Host guide
How to host a Listen to Win training
Thank you for hosting a Listen to Win training with Swing Left! This guide will help you organize a successful event.
In a fractured political environment, it is both more challenging and more important to engage with those who might not vote like us (or might not vote at all!). We know talking to voters works, but more often than not, Democratic campaigns start too late and target too narrowly. They underinvest in persuasion conversations, and ignore 1 in 4 potential voters because they’re unlisted or mislisted in the data Democrats rely on. Swing Left's new Ground Truth canvassing program will change that. We'll start early, knock every door, listen deeply, aggregate ground insights, and funnel that data directly back to campaigns and states’ Democratic parties.
This new approach to canvassing means we’ll be talking to all kinds of people, and we know that can be scary. Whether you’re canvassing with Ground Truth, simply talking with a friend, or anything in between, honing your empathetic listening skills will help us engage in productive conversations—and ultimately change the hearts and minds we need to win.
At these events, you will:
Introduce your group members to Swing Left’s 2026 strategy (newly updated to account for added targets!)
Go deep on how to have effective conversations with all types of voters through empathetic listening.
Build attendees’ confidence in their ability to talk to voters and volunteers so you’re ready to get out there.
Please note: This is not a Ground Truth-specific training. The idea of Listen to Win is to help your group members build skills that will be useful whether participating in Ground Truth or not. Because many volunteers expect Ground Truth content from us right now, we have added a few optional Ground Truth slides you can include, but you should feel free to make it clear to your audience that this is not meant to be a Ground Truth training. Contact your Swing Left organizer if you need assistance customizing your presentation for your group's needs.
Getting started
Finalize the date, time, and location of your event. Be sure to give yourself enough time to plan and recruit.
Date: Your event date could impact the purpose, content, and ‘call to action’ of your event, so consider that when you choose the date.
Time: We recommend budgeting at least 1.5 hours for this event. If you want some extra time to mix and mingle before and after the program, you can round up to 2 hours!
Location: The slide presentation includes videos recorded by Swing Left and a Youtube clip that the activities are centered around. When selecting a location for your event, keep in mind that you’ll need to be able to play these videos with sound.
Post your event on Mobilize. Once you’ve worked out the event details, post the event on Mobilize using this link.
Recruit attendees for your event. Promote the Mobilize event with your group, and encourage members to spread the word to their own networks.
We strongly suggest using relational postcards during your event, to reinforce the skills you're building. Take a look at the slides and materials linked below to determine if this will be part of your program, and if so, place your order here. Order enough for your attendees, and extras if you want to send folks home with some for them to use on their own.
Before your event
Plan your program
Review Swing Left’s sample slide presentation and sample agenda. You’ll want to customize depending on your event. Reach out to your Swing Left staff contact for support!
Set up your next event
The main goal of this event is to get your group members comfortable with, and excited about, having effective conversations with voters and potential voters. After the event, you’ll want to capture their commitment so you don’t lose momentum.
Post your next event on Mobilize in advance so you’re ready to ask your attendees to sign up on the spot! This is your ‘call to action,’ and it’ll vary depending on where your group is located and when you’re hosting your event. Some options include:
If you’re in or near a target district, you might:
Participate in a Ground Truth canvass with your group
High-traffic canvass with Swing Left’s relational postcard
If you’re outside a target district:
Participate in a Ground Truth phone bank with your group
High-traffic canvass with Swing Left’s relational postcard
Options coming in the future:
A digital version of the relational card: Volunteers can send this to folks in their networks, post it on social media, etc.
Remote opportunities to participate in Ground Truth (e.g. recruitment call teams, following up with voters, etc).
Gather your materials
Consider what supplies you’ll need, such as nametags, scratch paper, and pens.
Test your technology. Make sure you can display the slides and videos provided by Swing Left. Most of the presentation is through recorded videos created by Swing Left and a Youtube clip that the main activity is based around, so please make sure you can successfully play videos with sound.
As noted above, the sample slide presentation does include an activity using Swing Left's relational postcards, so be sure to order those in advance if you'll be doing that portion of the training.
Lead your event
Event logistics
When guests arrive, be sure to take attendance. Use a sign-in sheet or take attendance on Mobilize by changing their status to “completed” when they check in. Add anyone who didn't originally sign up to Mobilize using the "new attendee” button.
Agenda at a glance
Welcome and introductions
Swing Left’s 2026 strategy and roadmap
Empathetic listening training (videos from Swing Left)
Practice via interactive activities
Commitment: Relational postcard
Next steps & closing
Hosting tips
Be inclusive and connect with attendees. Greet each person when they arrive and sign them in. Creating real connections is the most important step towards building a strong team, so take the time at your event to get to know each other, to create a sense of shared purpose, and to build community.
Delegate tasks to other people. Having a role in the event increases the likelihood that people will show up. For example, ask for volunteers to bring a snack, or ask someone to lead a section of the agenda so you’re not the only one speaking.
Stay on schedule. Start on time and follow your event agenda. It’s fine to keep questions and answers short so that you keep moving and don’t keep people too late.
Be positive and constructive. Keep the tone upbeat—this is an exciting, fun, and participatory event!
Show everyone what volunteering with Swing Left looks like! Share a group photo, video, or anecdote from your event on social media. Tag @swingleft so that we can repost your content.
After your event
Update your attendance on Mobilize by marking people as “completed” or “no show.” This will allow you to keep track of your attendees and their contact information.
Send a thank you email to all attendees after the event. Recap any relevant resources, and include the link to your next event to make sure everyone signs up!
Show everyone what Swing Left looks like! Share a group photo, video, or anecdote from your event on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook (or all three)! Tag @swingleft and use the hashtag #SwingLeft to help us retweet/repost!