Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Investigate your Goal
• Method 2 of 4: Writing the Petition
• Method 3 of 4: Drafting the Signing Form
• Method 4 of 4: Promote your Petition
• Tips

Do you want to change something in your hometown, country or the world? Then draw up a petition. Petitions can change the world if they are well thought out and written. You may already have a goal or a strategy in mind. Now you just have to make it happen and draw up a petition! In this step-by-step plan you will learn exactly how you can best approach this.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Investigate your Goal

1. Check if the purpose of your petition falls under the jurisdiction of your local government. To do this, please contact this local authority or check their website. Maybe you will start a petition on a larger scale. If this is the case, ask your local government who is dealing with the topic in question. You can then request any guidelines for your petition from this person.
2. Find out how many signatures you need. This is very important. After all, it would be awful if you set a goal of 1000 signatures when you actually need twice as many. Also try to see if your petition needs to be approved before you distribute it.
3. Try to find out what requirements your petition must meet in order to be valid. For example, it may be the case that just the name of the people who sign the petition is not enough, but that addresses or e-mail addresses must also be known.
4. Read a lot about your topic so that you know what different opinions and views exist about it. This is also a good way to find out if someone else has already started a petition.
5. Think about which medium is most suitable for your petition. However, whichever variant you choose, you will still have to provide a good petition text. Paper petitions are often more effective when it comes to local issues, but online petitions reach more people and are easier to process. Good sites that you can use to set up a petition are ipetitions.com, Petitions24.com and GoPetition.com. You can also set up petitions via Facebook. However, make sure that you collect the correct data.
   • If your petition requires more from people than just signing, consider taking action in other ways to promote your petition. For example, post on relevant forums to get people's attention and motivate them to make changes together.

Method 2 of 4: Writing the Petition

1. Develop a specific message that precisely describes your purpose. This message should be precise, concise and informative.
   • Weak: We would like more funding for a park. This sentence is too general. What kind of park? How much financing?
   • Strong: We require the municipality of Dronten to provide funding for the construction of a new park in Dronten west. The details are clearly stated here.
2. Keep your petition short, but sweet. People are less likely to support you if they have to read an entire volume first. However long your petition is, at least make sure that your specific goal is mentioned in the first paragraph. Then state the reasons why you started the petition. The first paragraph is the most important because it is the text most people will read.
   • Example of the first paragraph of a petition: We demand that the municipality of Dronten provides funding for the construction of a new park in Dronten west. There are no parks yet in this district and we believe that our children deserve a safe place to play outside.
3. Now add paragraphs that support your first paragraph. It provides more background information and specific examples of why your goal is so important. Write as many paragraphs as you want, but keep in mind that most people won't read all of them.
4. Read your summary again. Make sure that he (1) describes the situation, (2) contains a proposal on what can improve the situation and (3) explains why this is necessary.
5. Check your petition for grammar and typos. If your petition is full of minor flaws, few people will take it seriously. Therefore, use your computer's spell checker. Read your petition aloud to see if the text sounds smooth and logical.
6. Have your text read by someone else. Preferably choose a friend or family member who is not aware of the situation. Does that person understand what you want to say? After reading the text, can they explain to you what the purpose of your petition is, what exactly you want and why?

Method 3 of 4: Drafting the Signing Form

1. Use a separate paper to make a signing form. Put the title of your petition at the top of the page. Make sure this title is concise, but clear.
   • Example of a petition title: Petition for a New Park in Dronten west
2. Create the form in a spreadsheet program. This looks more professional and is also easier to adjust. Create five columns for the Name, Address, E-mail address, Phone number and Signature of the people who sign your petition. Make sure there is enough space for the address.
   • If you don't have a computer or a spreadsheet program, go to the library and use the computers here. If this is also not an option, use a ruler to create a petition form by hand.
3. Copy the form or print the document several times. Make sure you have enough forms for the number of signatures you need. Provide each page with a number so that you can easily keep track of the number of signatures.

Method 4 of 4: Promote your Petition

1. Talk to people. Take to the streets and talk to people about the topic you want to draw attention to. If your petition is about a school, visit that school and talk to parents of school-aged children. Post your petition at work or put up posters in local supermarkets or other businesses.
2. Use your email contacts. Create an online version of your petition and send it to your family, friends and acquaintances. Don't overload them with messages; people are only irritated by that. Stick to a few messages spread over a longer period of time.
3. Make sure your petition is also known online. Set up a blog or forum where people can discuss and answer readers' questions. Post on Facebook and Twitter to showcase your petition and reach a large number of people.
4. Involve the media in your petition. Contact your local newspaper or radio station to get attention for your petition. The more people hear about your petition, the more interested they will be.
5. Be polite. Nobody likes to be pushy, let alone aggression when it comes to petitions. Even if someone believes in your cause, they can't have the time or money to support you. Don't take that personally! It's always better to stay polite - some people may contact you later to do their part.

Tips

• Use a clipboard with a pen attached. This is the easiest way to take a petition on the street; your paper doesn't blow away and your pen doesn't just disappear.
• Keep your paper clean and tidy. After all, a petition full of stains does not look too professional.