• Thriving people – through social, racial, economic, and immigration justice.
• Thriving planet – through environmental justice.

We believe that no matter who the president is, these three issues are central to the integrity of our democracy, nation, and world. If you’re looking for groups that endorse progressive candidates, see 5 Calls and Small Deeds Done.

When elected officials speak up for democracy, go against their party’s group-think, and advocate for what’s right it’s praiseworthy—regardless of party.

Although conservative and progressive opinions differ on the speed of change, we’re all Americans. Polarization is not helping our country. One of the ways to heal our democracy is to find common ground—no matter how small—with people we’re normally quick to judge or dismiss.

Gratitude is good for the recipient and the giver. Is it easy? Not always. Is it worthwhile? We believe it is.

Jen Hofmann, the checklist’s creator and queen bee, is a professional writer, teacher of social media strategy, and research nerd who cares deeply about justice.

Our amazing team of volunteers…

• Scours the social media feeds of grassroots advocacy groups in search of recommended actions and good news.
• Finds articles with supportive background information from high-quality publications.
• Writes clear, no-drama scripts for you to use.
• Shares the checklist by email and on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.

We make it look easy, but it takes hundreds of hours to make it simple to use (and we’re rather proud of that!).

In Jen’s words:

“I was in the basement of my favorite local coffeehouse a few weeks after the 2016 election. Skeptical of the memes and pleas for donations that followed, the women there who’d gathered for solidarity wanted to know what was trustworthy online and how to speak up.

Since I teach social media strategy and enjoy research, I offered to compile my findings in a weekly email. It was such a relief to have something to DO.

This 30-member list of local women turned into 30,000 subscribers by the first Women’s March in January. A few months later, it had doubled. Each week, I focused on simple language, clear “asks”, and short scripts that were easy to read on a call. We still do.

In fall of 2017, 20 volunteers joined me to share the checklist on Facebook and Twitter. In early 2018, I recruited researchers to help scour and review the many sources we consult for actions each week. While I originally did all the work myself, the quality and scope of the Checklist has improved vastly. (Although I seem to be working harder than ever!)

Creating this checklist is a labor of love. I care deeply about our country and believe it can be better and kinder. Being able to contribute some clarity in these dark times toward that vision is an incredible honor.”

The best support is to use the Checklist and share it with like-minded allies. To financially support the time and technology expense behind its production, click here for options.

Bottom line: All support–whether emotional, practical, or financial–is appreciated more than you know. Thank you. We’re in this together.