Stefanie's Blog

Mea Culpa

Stefanie — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 12:23:28 EST

Okay..........I dropped off the face of the Earth. For that, I am truly sorry.

Those of you who joined us at the last couple DYT moments may remember that I was accepted to a graduate program in theatre last spring.

It is eating me alive. It is the single most rewarding....and challenging and difficult......thing I have done in my life, but it - tied with a job and a half - has dragged me into a place where I simply could not keep up the DYT events. I haven't even logged on since April, if that tells you anything.

Anyway, I am sorry that this ball is one that dropped. I am hoping to pick it back up soon, but I will probably not be able to commit to anything on a monthly basis at this point.

Sometime life happens, I guess.

I hope, however, that this finds you all well and geared up for January 3! That line about looking forward to Hillary advising him from yesterday's debate was priceless, no?

April 12 Event at Champps

Stefanie — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 14:56:11 EDT

Just a reminder that the RSVP deadline for the April 12 Double Your Tip event at Champps Downtown is mere days away! This is a great chance to meet other supporters and learn more about what you can do in a laid-back, no pressure environment! Come join us!

Double Your Tip is Growing! Come join us! - UPDATE!

Stefanie — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 08:58:29 EST

The March Double Your Tip - Indianapolis event seems to have been a great success! Personally, I really enjoyed meeting everyone, trying out a new restaurant (mmmmm......coconut shrimp!), and supporting the Obama campaign all at once! I will update this once I have a final dollar count, but we did very well last night! UPDATE: WE RAISED OVER $1400 LAST WEEK! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That being said, it's time for the April Indianapolis event!

Join us for the Double Your Tip – Indianapolis April Event on Thursday, April 12 at 6:15 pm at Champps Americana - Downtown (49 W. Maryland…in Circle Center Mall)!

The focus of the April event will be "What can I do?" Come join us to explore existing campaign opportunities and possible even come up with a few of your own! Senator Obama has repeatedly said that this campaign has to be about US, so come to check out how you can leave your imprint!

Champps is an all-American casual dining restaurant that was founded on the idea of a really great burger, but the menu includes a wide variety of fabulous items for every palate! See www.champps.com for the menu and driving directions.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 4 at 5 pm. We have a 75-guest maximum, so get your reservation in today! Out of fairness to the restaurant (which is staffing the night based on our event) and potential diners (who get blocked out if the max is reached), please only RSVP if you plan to attend. Of course, we welcome your donation with or without a reservation. :)

I look forward to meeting each of you that evening as we work together to elect Senator Obama as the next President…….20% at a time.

Not near Indianapolis? Do a quick search to see if there is another chapter near you or check out the group Double Your Tip for Obama to see how to start your own! This is truly an easy fundraiser to put together!

March Event Feedback

Stefanie — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 11:16:14 EST

Please post your comments on the March 8, 2007 Double Your Tip - Indianapolis event at Bahama Breeze here. Feedback is important as we grow and learn, so I look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions!

Double Your Tip- Indianapolis Update!

Stefanie — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 07:53:41 EST

Due to some changes in reservations, we have a FEW spaces available for Thursday night's event! Save your spot today for the Double Your Tip - Indianapolis event today!

Lessons From DYT #1

Stefanie — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 11:38:15 EST

With just days left until the 1st DYT - Indy event, there are a few things I have learned:

* I haven't discovered a way to e-mail individual attendees. I need to ask - in the event listing - for guests to include their e-mail addy in their reservation.

* Be prepared for anything, number-wise. I was not quite ready for the response (76 diners) we got. My initial reservation was for 20. lol

* There are some GREAT online sites for coloring book pages! Those and some dollar store crayons will be found in my "kiddy packs" on Thursday.

* Cafe Press can be your best friend if you are looking for less expensive favors (though not needed).

* To allow guests many ways to donate and still have an idea of what you are raising, make simple anonymous donation pledge cards available and ask your guests to leave them in a gift bag.

* Print off voter registration forms for each guest. Ask them to pass it on if they are already registered.

* Do not assume a slow start just because your state is usually redder than a stop sign. I am AMAZED!

I am REALLY excited to meet everyone on Thursday!

One Week.......

Stefanie — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:57:17 EST

.....and counting! We broke past 50 attendees for next week's Double Your Tip at Bahama Breeze! I so very excited!

Do You See Both of Me?

Stefanie — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:00:30 EST

Yes.........I am THAT beside myself! At this moment there are 27 people signed up to attend the March 8 Double Your Tip fundraiser! I am so excited to meet everyone! This is going to be awesome, so if you haven't signed up yet...............sign up today!

And........I have the reservation set for April! Set aside April 12! The location will be announced at Bahama Breeze!

An Exciting Bit of News from Families for Obama!

Stefanie — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 21:33:40 EST

Received: 2007-02-19 15:52:37

Subject: Exciting news from Families for Obama From: Families for Obama

Hello Friends - We at the Families for Obama group (Link wanted to share some very exciting news! Families for Obama is going to be featured on a local network news channel. They will be following us on our "personal journey" through the campaign process as we plan and execute events. At present, we are physically headquartered in the DC area with new chapters forming in several states. Since media attention will certainly focus a spotlight on our group, we very much want to form Families for Obama chapters in every state to coordinate events and draw even more attention to our cause. If we have chapters operating in concert in many states, this is certainly something that can be mentioned in the news story. This in itself should help draw new members from across the country for our common goal. We want to extend an invitation to all of you to join Families for Obama, and would specifically like to ask if any of you would care to volunteer to be chapter leaders for your state or metro area. Our focus is on kid-friendly fundraisers that can involve entire families in the process, and we already have 3 events planned for the next several weeks. We have some really exciting things in store for spring and summer. We are uploading our event guides, graphics, and templates as we develop them in order to simplify the planning process for other chapter leaders, and you will be supported every step of the way in planning your area events. Please join us in our journey, and please let us know if you can volunteer to lead a chapter in your area! We would love to support some family-friendly Double Your Tip collaboration events within your group!

-- No time contribution too short, No monetary contribution too small. Link http://www.familiesforobama.org Link http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=FamiliesforObama

My Presidents's Day Thoughts

Stefanie — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:58:12 EST

There has been one question I have heard over and over since the start of Senator Obama’s candidacy – nay, even before – that has been bothering me. It usually sneaks out of a conversation about how he is a breath of fresh air and a reassurance that not all political leaders are primarily politicians and how much hope there is to find in what he says.

Then they ask it : “But can he get ELECTED?”

*sigh*

When did it become about that? When did voting your beliefs and convictions and hopes take the proverbial back seat to voting for the front-runner? When did it become about $500 a plate dinners and large checks from special interest groups? When did “the American dream” become about the lowest common denominator?

I say it still isn’t.

No. We as individuals.....we as a nation deserve better. We deserve a wise leader who speaks for us to the world instead of speaking TO us ABOUT the world. We deserve a man of integrity who walks his talk in the bright daylight, warts and all. We deserve an out-of-the-box thinker, untampered with by years of being hewn into political shape by the system. We deserve a President who has the ability to restore OUR faith in our own American dream as much as the faith of other nations.

We deserve Barack Obama.

I hear questions: “Is he ready?” “Can he raise enough money? “Can he get elected?”

I ask in return, “Are those REALLY your qualifications for the highest office in the land?”

On this Presidents’s Day, I challenge you to study everything you can about all of those currently running for the honor of being elected as our leader. Read a lot. Watch ALL of the news channels (my post-announcement coverage of choice was Fox News because I figured that if anyone was going to find a downside.....and they didn’t). Talk to smart people who disagree with you in order to test your views and learn from theirs.

And in 2008, don’t vote for the lowest common denominator…..

…..to quote The West Wing, “Because I'm tired of it: year after year after year after year having to choose between the lesser of who cares. Of trying to get myself excited about a candidate who can speak in complete sentences. Of setting the bar so low, I can hardly bear to look at it. They say a good man can't get elected President. I don't believe that. Do you?"

Create an Event Problem

Stefanie — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 10:36:14 EST

For anyone who has been getting a message saying that “Internet Explorer cannot open the web site” when attempting to set up an event:

Try Firefox. I had tried everything myself……..playing with my popup blocker, spyware blocker, antiviral, physhing blocker, and firewall………and was getting REALLY frustrated. I downloaded Firefox from Mozilla…….and it set up the event on the 1st try. It looks like it might be an Explorer issue.

Worth a shot.

1st Double Your Tip Event : The Winds of Change are Blowing!

Stefanie — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 17:03:52 EST

Yes, the winds of change ARE blowing…..and they have inspired the home of our first Double Your Tip Event!

Join us for the Double Your Tip – Indianapolis Kickoff Event on Thursday, March 8 at 6:15 pm at Bahama Breeze (3815 E. 96th Street)! Hmmmm……..for the night, maybe it should be Obama Breeze!

Bahama Breeze is a casual restaurant serving island-inspired dishes that include a little something for everyone. (And they take call-ahead seating! YEAH!) Check out www.bahamabreeeze.com for the menu. Also, using the locator function will even allow you enter a starting location in order to get driving directions!

Please RSVP by Monday, March 5.

I look forward to meeting each of you that evening as we work together to elect Senator Obama as the next President…….20% at a time.

Update on tech issue: It was an Explorer issue. I downloaded Firefox and it worked just fine! Sooooo..........the event is up and running! RSVP away!

An Invitation to an EASY and FUN Fundraiser!

Stefanie — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:28:20 EST

Double Your Tip is a fast an fabulous way to join the fundraising efforts for the next President! Double Your Tip offers members an opportunity to get together monthly in restaurants around town to enjoy great food, discuss the issues, and support Senator Obama by matching their tip to the server with an online donation to the campaign. This national group is full of hints, idea sharing, and support as you host this easy fundraiser around your home area!

Double Your Tip - Indianapolis is a local group serving up fun in the Circle City - and home of the World Champion Colts! Plans are in the works for our March event as our group grows! Come join us!

Look for other locals near you......or use the national group to start your own!

Dealing with the Money

Stefanie — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:02:50 EST

OK......I will admit it: I am a high school teacher and I know nothing about campaign finance.

The good thing is that this site will do it all for you!

Hit the "My Fundraising" button and follow the simple steps to set up a donation site for your local! Use your local logo. Set your URL nickname as DYTCity (ie, Indianapolis is DYTIndy). Set your goal. Then plan away for your 1st event!

This is important since campaign finance is REALLY a job best left to those with more of a clue than I have. By allowing your group to donate online, it allows you to keep up with the donation amounts while keeping you hands clean and your track record free of pesky things like arrests for election fraud. :)

Simply make sure that your diners have the URL for the local's fundraising site and you are good to go! A business card or handout of some sort will work great! Make sure to set a time frame for the donations (no longer than 1 week after the event). This will make it more certain that the money actually comes in and allows you to post your proceeds here! PLEASE do that! Seeing the successes of others will help all of us stay motivated!

Let's Get Started!

Stefanie — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 12:17:35 EST

Okay, Indy. I have the national group started (though it has no members yet........lol), so it is time for us to set the bar!

I am planning to set the 1st date once we have 10 members, but I want to get some input on some of the basics. Feel free to respond to the blog or message me.

1) I am planning to rotate the events around the city in our opening phase. Of course if 90% are on one side, that is kinda crazy. Soooo.....what side of town would be easiest for you? I, personally, am a southsider. I was thinking the 1st event could be downtown-ish for ease all-around, but knowing where you folks are coming from will help.

2) Feel free to ante up restaurant requests! Live near somewhere FABULOUS a southsider might not know? Let me know! Keep in mind that most of our locations need to be mainstream, something for everyone, not crazy expensive type places.

3) Are there any nights of the week that are almost always off limits? For the sake of not having ridiculous waits, we are aiming at weeknights unless the destination takes weekend reservations. Obviously, we may not be able to plan around everyone all the time, but this will give me an idea to get going!

I am looking forward to our first meeting!

Event Guidelines

Stefanie — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:31:17 EST

Event Guidelines

Keep the location moving! Variety is our friend!
Keep the destination centrally located or rotate it around your area.
PLEASE contact the restaurant throughout the planning.
Most events should be family friendly. An occasional adult evening, dinner theatre opportunity, or singles outing is not a bad idea (be creative!), but the general focus should be on low key and accessible to most. Those special ideas might be great SECOND events for the month.
Plan. Plan. When you get done…………..plan some more. You should be relaxed on the evening of and the event should go smoothly.
My suggestion is that you not let this get crazy big. Once you hit 20 diners, split into two groups. Find a regular who would be good at hosting the second group. Once one or both of those new groups of 10 hit 20, split again. Again, you certainly could still do whole group outings, but you are starting to get into rented room territory with those numbers. This is meant to be pretty near free to host and easy to manage.

How to Host an Event

Stefanie — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:30:20 EST

How to Host an Event

Consider a few restaurants. Choose one that is centrally located for your group. Also, while you may love Ed’s Haven of Overly Fried and Saucy Specialty Foods, choose a place that will allow many mainstream food options. Also, work only with restaurants that will work with you.
Contact the restaurant. As the host, it is your job to make sure that your guests are seated rapidly, eat quality food, and are waited on by staff that was prepared for your arrival and therefore do not want to lace your crème brulee with arsenic. Explain who you are and what you are doing. Ask the manager what night of the week is best for them. Based on your membership, this may or may not be a huge issue. Do they offer reservations? How far out can those be made? If not, is call-ahead seating an option? If they offer no options, find another restaurant. Start the ball rolling at least a month out.
Take “the road less traveled.” Weeknights at around 6:30 work best. Weekends are typically crowded, and many restaurants do not offer call-ahead or reservations on Fridays and Saturdays.
Set up your event on my.barackobama. Don’t just set the event and leave it. Post about it on your blog. Invite people from your everyday life. The more the merrier! Set an RSVP by date at least 2 days in advance.
One week out: Send out reminder e-mails, posts, or phone calls. Call the restaurant to confirm your night with an approximate number. Do this even if they don’t take reservations. It is not fair to the wait staff just to show up with an unannounced party of 20.
The week before: Buy nametags. Yes, I hate them, too, but they are key to getting things going! Copy handouts, if desired. Get film for your camera for pictures. Make up cards or handouts with directions as to how to donate directly to this site. This keeps your hands out of the campaign finance issue (something I had not pondered prior to heartofohio's blog.....thanks, neighbor!) See the blog about "Dealing with the Money" for more info.
The day before: Call the restaurant to finalize your number and time. Again, do this even if they don’t take reservations. Let them know you will be calling in. Prepack a bag or box of your notes for the welcome, nametags and pens, handouts, etc.
The day of: You should be pretty much ready to go! If you are making day of reservations or calling ahead, do so. Grab your prepacked bag and plan to arrive at the restaurant 30 minutes ahead of the group time. You should be the first one there. Introduce yourself individually to everyone as they arrive. Reintroduce yourself, welcome everyone, and walk through the nature of the night quickly after drinks are delivered. Enjoy!
The day after: Set up a feedback blog on your group to get suggestions for next time! Start planning the next month! Post on here how much you raised as soon as it seems like the donations have all come in! That will help motivate others!

Setting Up a Local Group for Your Area

Stefanie — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:29:22 EST

Setting Up a Local for Your Area

Search first; create later. There is no need for 5 Double Your Tips in your city if the total membership is 3. Search under “Double Your Tip.” If there is one in your area join it; if there is not, then create one!
For clarity’s sake, name your local group “Double Your Tip – Nameofcity”. That should have them all showing up in the same area.
Type away! Set your group category as a “local.”
Suggestions: This is entirely up to you, but I suggest that you set your preferences to moderated and that the listserve replies go just to you. That keeps people from getting CRAZY numbers of e-mails.

Double Your Tip

Stefanie — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 23:01:47 EST

I was thinking in the shower this morning (yes.....I have some serious brainstorms there!) that I wanted to come up with an easy way to help in the campaign. Then it hit me: Double Your Tip.

A Double Your Tip dinner is a great way to get together, have a load of fun, and benefit the campaign, as well. You simply go out to dinner with the group, have a blast, and at the end of the night.....tip your server and match that amount with a donation to the campaign.

So.......I just started 2 groups. Search for Double Your Tip. The 1st is a national group set up to explain how to host a DYT dinner in your town that will be fabulously fun without driving you, your guests, or the restaurant nuts. The 2nd is for you Indy-dwellers. We will be having our 1st Indianapolis Double Your Tip for Obama Dinner as soon as we have a reasonable number of members. Both groups are pretty blank right now, but I promise they will be MUCH more detailed as the week continues.

I am really pretty excited about this opportunity. I have attended such dinners before, and they are a blast!

Another 20% isn't a lot to an individual, but it can mean a lot to our country.