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“I was excited that I was actually doing something. I felt like the inner democratic person in me that I've never been. I'm a relaxed skateboarder, so it's not like me to try and make change through the government.” — Miles
That’s what one advocate told us after launching a petition to improve safety in their community. Whether you’re a seasoned organizer or someone taking action for the first time, you can feel that same sense of purpose by speaking up for what matters.
This guide will show you how to turn your idea into a powerful petition that grabs attention — and gets results.
What is a petition?
A petition is a written document requesting some type of change or demand made to an authority figure. Getting multiple signatures from different individuals shows the extent of support for your cause.
A petition can tackle a range of issues on a smaller local scale or a bigger national or even global scale. Petitions can target problems related to civil rights, public safety, the environment, entertainment, healthcare, education, animal welfare, sports, and any other cause that’s important to you.
The basic process of creating a petition includes:
Writing a message and request about the change you’d like to see and why
Choosing the petition decision maker who can respond to your request
Asking others to sign your petition in support of your goals
Delivering the petition to the recipient electronically or in-person
Do online petitions really work? How many signatures do you need? → Read the guide.
Choose your topic
The first step in creating a petition is to choose a topic that’s meaningful to you. If you don't already have a specific cause in mind, start by considering your broader interests — like criminal justice or climate change. Then, narrow it down into a specific goal or change you'd like to see.
When choosing your topic, consider the following:
What outcome do you want? Define the specific change you’re asking for.
Who has the power to make that change? Identify a clear decision maker or authority your petition will target.
Why does this issue matter? Think about why others should care and how the change would positively impact your community or cause.
How will success be measured? Set clear, achievable goals so you can track progress, like a certain number of signatures, a response from the decision maker, or seeing your requested action implemented.
What steps can be taken to achieve your goal? Outline a basic plan that includes both short- and long-term actions, like sharing your petition on social media and mobilizing supporters to take further direct action.
The more specific and actionable your petition is, the more likely it is to grab people’s attention and inspire them to sign.
A great example is the petition launched by Sergeant First Class Latoya Greene, who called for the U.S. Army to revise its height, weight, and body composition standards. Throughout her 16 years in the military, Latoya consistently met or exceeded physical fitness goals — but wasn’t able to meet the Army’s outdated and unfair weight and body measurement tests.
Her petition clearly defines both the problem (a flawed, body-shaming tape test) and the solution (modernized, fair standards), while also highlighting its emotional and psychological toll on soldiers. This clarity and focus makes it easy for others to understand the issue and feel motivated to support it.
Check out Latoya’s victory story below.
Write your headline
Your headline is your first opportunity to engage readers with your petition and make it clear what change you want. Name specific places, organizations, or people involved.
Potential supporters want to know if your petition is relevant to them, their community, or their values. Provide the most important details in the title while keeping it concise.
Be thoughtful about using CAPS or extra punctuation (!!!) which can be interpreted as a sensationalized headline, and may be unappealing to potential supporters.
This example includes the decision maker identified to make the change (UPS), who the issue affects (delivery drivers), and the solution (air conditioning).
Start with an action verb
Readers want to know specifically what change you want to make so they can decide whether to sign your petition. Your headline is the place to focus on the solution. Common action words for petitions are “stop, save, ban, change, grant, oppose, add, start.”
Use a hook
Get people’s attention by making your headline emotional and urgent. Be clear about who is affected and why you care. If there are key dates or time pressure on your petition, include that information too.
Thousands have started and won petitions. Build awareness and support for your cause. Start a petition today.
Tell your story
Storytelling is the heart of a successful petition. Supporting research like facts and statistics are valuable and strengthen credibility, but also consider sharing your or another individual's personal experience. This will help people emotionally connect to your cause.
Consider your audience when crafting your story. For instance, you may target parents if your petition centers on a cause like maternal health or early childhood education. Think about their values and priorities and how those relate to the problem you hope to solve.
You can also include a video to grab your audience's attention. And you don't need to spend a ton of resources to tell a strong story. With a phone camera and a free video editing app, you can inspire others with a visual story.
Melissa Bumstead’s petition to clean up toxic waste at the Santa Susan Field Lab in California is an excellent example of weaving an emotional story with hard supporting facts. Watch the powerful story of her fight and petition experience:
Describe who is impacted
In your petition body, describe how the problem directly impacts you and other people. If relevant, use a personal example. Real people add weight to your story and help others empathize with their struggles.
For example, Latoya’s petition highlights how outdated Army body composition standards negatively impact dedicated service members — especially women.
Melissa’s petition brings attention to the children and families living near the Santa Susana Field Lab, many of whom have faced devastating health consequences — including her own.
Goals and obstacles
In your petition, make it clear what you’re fighting for — and what stands in your way. Your goal should be specific and achievable, and your obstacles should explain what you’re up against.
For example, Latoya fought to modernize the Army’s height, weight, and tape test standards so that soldiers are evaluated fairly based on their fitness and performance. Her biggest obstacle was the military's long-standing reliance on a flawed system that contributes to body shame and mental health issues.
Melissa’s goal is to force California’s environmental agencies to fully clean up the Santa Susana Field Lab, which continues to expose nearby communities to toxic contamination. She’s up against powerful institutions — including Boeing, NASA, and the Department of Energy — that have avoided accountability for years, as well as regulatory agencies that have failed to enforce cleanup agreements.
Stakes
Make the consequences of action — or inaction — crystal clear. What’s at stake if nothing changes? What’s possible if the petition succeeds? The more concrete and personal the stakes, the more compelling your petition will be.
Latoya’s petition explains that if nothing changes, soldiers — especially women — will continue to face body shaming, disordered eating, and unnecessary career setbacks, even when they meet or exceed physical fitness standards. If the petition succeeds, the Army will adopt fairer, more health-conscious evaluations that protect both physical and mental well-being and equal opportunity.
Melissa’s petition explains that if the Santa Susana Field Lab isn’t cleaned up, more children and families may suffer from preventable cancers and chronic illnesses due to toxic exposure. If the petition succeeds, state agencies will be forced to act, reducing future health risks and delivering long-overdue justice to a community that has already endured too much.
Explain why now is the time to act
Summarize and stress the importance of immediate action. Connect your call to action with the stakes for those in your personal story, and the community at large.
If there is an upcoming vote, deadline or meeting, include those details and encourage supporters to join you in mobilizing in other ways in addition to signing your petition. That might include contacting lawmakers, writing letters, participating in peaceful protests, or funding grassroots organizers.
Need to change or update something after you launch your petition? No problem. You can go back and edit your content in your petition dashboard at any time.
Choose an image or add a video
Along with your headline, your main image or video will be the first thing that readers see. Your image or video will also be what appears when people share your petition on social media. Here are a few dos and don'ts to follow.
Show emotion
A great photo captures the emotion of your petition and tells a story in an instant. Close up photos of people or animals showing positive or negative emotions work well.
Here’s an example of two images used for the same petition: Stop the creation of a local puppy mill. The second image led to more signatures than the original image because it’s simple, a close up, and conveys emotion.
Keep composition simple with strong color contrast
Busy images with a lot of detail can be overwhelming and easy to skip. Stick to images that are simple, straightforward and showcase contrasting colors. Here’s an example of two images used for the same petition: Reduce the tax on fuel by at least 30%.
The first image led to more signatures than the second image because it’s simple, specific to the title, and has high color contrast.
Avoid images with text
It may seem counter-intuitive, but images with logos, text, and graphics consistently underperform compared to images without them. The vast majority of the time, a standalone, high quality image will generate more signatures than an image with text. This is one of the most common mistakes we see!
Avoid busy images
Avoid creating collages with multiple images. Instead, add multiple individual images to the petition body text. Busy images distract the reader rather than focusing them on the important details.
Here’s an example for the petition: Introduce deaf awareness training for all teachers.
Use images of public figures or local landmarks
If your petition is specific to a company or addresses a public figure, take or source an image featuring those subjects. They are likely to be easily recognizable and provide additional context alongside a clear petition title.
Look for photos online to source
The best photo is one that you own. But if you don’t have an original photo, you can search sites like Flickr or Unsplash. Use the advanced search options to find large size images that the creator has licensed for reuse.
Be sure to look for photos tagged with a creative commons license. This means it's free to use and doesn't infringe any copyright laws. Most stock photo websites include details on whether an image is licensed for reuse. Try to upload photos that are 1600 x 900 pixels or larger so they look good on all screen sizes.
Choose your decision maker or elected officials
A decision maker is a person in an authority position who has the ability to help implement the change you seek. This could include a politician, an influencer, or a business person. Once you have a specific goal for your petition, you can figure out who this person (or people) should be.
For instance, elected officials can help with legal and local policy issues, while a business leader could help change consumer or employee issues. Gather information about your selected decision maker to include in the petition. By including an email address for the right decision makers, you and your supporters can contact them to advocate for the petition.
Pick people, not a group or organization
Unlike an organization, you can hold people directly accountable. Make your decision maker the person or people within an organization who are responsible for your solution or who you need to convince. For example “Mayor Jane Smith” rather than “Springfield City Government.”
Choose someone directly responsible
It’s better to target the people who can respond to specific concerns rather than more senior, public figures. Someone directly responsible can make a decision and implement your solution faster. They can also be more sensitive to public pressure.
For example, Melissa’s petition targets the House representative of the specific California district, the secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Include their email
Change.org will automatically notify your decision maker when a petition hits a certain number of signatures, so it’s important to include the right email address when creating your petition. To find it you can:
Search for them online or LinkedIn and check inside PDF documents like conference presentations or board papers.
Call their office and ask
You have the power to make change with an online petition
Petitions are one of the most powerful ways citizens can use their voices and participate in democracy. The steps you need to take to create an online petition are clear and easy. We’re here to help you on your path to inspire the change you want to see in the world.
