H-CAN Frequently Asked Questions

How do I become a member of H-CAN?  

Anyone who wishes to actively advance the mission and values of H-CAN can become a member. If you’d like to be a member, sign up on the Join H-CAN page.  

What are the benefits of membership?

H-CAN is a welcoming group that has been connecting neighbors in Haverford Township and beyond since November 2016.  One of the main benefits of joining is the potential to form personal connections with other folks working to support our mission right here in our community.  

Once you sign up to become a member, you will be added to the H-CAN email list. You can expect to receive emails once or twice a month. Emails include action alerts and our monthly newsletter.  

Do I need to become a member of H-CAN to participate in events and actions?

No.

Where can I find out about H-CAN events? 

Our monthly newsletter is the best way to find out about events.  You can also check out our events calendar or join us on social media. 

Where can I connect to H-CAN on social media?

H-CAN has a public Facebook page where we share upcoming events and publications like our voter’s guide. Be sure to follow our Facebook page.

H-CAN has a very active closed Facebook group where we discuss issues related to our mission, hear from candidates, and share upcoming events. You can join our Facebook group by sending a message to our public page, submitting a request through our contact us page, or being added by a Facebook friend who is already in the group. Before being added, you must answer the prompted questions. The group is hidden to avoid trolling.   

H-CAN’s Indivisible action group has a Twitter and an Instagram Account. The content promotes civic engagement in Pennsylvania.  

What is an action group and how do I join one?

H-CAN encompasses a variety of issue-based action groups. Our current action groups are:

  • The ArtSquad (Arts Advocacy)

  • Climate Action

  • Disability and Accessibility 

  • Indivisible/Civic Engagement

  • Immigration and Refugees

  • Interfaith

  • Racial Justice

Most action groups meet monthly to plan events, advocacy, grassroots lobbying, fundraising, social gatherings, educational opportunities and more. Individuals join or start action groups to dedicate their time and talents to issues that are most pressing to them.  

Members can join multiple action groups, one action group, or no action groups. You are always welcome to check out a meeting or two to see if an action group is the right fit for you. If there’s an issue you care about that’s not represented in these action groups, but does fall under the umbrella of our mission, please consider starting your own! H-CAN can help you get started.  

Want to join a specific action group? First join H-CAN and then contact us to let us know which action group you’d like to join and we’ll connect you with that group’s action group leader(s).

Do I need to join an action group to be a member of H-CAN?  

No.  

Anyone who wishes to actively advance the mission and values of H-CAN can become a member. If you’d like to be a member, sign up on the Join H-CAN page.  

Once you sign up, you are a member and can participate in whatever ways feel best for you. Maybe you’ll join an action group or two. Maybe you’ll attend an event. Maybe you’ll help with a sending out postcards. Maybe you'll share news or actions in our Facebook group. There are many ways to be involved.  

What is a committee and how do I join one?

Committees allow H-CAN to function by supporting our day-to-day operations.  Our current committees are: 

  • Finance

  • Graphics

  • Progressive Press Newsletter

  • Website & Technology

  • Welcoming & Member Recruitment/Engagement

These committees would love your help. H-CAN is a 100% volunteer effort. If you’d like more information about joining a committee, please contact us.

Who is on the H-CAN Leadership Team?

The H-CAN Leadership Team is made up of:

  • A Lead Facilitator(s) 

  • A Scribe(s) 

  • Leaders from each Action Group

  • Leaders from each Committee 

  • Up to Two Member Delegates 

If you are interested in participating on the leadership team as a facilitator, scribe, or member delegate, please contact us.

Can membership in H-CAN be revoked?  

Yes. People actively working against our mission and values can have their membership revoked. H-CAN exists to serve our mission. Individuals seeking to use our network for personal gain or for other ends not related to our mission may be removed.  Harassment, trolling, and other abusive behavior will not be tolerated.  

How can I plan an event or action? 

Most events are planned through action groups. If your event falls under an action group’s issue area, reach out to that group. If your event or action falls under the umbrella of H-CAN’s mission, but outside our current action groups,please contact us and we’ll try to connect you to the right folks.  

What community organizations do you currently partner with?  

H-CAN and our action groups partner with a number of local organizations including March on Harrisburg, The Poor People’s Campaign, Wolf Pac, the Main Line NAACP, the Main Line Art Center, and Disability Equality in Education.

H-CAN and our action groups belong to a number of coalitions including the Delco Arts Consortium and the Driving PA Forward Coalition.

H-CAN is a member of Citizens for the Arts in PA, PICC, and Indivisible.  

If your group would like to partner with H-CAN, please contact us.

I hold public office or am a candidate for public office and would like to promote my candidacy or event. Can I do that?  

We invite you to contribute to H-CAN’s voter guide. Please contact us.

Does H-CAN endorse candidates?  

H-CAN does NOT endorse candidates for a number of reasons.  

  1. We are a diverse group and want to avoid internal division. We can come together to support our mission and the efforts of our many action groups even when we disagree about candidates.  

  2. We believe H-CAN can be most useful by providing unbiased candidate info through our voter’s guide and candidate forums. Equipping voters with factual information so they can make their own decisions is more our style than telling people who to vote for.  

  3. We want to work effectively with folks in elected office. If we endorse candidates, we risk losing their attention once they receive an endorsement. We also risk alienating officials we don’t endorse. We hope to work with elected officials in any areas where we can find ideological alignment, even if we disagree in other areas.  

Is H-CAN a legal entity and how does H-CAN operate financially?

H-CAN is not a formal legal entity itself but operates similarly to a non-profit entity wherein any income earned during the year is used to further our mission. H-CAN is under the umbrella of Indivisible. As such, we have a fundraising platform through ActBlue. 

How can I donate to H-CAN?

You can donate through this online ActBlue form.

What is H-CAN’s relationship to Indivisible?

Indivisible was started soon after the November 2016 election by former Congressional staffers who wrote a guide on how to defeat the Trump agenda by holding our members of Congress accountable. It has become a movement of thousands of groups across the country with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda. While Indivisible groups were initially primarily focused on engaging with federal elected officials, most Indivisible groups, including H-CAN, are also now engaging at the state and local levels, as well. 

H-CAN began even earlier than Indivisible, but found the goals and structure of Indivisible to be a good fit with H-CAN’s mission, and soon signed on as one of the many groups forming across the country in early 2017. 

At the same time, Indivisible is just one of H-CAN’s many action groups, so many H-CAN activities occur that are not directly related to Indivisible.

Do you have a question not answered here? Do you have ideas, feedback, suggestions, or other thoughts to share?

Please contact us. We’d be happy to help.