About Us

What is this?

This new people-powered petition tool lets you create petitions and affect change with the tools and resources of Roots Action. Here's everything you might want to know about RootsAction.

What can I create a petition for?

What have you noticed that needs fixing? Where do you see an opportunity for positive change? Your campaign need not be limited to particular issues or locations. Your audience can be global or local.

DIY Roots Action is easy, effective, and allows you to feel good about working with an organization that consistently stands strong for economic fairness, equal rights, civil liberties, environmental protection, and defunding endless wars.

When starting a campaign the most important step is to get the ball rolling - don't worry about getting everything 100% right. Even experienced, professional online activists make mistakes and often change tack as things develop. You don't need to be an expert to launch a campaign, you just need to be willing to learn new things along the way.

What can't I use this tool for?

Because we only want to support good causes we do have to review petitions. We might suggest some slight changes or offer some advice. Or we might find your petition inappropriate.

We will not approve petitions that promote or incite violence or advocate discrimination based on someone's gender, sex, religion, ethnicity, nationality or sexual orientation. We reserve the right to use our judgment and take something down if it crosses a line of common decency, so take responsibility for your campaign. Here are our terms of use.

How do you decide which campaigns go on the homepage?

A number of factors contribute to what campaigns are highlighted on the homepage. These include campaigns that are on the edge of winning, campaigns that have shown rapid growth and campaigns that are particularly timely. Roots Action will help your cause by promoting your petition -- on the homepage or in social media or by sending it to our email list -- if we really like it or if it reaches 1,000 signatures.

Besides starting a petition, what else can I do in my campaign?

On DIY-RootsAction you can start a petition, share it with your network and communicate further with your supporters via email.

DIY-RootsAction also helps you take your campaign to the street. For instance, you can download a blank copy of your petition, collect signatures in person and then enter your data easily into the system. You can also download a finished copy of your petition to print and deliver to your target.

You can access all of these features from the manage page

This is a tool that allows anyone, anywhere to take a campaign from start to finish.

How does an organization create its own page on DIY-RootsAction?

Organizations can partner with us and create their own pages with multiple petitions. It's easy and free. Just contact us.

Can I cancel my petition?

Yes.

What is your privacy policy?

These things take up a lot of space, so please read our privacy policy in full.

Who controls the data on the site?

While you are able to email your supporters through the website, privacy laws prevent us from sharing your supporters' email addresses with you. The data collected on and through the site will remain our property.

How will signing petitions make a difference?

Petitions provide a useful snapshot of the level of public support for an issue and put forward a list of people who all share a common commitment or concern. And they don't always need a big number to make a big impact - think about a local issue where a petition of 20 neighbours on one street would require someone to sit up and take notice.

Petitions can be the catalyst for conversations that change how people think conversations with your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, church group, school, fellow consumers, local club; political representative or business leader. It's most effective when you make a point of delivering your petition to your target in personal, high-profile or creative way, explaining why supporters feel the way they do. But it probably won't do much if you just start a petition and walk away.

Here's a list of victories in which RootsAction has played a significant part.

I no longer wish to receive updates on a campaign I signed up to. How do I unsubscribe?

It's sad to see you go, but you can unsubscribe by clicking the 'unsubscribe' link in site emails you receive.