HOST TOOLKIT
Your Host Materials
Everything you need to run a House Party for Democracy. Bookmark this page — it’s your home base.
Spin the Wheel
Use the wheel to pick a conversation topic for your house party. Each topic includes prompts and framing in the modules below.
House Parties for Democracy Forms
- Network Partner Agreement and Host Registration Form
- Reporting & Evaluation Form
- Attendee Sign-in Form
Questions? Email staff@familyvaluesaction.org
The Flow
A simple, repeatable structure for every house party:
- Welcome + introductions + snacks
- Naming the moment (icebreaker)
- Spin the wheel
- Discuss 2–3 topics for ~20 minutes each
- Reflection + closing
- Share 1–2 actions
- Submit your report
Tips for a Great House Party
- Keep it warm and human
- Give everyone the space to speak
- Don’t rush — depth over speed
- Use the prompts, but follow the group’s energy
- You don’t need to have answers
- Trust the group
The 7 Steps in Detail
The Tone: We’re here to connect, reflect, and imagine together.
The Invitation: Come as you are. We’re here to hold space for the ‘now’ while building bridges toward the actions that create our future.
The Agreements: We invite you to be unfinished. We agree to be curious rather than certain.
Open: Use one word to describe the time we’re living in. Turn to a neighbor and talk about why you chose that word. (2–3 min)
Then ask:
- What came up in your share?
- What are the bright spots — what brings you joy?
- What are you struggling with: economically, socially, safety and security, emotionally, or in any other way?
- Open the spinning wheel above
- Spin to choose a topic of conversation
- Refer to the prompted question to begin
Topics covered:
- Authoritarianism and Community Safety
- Care Is Politics — Paid Leave, Child & Elder Care
- GOTV / Protecting the Vote
- Taxes, Healthcare and SNAP
- Domestic Violence and Stalking
- Gun Violence
Each module includes a national prompt, a state/local prompt, and a hyperlocal/personal prompt. Hosts choose the prompt that fits the room.
Each topic = 20 minutes
Suggested rhythm:
- 2 min — read prompt
- 10 min — small group or pairs
- 8 min — share back
Use the built-in timer if helpful.
Offer light, doable actions:
- Share a resource
- Sign up for updates
- Attend a follow-up gathering
- Plan another House Party
- Contact a representative
- Support a local effort
No pressure. No guilt. Just possibilities.
After your gathering, share:
- What topics you covered
- What themes emerged
- What people need
- Any photos or quotes
This helps us understand what communities are experiencing.
The 6 Conversation Modules
Each module includes framing and prompts. Pick the ones that fit your group.
Framing: What to expect from authoritarians: they stoke fear and chaos to keep us off balance, make threats to get people to obey in advance, and weaponize fear of subgroups to keep us divided. Have you witnessed ICE or federal policing that resulted in someone being taken away or physically harmed?
Prompts:
- Does this sound familiar to you? Do you have examples of this behavior?
- How does this make you feel?
- How will you respond to authoritarian behaviors and laws?
- Discuss methods for keeping your neighbors and friends safe.
Sources: Freedom Trainers; The Red Card
Framing: In a society moving headfirst toward authoritarianism, every election feels like the most important and fragile in history. Start with how people are feeling about getting out the vote or going to the polls.
Prompts:
- How are you feeling about voting in your primary or midterm election?
- What are the biggest threats to our electoral system this year through 2028?
- What local conversations are happening about protecting the vote?
- Which groups can you coordinate with during elections?
- What are the top strategies for making sure everyone can vote and that their votes are counted?
- What should we be doing more of?
Framing: Two 2025 policy choices frame this conversation: HR 1 / the OBBB Act created a $4.5 trillion tax cut largely benefiting billionaires and corporations while cutting Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP and other essential services; and ACA premium tax credits were not included, driving premium hikes for many people.
Prompts:
- Do you know anyone impacted by cuts to health and nutrition essentials?
- How are people coping? What are you hearing on the ground?
- How have abortion and reproductive health restrictions impacted you and your family?
Framing: Gun violence impacts our communities in many different ways. Nearly 47,000 people died from gun violence in 2023, and Americans own more guns than most other nations combined.
Prompts:
- How is gun violence showing up in your community?
- Share the different ways gun violence impacts us.
- Why are we not talking about gun violence until there is an incident: police violence, a school shooting, or another horrific situation?
- What are some reasons gun violence is rampant?
- What can we do about it?
Framing: Relationship abuse — including domestic violence, stalking, and child abuse — is experienced by people the world over. In the U.S., 41% of women and 26% of men experience intimate partner violence, stalking, or other forms of abuse.
Prompts:
- Where have you seen domestic violence or intimate abuse in your life or community?
- What resources helped protect the person experiencing violence?
- What structures are in place to protect people?
- Which structures are creating greater harm?
Resource: National Domestic Violence Hotline — call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org
Framing: Across the country, people are juggling childcare, paid leave, elder and disability care on their own — and many simply can’t. When care systems break down, people stop feeling supported, valued, or secure.
Prompts:
- Where do you see the care crisis showing up across the country — childcare, paid leave, eldercare, disability care?
- What does the care infrastructure look like where you live?
- What are people struggling with?
- What would make you feel more cared for right now?
Thank You
Thank you for opening your home, your heart, and your community. This work matters — and it starts with you.
— Carol Joyner, Family Values @ Work Action