Petition title
Your Petition Title
Your title should be very brief,
like a newspaper headline, but it should also communicate as specifically as possible what your petition is about.
Examples:
“Mayor Jones: Fix Our Public Schools” or “Save Dewey Elementary from Budget Cuts.”
What’s your petition about? Why should people sign it?
More Background on Your Petition
Write a brief 2-3 sentences to give people more background on your
petition. Some key points to include: Why should people care about this issue? Why will signing the petition make a difference?
If relevant, what’s the deadline for deciding the issue?
Example: “Dewey Elementary School
is poised to lose 10 teachers, our only librarian, and all financial support for popular activities like chess club and
volleyball team. Mayor Jones has a chance to reverse these cuts in her upcoming budget. We’re calling on her to stand
for students and education and stop the terrible funding cuts to Dewey School.”
What issue does your petition relate to? (Optional) Civil rights Clean energy / environment Corporate
power / accountability Criminal justice Education Foreign Policy Government Reform Health care Immigration Jobs / economy
/ taxes Social services / Infrastructure Women's rights Other
Your Issue
This information will help us organize the petitions on SignOn.org so we can make it easier for potential supporters to
find your petition.
If your petition relates to multiple issues, just choose the one that you think is most relevant.
Choosing a Target
When
deciding who should receive your petition, think about who actually has the power to solve the problem or
make the decision you want. Please be sure to check the spelling and use the individual’s proper title.
If
there are multiple people who may be able to solve the problem, focus on the person who is most likely to be influenced
by public opinion. For instance, an elected official is usually a better than an unelected judge.
It’s
best if you send your petition to a human being. For instance, it’s better to address your petition
to WalMart CEO Lee Scott rather than WalMart the corporation.
What’s
the text of your petition?
Text of your Petition
This is the message
that petition-signers are actually signing, to be delivered to the decision-maker. You will get a lot more signers if your
message is short and sweet—one or two sentences at the most. The petition statement is NOT the place to make a detailed
persuasive argument for your position.
Example: “Stop the proposed cuts in funding for Dewey
Elementary School.”
