Guides

How to start a petition: The ultimate guide

Sep 11, 2023

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Petitions are a powerful way to participate in democracy and core to citizen rights, principles, and traditions. Historic leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Frederick Douglass, as well as plenty of modern advocates have used petitions to create groundbreaking change that shapes and evolves society.

You don’t have to be a public figure with a list of achievements to make important progress — everyday people can start petitions on any issues they care about. By starting a petition, you can make your voice heard and gather support to make the changes you want to see on a local or even global scale.

Anyone can create a petition that gets attention, attracts supporters, and convinces leaders to listen by taking the necessary steps. To craft a petition that resonates, use this guide as your roadmap and resource that you can reference along the way.

For guides on specific topics, check out these resources:

Define your issue and audience

First, determine the issue you’re targeting or the problem you want to solve. What change do you want to advocate for? What matters most to you? You can start a petition on just about anything. Narrowing your focus to a specific issue rather than a broad problem will make it more clear and easier for decision makers to respond and take action on.

Some examples of issues you can target include:

A commercial development in your neighborhood, local residential area, or natural habitats causing congestion, disruptions, or deforestation and environmental degradation
Your favorite TV show not being renewed for another season
Budget cuts to music and arts education programs at your university or child’s school
Lack of availability and insurance coverage for prescription medications

Once you’ve defined the issue you want to address, do your research to fully understand it and its impact. This will enable you to communicate it thoroughly and clearly in your petition. Some details to research include:

Target audience: Knowing your audience will help you craft the petition itself and promote it to the people who will support it and share it to a wider audience. Find out the top concerns and challenges the people who are impacted are experiencing to demonstrate the weight of the problem and ask for the best solutions. Talk to community members, look in online forums and social media groups concerning the issue, and read relevant news articles.
Relevant laws and policies: Understanding the legal framework surrounding your issue helps you determine if you’re advocating for something feasible. If a law already exists but isn’t being enforced, you can focus on demanding accountability. If new legislation is needed, you’ll know which government bodies need to take action.
Past or ongoing efforts: Learning about previous petitions or campaigns can help you avoid redundancy and refine your strategy. You can see what worked, what didn’t, and build on existing momentum rather than starting from scratch. If a similar effort stalled, understanding why can help you approach the issue differently.
Data and evidence: Strong petitions are backed by facts, not just opinions. Providing statistics, reports, or expert insights makes your argument more credible and compelling. It helps convince both supporters and decision makers that action is necessary.
Public sentiment: Understanding how the public perceives your issue can help you shape your messaging. If your cause already has strong support, you can harness that momentum. If it’s controversial or relatively unknown, you may need to focus on education and awareness to gain traction.

Also keep in mind: Consider timeliness and scope. When is the best time to act? Are there deadlines for action, previous scheduled meetings, or seasonal considerations to take into account?

Set your goals

A clear goal makes your petition more effective. Instead of just stating the problem, focus on the solution you want to achieve. Your goal should be specific and actionable — something decision makers can realistically implement. Using SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) can help you define a strong objective.

Petition goals can vary, from pushing for policy changes to simply raising awareness about an issue. Some examples include:

Require safer pedestrian crossings in a high-traffic neighborhood.
Get a business to improve worker conditions by offering fair wages or better benefits.
Pass a local ordinance to ban single-use plastics in your city.
Get a company to reverse a decision, like reinstating a discontinued product or service.

Identify the decision maker

To increase your chances of getting a response, direct your petition to the right person or group with the authority to make the change you’re asking for. Target a specific individual rather than an organization as a whole to assign accountability and increase the likelihood of action.

Consider who has the power to take action on your issue. This could be:

A government official (like a mayor who can veto a proposed city project)
A business leader (like a CEO who can change company policies)
A school board member (like someone who can reinstate a canceled program)
An influencer or public figure (like a celebrity or journalist who can amplify your cause)

Also, think about secondary decision makers—people who can influence the primary target, such as advisors, board members, or major stakeholders. Choosing the right decision maker ensures your petition reaches the people who can make real change happen.

Select your petition type

Consider the petition format that best suits your goals. You can use online petitions, paper petitions, or a combination.

Paper petitions

Paper petitions have a traditional and personal feel, often used for local issues or smaller campaigns. These petitions are typically distributed and collected in person, making it essential to have a clear, concise, and organized structure. Ensure your petition contains all necessary information, such as the cause, the desired outcome, and a space for signatures and contact information.

In some cases, paper petitions might be required, like gathering signatures from registered voters in a particular district to get a city council candidate on a voting ballot.

Online Petitions

Online petitions offer a wider reach and the ability to gather support quickly. Platforms like Change.org make it easy to create, share, and manage your petition, reaching potential supporters through social media, email, and other online channels. Online petitions also allow for real-time tracking of signatures and easy communication with supporters.

Over 100,000 petitions have successfully achieved their goals on Change.org, driving real change at various levels. Many more have raised awareness for important causes and continue to grow as ongoing campaigns.

Determine how many signatures you need

Understanding the number of signatures needed can help you set realistic goals and track your progress. The number of signatures you need varies depending on your issue and petition objective.

For example, certain types of petitions may require a minimum number of signatures to be considered, like:

Petitions to local city councils or school boards for policy changes
Petitions to labor unions
Petitions to the government about legislation.

However, petitions on many other issues don’t require a specific amount of support, and some win their goals without a huge number of signatures. One petition to improve the quality and variety of school lunches at a high school achieved victory with just 217 supporters.

Research whether the organization you’re targeting requires a minimum amount of signatures for petitions on their website, or by emailing or calling the appropriate contacts.

Set intermediate goals for signature milestones

To maintain momentum and engagement, set intermediate goals for signature milestones throughout your campaign. Celebrate these achievements and update supporters on the progress made towards your ultimate goal.

Write and publish your petition

Once you’ve done the research and prep work, you can actually create your petition. Make sure your petition includes the following key elements. Use our How to write a petition guide for full details and step by step instructions.

Create an attention-grabbing headline: Focus on the solution, not just the problem. Use a clear, concise title with action verbs like “stop,” “save,” or “ban.” Include important names or key dates and evoke emotion to encourage immediate action.
Provide background and details: Clearly explain who is impacted, the problem, and the specific action you want. Highlight why it’s urgent, mention any deadlines or important events, and include relevant statistics, but keep it focused on the human element.
Tell your story: Share a personal reason for your petition to connect emotionally with readers. A compelling, personal story can make a bigger impact than facts alone and helps others relate to your cause.
Include a strong call to action: Be specific about what you want readers to do—sign the petition, contact officials, or share on social media. The clearer your ask, the more likely people will take action.
Choose a striking image: Select an image that complements your message and has eye-catching color and contrast without being too loud or overwhelming. Your image should reinforce your petition’s urgency or emotional appeal. Keep it simple — use a single image and avoid using text. You can also use this image to promote your petition on social media.

Once you’ve written your petition, easily publish it on Change.org. Once it’s live, your petition dashboard will track your number of signatures in real time. You can also easily share your petition on social media and create petition updates to email supporters directly from the dashboard. You’ll also be able to create a custom link for your petition with a short and recognizable URL that you can put on posters and social media.

Build support

Once you’ve published your petition, it’s time to collect signatures. Signatures show public support for your cause and put public pressure on decision makers to respond to your concerns and take action. Here are some primary methods for getting your first signatures and keeping the momentum going:

Start by asking family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to sign your petition via email, direct message, group texts, and phone calls
Share your petition on all relevant digital channels, including social media and online community forums like Nextdoor, Reddit, and Discord
Reach out to the media to get your petition covered in the local newspaper or TV news station, blogs, and podcasts. Include a compelling and concise hook focusing on the problem you’re trying to solve, its impact, and the support you’ve already received. Be sure to include a link to your petition where they can get the full details, see how many signatures you have, and comments from supporters.
Partner with like-minded organizations and influencers to boost your reach and awareness of your petition. Look for community groups, professional organizations, advocacy groups, and social media influencers that share your interests, concerns, and goals.
Regularly communicate with supporters: Keep your supporters informed and engaged by regularly sharing updates, news, and developments related to your cause. This communication fosters a sense of community and encourages supporters to stay involved and continue promoting your petition.

Engage the decision maker

After you’ve built support for your request, engage the decision maker. Use escalation tactics like mobilizing your supporters to participate in letter-writing campaigns or coordinated social media pressure.

Requesting an in-person meeting is an effective and efficient way to persuade decision makers. If you don’t have luck scheduling a meeting, you can always try to catch them at their office or public meeting location.

For example, the leader of the petition to protect the Porcupine Mountains and Lake Superior from a mining facility development went to the Michigan capital building to try to speak with a legislator. He shared that because of their busy schedules, sometimes you have to try to stop them in the hallway or knock on their office door. He said being able to reference your petition that has accumulated a significant amount of signatures from their constituents is a “very crucial tool for getting a foot in the door.”

Turn your passion into action: Start your petition now

Now you have all the information you need to start crafting your petition, using the Change.org platform makes it easy. Your petition dashboard includes a checklist to make sure you haven’t missed any critical pieces.

And remember: change can take time! Be persistent with engaging supporters and decision makers, and celebrate milestones along the way.

→ Start your petition now on Change.org