Events
Lobby days + town halls + organizing
Specific advocacy events: lobby days at federal + state capitols, member town halls, training summits, partner gatherings, public actions. ~120+ events per year across 50 states.
Federal + state lobby days
Direct political action
Federal lobby day — March 2026
Annual federal climate lobby day in Washington DC. ~800 members participate. Meet with Senators + Representatives + their staff. Training day prior; lobby day; closing reception. Travel + lodging coordinated.
State lobby days (8 states/year)
State capitol lobby days in California, New York, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Texas. Quarterly typical. ~150-300 members per state lobby day. Specific to state campaign priorities.
Specific issue lobby days (varies)
When specific bills active: targeted lobby days for specific federal + state legislation. Methane regulation lobby day, Clean Electricity Standard lobby day, IRA implementation, etc. Mobilize quickly when timing right.
Lobby day participation
Free for participants. Travel + lodging support available for low-income members ($500/lobby day). Training + briefing materials provided. Most participants find lobby days meaningful + impactful.
Day-of structure
Morning: training + briefing + group meeting. Late morning + afternoon: meetings with legislators + staff. Evening: post-lobby reception + reflection. ~10-12 hour day. Powerful experience.
Long-term impact
Lobby days + member meetings build relationships with legislators + staff over time. Many federal + state legislators have ongoing relationships with Forward Climate Coalition. Specific to building movement political infrastructure.
Town halls + member gatherings
Movement building
State + city town halls (quarterly)
State + major city member town halls. ~50-150 members per event. Strategy briefings + Q&A with leadership + member-to-member networking. Building local movement infrastructure.
Movement-wide annual conference (June)
Annual Forward Climate Coalition conference. ~600 members + partners attend. Strategy + training + networking + visioning. Held at Washington DC. Significant capacity-building event.
Regional summits (2/year per region)
Northeast + Southeast + Midwest + West + South + Pacific Northwest regional summits. ~150-300 attendees per summit. Regional strategy + organizing capacity + networking.
Partner organization gathering (annual)
Annual gathering of 240+ partner organizations. Closed event for partners + senior coalition staff. Strategic alignment + relationship building. Critical for coalition functioning.
Major donor gatherings (semi-annual)
Major donor receptions + briefings. ~100-150 major donors per event. Direct exposure to senior leadership + research + advocacy. Held in major cities (NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, others).
Webinar series (monthly)
Free monthly webinar series for members + supporters. Topics: climate science, policy briefings, organizing skills, special topics. ~500-1,500 attendees per webinar. Recorded + posted online.
Training + capacity building
Movement skills
Organizer training summit (annual)
Annual training summit for movement organizers. 4-day intensive training. Coalition organizers, partner organization staff, volunteer leaders. ~120 attendees. Significant investment in movement leadership development.
Advocacy training sessions (rolling)
Rolling advocacy training: how to call Congress, write op-eds, public testimony, lobby day preparation, regulatory commenting. Online + in-person. Free for members.
Grassroots organizing training
Specific to grassroots organizing: recruiting, training, retaining volunteers. Local + state team building. Held quarterly. Critical for state + local campaign capacity.
Communications + media training
Press interviews, op-ed writing, social media advocacy, public speaking. Specific to building movement spokespeople. Held twice annually + customized.
Policy + research training
Specific to understanding policy proposals + research methodology. Training for activists wanting deeper engagement. Held annually + by request.
Coalition partner staff development
Development opportunities for partner organization staff. Sometimes co-funded with partner orgs. Specific to building movement-wide capacity.
Public actions + visibility
Movement-building events
Climate strikes + global days of action
Coordinated international climate strikes + days of action. Coalition mobilizes US members. Coordinated with global climate movement. Periodic + crisis-responsive.
Climate week activities (September)
Climate Week NYC + Bay Area Climate Week + others. Coordinated programming + visibility. Major opportunity for movement engagement + media. ~25-50 events per Climate Week.
Earth Day actions (April)
Earth Day mobilizing + actions. Specific to coordinated movement visibility. Co-coordinated with environmental movement broadly. Annual mobilization moment.
UN COP climate negotiations
Annual UN climate negotiations (COP). Coalition participates with international partners. Lobbying + visibility + accountability for US commitments. Annual opportunity for international engagement.
Climate justice rallies + marches
Coordinated with environmental justice movement. Specific to centering EJ communities in climate action. Held in EJ-affected communities + at federal sites.
Specific issue actions
Crisis or opportunity-driven specific actions. Public protest at federal agency, court watch, lobby visit, media event. Mobilized within days when needed.
Find an event near you
Local engagement
Event calendar online
/events page (this page) + state-specific event calendars. Filter by location + date + event type. Search-friendly + mobile-optimized. Updated weekly.
Local team meetings
Monthly state + city team meetings. Find your local team via /events. ~150 active local teams nationwide. Specific to local + state organizing.
Regional summits
Periodic regional summits (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West, South, PNW). Approximately 2/year per region. Specific regional strategy + capacity building.
Webinar series (online)
Monthly webinar series open to all members. Free. Topics range across climate science + policy + advocacy. Recorded + available later.
Specific campaign events
When specific campaigns active: rapid mobilization for specific events. Rally, lobby day, public testimony, regulatory comment day. Can be organized quickly when timing right.
Volunteer-organized events
Local teams + volunteers organize events. Block parties, neighborhood meetings, university campus events. Often grassroots energy + member-driven. Coalition supports + amplifies.
Event questions
What members ask
- Sign up via /take-action or events calendar. Free participation; travel + lodging support available for low-income members ($500/lobby day). Most lobby days fill 4-6 weeks in advance; book early. Specific to specific lobby day timing.