___You understand the two ways boycotts work -- by creating negative publicity and threatening to hurt an organization's bottom line.
___You know the difference between a primary and a secondary boycott.
You know the basic ways a boycott can be used:
___As an end in itself.
___To destroy an individual or corporation.
___As a bargaining chip.
You know the advantages of organizing a boycott:
___Achieving success by forcing an individual or business to change their policies.
___Letting people put their money where their values are.
___Bringing a lot of attention to you and your cause.
___Making other organizations rethink their policies.
___You have exhausted your other more gentle options and are turning to a boycott as a last resort.
You have taken extra time to answer the following questions:
___Could the boycott alienate any of my current supporters?
___Could legal action be taken against my organization because of this boycott?
___Am I willing to put in the time and effort required to make this endeavor successful?
___You have come up with goals that are clear and realistic.
___You have a good understanding of what makes a boycott effective.
___Solid facts and trusted sources have been used in your research.
___All of the groups you want to boycott have been identified.
___You have made partnerships with other groups who share your opinions.
__The perpetrators have been informed of your intentions, preferably through a letter.
The letter to your perpetrators has met the following criteria:
___It is clear and professional in tone, without being overtly threatening.
___It has been written on agency letterhead.
___Information has been included about other groups collaborating on the boycott.
___The who, what, and when of your boycott have been clearly stated.
___It has been sent two weeks prior to the date listed for your boycott to begin.
___It has been signed by the head of your group or groups.
__It has been checked and rechecked for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
___It has been sent to the CEO or President of the organization, as well as any other personnel directly involved with the issue.
___You have run your ideas by your friends and colleagues to make sure they make sense, and have also invited and encouraged them to join your efforts.
___You have held a press conference to let the rest of the community know about your efforts, and their benefits in joining.
You have examined other sections of the Toolbox for additional information on boycott strategies, such as:
___Organizing Public Demonstrations, Chapter 33, Section 14.
___Writing Letters to the Editor: Chapter 33, Section 2.
___Using Paid Advertising: Chapter 6, Section 9.
___Creating Posters and Fliers: Chapter 6, Section 11.
___Arranging a Press Conference: Chapter 6, Section 8.
___Communications to Promote Interest: Chapter 6.
You have made efforts to explain why you are sponsoring the boycott, and have included in your explanations:
___Solid reasoning.
___Updated information.
___Simple explanations.
___You have offered alternatives to whatever you are boycotting, and have made the boycott easy to participate in.
___You have praised the boycotted organizations publicly following any of their attempts to meet your demands.
___You have kept at your boycott over time, and celebrated your smaller landmark victories.