Take Action: For Local Groups - Open to All

Take Action: For Local Groups

Thank you for your support of Open to All® and your interest in engaging your local community in our national public education campaign. This Take Action resource is designed for groups who want to take collective action in their communities—from a city’s Civil Rights Commission, local Pride chapter, volunteer groups, or a local chamber of commerce, Open to All appreciates your efforts to engage local businesses. Your relationships in your community are invaluable.

In this toolkit, you’ll find resources and ideas for talking to your local community about what it means to be Open to All, including information for reaching out to elected officials, providing information to your favorite local businesses, or resources for spreading the word about Open to All among consumers.

Questions? Check out our FAQ document or email info@opentoall.com.  

CONNECT WITH BUSINESSES  


WORK IN COALITION  


ENGAGE ELECTED OFFICIALS  


FAQS  


CONNECT WITH BUSINESSES

Across the country, Open to All is reaching out to businesses in communities large and small and we need your help.

  1. EMAIL. Reach out to businesses in your community on behalf of your group or organization and ask them to sign the pledge to join the hundreds of thousands of businesses who are part of the Open to All coalition. Make a goal of the number of businesses you would like to sign up and work in coalition to reach that goal.
    1. Click here for a sample invitation to businesses.
    2. Click here for an Open to All Flyer.

  2. SOCIAL MEDIA. Post on social media using the hashtag #OpentoAll and tag your favorite local business. Ask them to join and link to the pledge at www.opentoall.com/business-pledge.
    1. Click here for a digital toolkit.

  3. IN-PERSON. Visit businesses directly and ask them to sign the pledge. When they sign online and make a donation of $10 to help offset the cost of printing and mailing, they will receive a window cling in the mail as well as a digital toolkit that includes a digital cling they can display on their website and social media channels!  
    1. Click here for a tips and ideas for reaching out to businesses directly.

  4. EVENTS. If your group is hosting a table at local events including small business pop-ups, craft fairs, your local Pride event, or holiday festivals, include information about Open to All! During this challenging time, you may also want to consider virtual events and roundtables. As part of the event, ask the local businesses in attendance to join Open to All. Open to All has resources for making signing up easy.
    1. Download and print an Open to All Flyer that makes signing up easy in person. Have a business fill out the form and give it back to you. When you get home, enter their information online and they’re signed up! Make sure to let the business know to check their email for confirmation.
    2. Contact Open to All for postcards you can hand out at the event.

  5. NETWORKS. When reaching out to businesses in your area, tap into existing networks. From Business Improvement Districts to your local Chamber of Commerce, these are great resources for spreading the word about Open to All and encouraging more businesses to sign the pledge.

WORK IN COALITION

Open to All is a national nondiscrimination campaign that believes everyone should be welcome regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, immigration status, religion or disability.

  1. Engage leading community organizations that represent people of color, people of minority faiths, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ people—including regional chapters of Open to All coalition members. Ask them to collaborate and share goals. Not only can they be helpful in reaching your goals, your group may be able to support their community engagement efforts.
    1. Click here for the full list of coalition members.
    2. Click here for a sample outreach email to community groups.
    3. Click here for a sample slide deck if you are presenting about Open to All to fellow community members.

  2. Work with your city’s Department of Economic and Workforce Development (or similar department) to reach out to businesses in your district and urge them to sign the Open to All pledge. Consider mailing out postcards to all businesses inviting them to sign the pledge.
    1. Click here for sample outreach email to city officials.
    2. Contact Open to All to receive postcards to mail out to all small businesses in your city.

ENGAGE ELECTED OFFICIALS

From making the direct appeal to businesses, to issuing a formal proclamation declaring an Open to All day, elected officials can make compelling asks of local businesses to sign the pledge and join the coalition.

Open to All has a toolkit specifically for elected officials including sample proclamation language, press release templates and more.

  1. Click here for the Elected Officials Take Action Resource Toolkit.
  2. Click here for an Open to All® Elected Officials Overview (PDF).

FAQS

Can I create a local/state Open to All chapter?

While we greatly appreciate your interest in supporting the vision and mission of Open to All, Open to All® and the Open to All logo are registered trademarks of Movement Advancement Project. We do not authorize the creation of local Open to All chapters, nor do we permit any usage of our logo and name without explicit written permission.

For questions, please email info@opentoall.com.

Can someone from Open to All speak to our group?

Unfortunately, Open to All has a very small staff and limited capacity. We have put together a slide deck that describes the campaign and has information about our work that your group can use.

In addition, if you would like us to mail you resources including postcards and window clings, please email info@opentoall.com. We would be happy to provide your group with printed resources for a tax-deductible donation of $10 per window cling to help offset the cost of printing and mailing.

I want to host a symposium, can we cobrand it with Open to All?

Open to All® and the Open to All logo are registered trademarks of Movement Advancement Project. We do not authorize the creation of local Open to All chapters, nor do we permit any usage of our logo and name without explicit written permission. If you would like to discuss opportunities for collaboration, please email info@opentoall.com.

I want to host an Open to All table at my local community event, can I get materials sent to me?

Open to All has resources you can download and print here, including an Open to All flyer and a pledge card you can use to reach out to businesses and sign them up in person.

If you would like Open to All to mail you resources including postcards and window clings, please contact us at info@opentoall.com. We would be happy to provide your group with printed resources for a tax-deductible donation of $10 per window cling to help offset the cost of printing and mailing.

I want to engage my local elected officials in this effort, how can Open to All help?

Elected officials are important ambassadors to the business community. Open to All has put together a toolkit for engaging your local elected officials in this effort. In this toolkit, supportive elected officials will find resources and ideas for reaching out to local businesses and spreading the word to constituents and the media about your region’s commitment to the values of Open to All.

Can I get additional window clings?

If you are a business that has already signed the Open to All business pledge and made the $10 contribution, you will receive one window cling in the mail. If you’d like to order additional clings, please visit https://www.opentoall.com/order-window-cling/. We will be happy to provide you with additional window clings for a tax-deductible donation of $10 per window cling to help offset the cost of printing and mailing

If you are a supporter and would like to reach out to businesses in your community, please make sure businesses have signed the Open to All Business Pledge before giving them a window cling. Click here for helpful tips on reaching out to businesses in your community.

Can businesses get a cling without signing the pledge?

It’s important that businesses sign the Open to All pledge and make the commitment. If your group is doing outreach to businesses, ask them to sign the pledge online or fill out the pledge card before putting up a window cling. We want to make sure all businesses are counted, but we can’t do that unless they sign the pledge online and join officially.

If a business fills out the pledge card in person, don’t forget to enter their information online and officially register the business at www.opentoall.com. Make sure to tell the businesses that they will need to look for a confirmation email from Open to All to complete their registration.

Does it cost any money to join Open to All?

No! It’s free to join. However, if businesses would like a window cling to display publicly, we ask that they make a $10 tax-deductible contribution to help offset the cost of printing and mailing of window clings. And, if consumers would like to support our efforts to reach more businesses, please consider making a donation at www.opentoall.com/donate. 

TAKE ACTION!

GET THE RESOURCES

Get business resources to let employees, customers, and community members know this business Open to All.

GET THE TOOLKIT

OPEN TO ALL ON YELP

Find and support Open to All businesses near you by searching on Yelp.com or the Yelp app, and filtering using the Open to All attribute.

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SHARE ON SOCIAL

Help spread the word about Open to All by sharing the images and videos linked below on social media using #OpenToAll

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BE COUNTED

Add your voice to the growing chorus of Americans who reject discrimination! Be a part of the Open to All campaign!

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