Action Center

SAFO ACTION CENTER

Thanks to your help, Senator Obama is now the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party for President of the United States! Throughout the general election campaign, this page will serve to provide resources and guidance for SAFO's grassroots organizing efforts. Given the stakes in this election, your help is critical. You can participate in one or more of the following ways. For more information, or if you have questions about getting involved with SAFO's grassroots efforts, please contact us at safoaction@yahoo.com.

Join or Start a Regional SAFO Chapter

The best way for you to get involved with the campaign through SAFO is by joining one of our regional SAFO chapters. If there is not already a chapter in your area, we would be delighted to work with you to start a new chapter. To discuss starting a new SAFO chapter in your area, please contact Hrishi Karthikeyan at hrishi1@gmail.com.

Join Our Grassroots Finance Committee

Senator Obama has built an unprecedented grassroots fundraising network by rejecting PAC and federal lobbyist money, while encouraging everyday Americans to own their own piece of this campaign. You can take part in this effort by joining our grassroots finance committee. Participation in the committee emphasizes growing the number of donors, rather than a particular dollar amount. Through this model, we believe every member of our community can make an immediate and significant difference. To learn more or to join SAFO’s grassroots finance committee, please contact Dave Kumar at dave.kumar@gmail.com.

Join Our Communications Team

In addition to fundraising, we also need help getting our message out to the community. If you would like to join our communications team – which includes posting stories and comments on our website and blog, updating our social networking sites, preparing newsletter content and drafting op-ed pieces – please contact Anhoni Patel at anhoni@yahoo.com.

Make a Contribution

While Senator Obama has rejected contributions from political action committees and Washington lobbyists, John McCain is hard at work putting the GOP fundraising apparatus to work in order to attack our nominee. We have built an unprecedented network of support by depending on a movement of millions of Americans giving only what they can afford.

We hope you will do your part today by making a $10 or $20 contribution. With your help, we can ensure victory in November!

Buy a SAFO Button

Show your SAFO pride by ordering your official SAFO button today! Better yet, order in bulk (25 buttons are cheaper than 10) and share with your friends and family.

Find or Create a Vote For Change Event

Senator Obama has announced his intention to conduct the first 50-state presidential campaign in a generation. Critical to this effort is Vote for Change – the campaign’s massive 50-state voter registration and mobilization drive. You can get involved regardless of where you live by helping to bring more voters and voices into the process.

You can find a Vote for Change event in your area – or start your own – by visiting http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/vfchome.

Make Phone Calls

Even if you are unable to get out into your neighborhood to register voters, you can help out right from your own home. Using the campaign’s online phonebanking tool, you can call fellow supporters to thank them for their involvement and encourage them to host or attend a Vote for Change event in their area.

To get started calling fellow supporters, visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/contact/main/callvfc.

Encourage Your Family and Friends to Register to Vote

Engaging our community to take part in the political process starts with our own networks of personal contacts. We encourage you to reach out to your family and friends with a personal note urging them to register and vote in this November’s elections. To help get you started, we have included a sample template of such a message below, although we strongly urge you to personalize your message or come up with your own.

Dear friends,

As the presidential campaign wages on, I am writing to encourage you to make sure that your voice is heard.

We have already come so far, but our ability to change our country will only be realized if we win in November. Senator Obama has shown both the judgment and leadership to restore our country to its true greatness. For example, he has developed a very specific universal health care proposal to aid those in need without diminishing doctors’ livelihoods; he will make college more affordable by creating a $4,000 tuition tax credit; and he has an immigration policy that would make it easier to reunite families in this country to realize the American dream. To learn more about Senator Obama’s detailed policy proposals, please visit http://www.barackobama.com/issues. For his policies related to the South Asian community, please visit http://www.safo2008.com/SAFOIssues.pdf.

There has not been a more critical moment in our lifetime to change the tone and direction of our country. But before you can cast your vote for change, you have to be registered. Registering to vote has never been easier. Just download the form available at http://www.registrationbyworkingassets.com/register, print and mail as provided in the instructions. I hope you will take this important step today. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

P.S. Please feel free to share this message with your family, friends and neighbors. If you or others would like to learn more about South Asians for Obama, Senator Obama's commitment to our community, or how to get more involved with the campaign, please visit http://www.safo2008.com.