I took part in a community forum this past weekend to understand how changes at the federal level are and could impact our local area (click for video from the forum). What I learned while planning this event is that you can have the passion, and you can have the resources, but to pull off something like this, you really need both.
Thankfully, we had both, especially a group of badass individuals who were willing to fight like hell to get it off the ground.
I also want to say right up front, so it doesn’t get buried later, that maybe the most important takeaway from the event is that insurance could be the keystone to whether future community gatherings like this even happen. Yes, insurance. I don’t think any of us expected it to be the main talking point after the event, but it was for a good (mainly unfortunate) reason. The inability to secure affordable event coverage has the very real potential to quietly derail a community’s ability to organize and come together.
But before we start an insurance revolution, let’s talk about the economics of turning civic passion into real, organized action.
From Washington to Our Doorstep
Here in my small town, we’re already feeling the impacts of some federal cuts and policies. That’s why our Democratic Town Committee (DTC), along with several other neighboring DTCs, came together to host a Defending Democracy Forum. It was a chance to better understand what’s happening at the national level, how it might affect us locally, and what we can do about it. It was also a great reminder of the power of working together and the strength that comes from community.
In total, the forum brought together 134 attendees representing 12 different towns, with most coming from the organizing DTC areas. It was a decent turnout, though not as large as we had hoped for, but given the short timeline and limited advertising, we were proud of the showing. More importantly, the forum gave us a chance to publicly acknowledge that our community is only as strong as its most vulnerable members. We can’t afford to ignore how federal cuts might ripple through healthcare, education, food access, and the local services so many rely on.
To speak to those concerns, we were honored to have State Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and two state senators (Senator Cathy Osten and Senator MD Rahman) join us.
We asked them to comment on how state leadership is navigating these uncertain times. The forum also gave community members a space to speak, voice frustrations, ask questions, and hear from each other. I served as the moderator for the evening, and as I said during the forum, “this is a chance to learn from each other and for each other.”
And while we didn’t get all the answers we hoped for, we were grateful for the honesty. The truth is, with so many moving parts at the federal level, even our state leaders are still waiting for clarity. Still, our local leaders’ willingness to show up, listen, and speak to our small community made a real difference. Or, at the very least, they made us feel heard and seen. It was also a great opportunity for local DTC chairs to share ways for people to get more involved.
I think one of the most valuable parts of the evening was the printed fact sheet we handed out as people walked in. It detailed current and potential funding cuts and included statements from local stakeholders who couldn’t attend but whose voices were equally important. We also made sure to include sources throughout so that anyone could explore the information for themselves. I can’t pick a single favorite example, so instead I’ll share a handful from the handout:
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency that awards grants and funding to museums and libraries across the United States, has been closed. In 2024, the Connecticut State Library received over $2.16 million from the IMLS. The funds helped offset the cost to deliver-IT CT, which is the statewide delivery system that makes interlibrary loan possible, covered the cost of the statewide ebook and eaudiobook platform The Palace Project.[1]
The schools in our towns[2] could lose almost $2M in federal funds.[3]
Over 1,200 residents in our towns participate in SNAP. Connecticut Foodshare is out 1.4 million pounds of federally provided food for food banks, which would cost $1.7 million to replace.[4] And the USDA cut $660M nationwide to Schools and Childcare Centers to buy food for meals through the Local Foods for Schools Program.[5]
Major cuts to Medicaid are being proposed, a program in which 4,159 residents in our towns participate.5 Across CT, 38% of all births, 67% of nursing home residents, and 20% of all residents aged 19 to 64 are covered by Medicaid.[6]
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) regional offices, including our regional office in Boston, have been closed. ACF is our federal partner in the administration of numerous programs, including, but not limited to: Child Support, Child Welfare, Head Start, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and Community Services Block Grant (CSBG).
Federal staff responsible for administering the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) have been eliminated nationwide.[7] The closure could impact the ability of residents who rely on these programs, especially heat in the winter, to receive services.
One last thing that may be helpful if you’re thinking about hosting something similar in your community is that while preparation was obviously essential (e.g., planning for different scenarios, having materials ready, coordinating every detail), you also have to plan to stay flexible in the moment. Things will shift. For example, one of our speakers had a last-minute time constraint, so we had to rearrange the program on the fly.
I also had prepared talking points about asking respectful questions and remembering we’re all neighbors. But once I got up there, it was clear from the tone in the room that I didn’t need it. I’m not sure if anyone attending outright opposed the forum, but if they did, they listened respectfully. Maybe that’s one of the benefits of being in a small town, because being disruptive is a little more complicated when you know you’ll see each other at the grocery store or gas station the next day. Quiet accountability for the win!
Just remember that part of organizing something like this is being able to adjust so that you can make the most of your time together.
The real costs of a community conversation
Planning this forum took a lot of time and effort, more than I initially thought, which is part of the reason I’ve been a little quieter on my Substack page for a few weeks.
Our core team of 10–12 organizers met more than five times, totaling about 15 hours of team meetings, plus many more undocumented hours spent on logistics like coordinating insurance, securing the venue, creating materials, inviting speakers, and handling day-of details.
We also worked hard to spread the word. Our outreach included:
500 postcards mailed to local residents (split across multiple towns)
Over 75 personal emails and text messages
Facebook posts across five town pages
Event invites through Mobilize
A custom website (One of our amazing neighboring town organizers made this for us!)
Coverage in our regional newspaper for two weeks, plus four letters to the editor
The event cost about $1,350 in total, including the site rental fee, insurance, and postcards. With about 135 attendees, that equates to roughly $10 per person who attended. Note, this does not include the value of volunteer hours or day-of decoration donations (e.g., tablecloths, flags, etc.).
So, how cost-effective were our outreach efforts? We asked all attendees to sign in, which allowed us to connect their attendance back to specific outreach methods. It wasn’t perfect because some folks didn’t sign in, and others may have heard about the event from more than one source, but it still gave us some valuable insights.
Mobilize proved to be the most cost-effective outreach tool because it was free, required minimal effort, and brought in 40 attendees. Letters to the editor were free and packed with information, but it was harder to track their effectiveness. Postcards were a bit of a mixed bag. In my town, 22 attendees received postcards, which worked out to about $7.60 per person. Another of our amazing organizers pointed out that, even if the postcards didn’t seem to drive turnout directly, they still served as a tangible reminder that the local DTC is active in town and cares.
Another option we didn’t pursue this time, but might reconsider given the postcard costs, is a newspaper insert. Especially with stamp prices set to rise, it’s worth noting that we were quoted $350 for an insert that would reach more surrounding towns with relatively minimal effort. That might be a more attractive and efficient option next time.
I don’t think we have enough data yet to rank our outreach methods confidently, but here’s a short summary of the tradeoffs:
While I’ve listed these outreach methods individually, the truth is that it’s often the combination that makes the biggest difference. Both research and our local DTCs’ experience suggest that people usually need several “touchpoints” or exposures before they take action. The most effective outreach may come from a layered approach, where different efforts work together to build momentum, trust, and visibility. That said, your approach will depend on your budget, and that’s okay. Don’t let limited advertising funds stop you from hosting something similar. There are still meaningful, low-cost ways to get the word out and bring people together.
Not to be a Debbie Downer, though, insurance might stop you before you even have to worry about advertising costs.
Insurance is the Surprising Threat to Community Organizing
One of the biggest challenges we faced was insurance. Every public venue we looked at required it, even for something as simple as a kid’s birthday party. It’s written into the town’s rental agreement that when you reserve a public space, you’ll secure event insurance with at least $1 million in general liability.
Getting event insurance for something simple like a birthday party is relatively easy to find, fast to sign up for, and cheap. However, for a political event, getting coverage was nearly impossible and borderline cost-prohibitive. That’s a problem. I imagine this will only get harder as things get more divisive nationally. Small-town groups shouldn’t be expected to shoulder those costs alone. This is something larger party organizations, like state or national Democratic and Republican organizations, need to step up and address if we want to keep real civic engagement alive at the local level.
Thankfully, one of our organizing members had experience in the industry and was willing to give their time and persevere until we secured coverage. It also helped that our DTC had some savings available to cover the high cost, which came in at nearly three times the typical estimate for standard event insurance.
In fact, some of the towns we were working with said flat out that they couldn’t afford to hold something similar on their own. This is a perfect example of why you need both passion and resources.
One way to stretch limited resources is by working across towns and pooling efforts. Banding together might be one of the only ways forward, especially since we’ve heard rumblings that nearby towns may start requiring medical payment coverage as well, which would make events like this even more cost-prohibitive.
It's wild when you think about it. Some people can spend millions to influence elections, but folks like us might not even be able to gather in a town hall or school community room because we can’t afford the insurance. If it gets too complicated or expensive to hold events like this, we’ll lose one of the few ways everyday people can come together, ask questions, and participate in the democratic process.
Needless to say, I think event insurance for political events is a significant structural barrier and a very big deal!
Just the Beginning
Ultimately, I’d say the forum was a success.
Despite the challenges, the forum reminded me of what matters most: community and connection. It was reassuring to hear that I’m not alone. Many of my neighbors are concerned too, and are ready to fight back.
But also after the forum, a few of us who helped plan it went out to dinner together. We shared stories about our kids and grandkids, compared travel tips, and laughed (I cried) about how much Disney prices have changed over the years.
These are the moments that ground us. No matter how chaotic things feel at the federal level, they can’t take away the connections we build with each other.
If you’re interested in hosting something similar, I’m happy to share some of our planning materials. It wasn’t easy, it took an army, but it was worth it. And hopefully, it was the start of something much bigger.
Dr. McD
Want to host something similar? Here are a few ideas based on what we learned:
Partner with other organizations. Pool your resources, talents, voices, and ideas. It lightens the workload and broadens your reach. Plus, you get to meet your neighbors. If you’re lucky like me, you’ll get cookies, laughs, and a snake plant (True story. So great. Picture proof below.)
Track how federal policies are affecting your local community. Print it. Share it. Post it. Sometimes, a well-sourced handout or flyer can go a long way, and it’s a lot cheaper than hosting a whole forum.
Support your local newspapers. We had a local reporter attend the event. Subscribing, submitting LTEs, and sharing local news coverage keep local journalism alive and amplifies community voices.
Figure out the insurance issue. This one’s big. Ask your local officials what the policy is. Push your state or party organizations for support. Research shared solutions across towns. We can’t let insurance become the thing that stops civic engagement.
Please let me know if you host something similar. It would be great to compare numbers and lessons learned!
Sources
[1] Email from Richmond Library April 7, 2025
[2] Our towns include Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Hebron, and Marlborough
[3] https://cea.org/federal-school-funding-cuts-will-hurt-students/
[4] Local food pantries impacted by federal funding cuts – NBC Connecticut By Sydney Boyo • Published March 25, 2025 • Updated on March 25, 2025
[5] Action Alert! USDA Terminates $660M Program for Local Food in Schools and Child Care, March 11
[6] https://www.kff.org/interactive/medicaid-state-fact-sheets/
[7] https://ctmirror.org/2025/04/02/ct-liheap-energy-assistance-trump-cuts/
This is a thoughtful and helpful description of the challenges small towns have in hearing from, and being heard by, our politicians. Well done Shana!
Complete markets, kid.
You have a gift for clear exposition of difficult stuff