It's been a couple of weeks since our last update, and we understand you may be eager for faster progress. While we may appear to be in much the same place as our previous update, we want to be transparent about why.

The work of building a nationwide, county-by-county infrastructure that prioritizes both security and sustainability is intensive and time-consuming. As an all-volunteer team, we're working tirelessly behind the scenes, but the scale of what we're building means that visible progress sometimes comes more slowly than any of us would like.

We're making a deliberate choice to prioritize long-term effectiveness over quick solutions that might compromise security or sustainability. We're currently focused on:

• Building secure systems that protect your information and safety

• Creating organizational structures that will serve us for years, not just weeks

• Carefully vetting volunteers who will have access to sensitive information

• Establishing communication channels that are both efficient and secure

• Developing protocols to coordinate action across all 3,244 counties

  Remember that we're playing chess, not checkers. Each step we take is part of a strategic approach to creating lasting change. The care we're taking now to build strong foundations, secure processes, and effective coordination systems will multiply our impact in the months and years ahead.

  While this infrastructure building continues, we encourage you to continue with the Action Bingo activities, connect with local organizations already doing important work in your community, and prepare yourself by learning about the specific needs and issues in your county.

  We understand that the pace may feel slow, especially when there's so much at stake. But please know that our commitment has not wavered. We're building No Small Act to be durable, effective, and truly transformative—the kind of movement that can create systemic change through coordinated local action.

To be candid – none of this was expected! What started as Colleen posting a TikTok video based on a glimmer of an idea unexpectedly ignited into a nationwide movement almost overnight. We went from 5 emails to over 10,000 in a matter of days, with people from every corner of the country stepping forward to make change. While this tremendous response has been inspiring, it also meant quickly building infrastructure that would normally take organizations months to develop.

Building a nationwide movement that prioritizes safety and sustainability requires careful planning, especially when it develops this rapidly. We're establishing secure systems to protect everyone involved while creating a structure that can effectively coordinate action across all 3,244 counties – all while adapting to the unexpected scale of interest every day.

Only a small, carefully vetted team has access to personal information. We take this responsibility extremely seriously and have established protocols to ensure your information remains secure. While we are taking every possible measure to protect your privacy and create a secure environment, we want to be transparent that, as with any movement for change, there are inherent risks involved.

Your safety is our priority, which is why we're methodically building our systems with security at the forefront rather than rushing ahead. This careful approach might add time to our process, but we believe it's essential for creating a safe space for everyone involved.

County Representatives serve as local connectors and coordinators for No Small Act's mission within their specific county. As a County Rep, you would:

Working with your local county group:

• Coordinate local efforts that align with No Small Act's mission of strengthening democracy and protecting vulnerable populations

• Identify gaps in your community where needs aren't being met, such as:

  Service gaps for vulnerable populations

  Coordination gaps between similar organizations

  Geographic areas within your county lacking adequate advocacy

  Important local issues not currently being addressed

  Information gaps where community members lack awareness

  Representation gaps where certain communities aren't included in decision-making

• Act as a bridge between individuals and existing organizations in your community, helping to connect people with opportunities for meaningful action

• Build relationships with other community leaders and organizations to amplify collective impact Participate in nationwide coordinated actions while adapting them to meet the specific needs of your county

Within the No Small Act network:

• Maintain communication with your State Lead, peer representatives (both within your state and nationwide), and the No Small Act leadership structure to ensure aligned efforts, shared learning, and effective coordination

• Share information about effective actions and strategies with the broader No Small Act network

• Uphold the values of No Small Act, including our commitment to peaceful advocacy, inclusion, and protection of vulnerable communities

The No Small Act structure operates with nationwide leadership, State Leads, and County Representatives working together to ensure coordinated action at every level.

The time commitment typically involves hosting regular meetings (approximately 1 hour), organizing and participating in collective actions, and communicating with your group members and State Lead. We estimate a commitment of 3-5 hours per week, which can be managed more efficiently by delegating tasks to engaged members of your county group.

The role is designed to be sustainable and flexible, recognizing that our representatives have other life commitments. No Small Act provides support, resources, training, and a network of peers to help you succeed in this position.

We have dedicated volunteers working countless hours, and we're incredibly grateful for everyone who has offered to help. While it might seem like we could move faster by bringing on more volunteers immediately, we're taking a strategic approach to volunteer onboarding. This involves careful vetting, especially for roles with access to sensitive information, and creating clear systems so everyone knows exactly what they're doing.

Rather than burning out our team or creating security risks by onboarding too many people too quickly, we're building sustainable systems that will serve our movement for the long term. We'll continue bringing on more volunteers in phases as our structure and security protocols develop.

We're playing chess, not checkers. Each step we take is part of a strategic approach to creating lasting change. While it might be tempting to rush forward and capitalize on the incredible energy we're seeing, we're building something designed to withstand opposition and create sustainable impact.

This movement isn't about quick wins that fade – it's about systematically building a nationwide network that can effectively coordinate action and drive meaningful change over time. The care we're taking now to build strong foundations, secure processes, and effective coordination systems will multiply our impact in the months and years ahead. When we do activate our full network, the power of having organized representatives in every county will be transformative.

No Small Act operates with a strategic approach to visibility. While some of our actions will be coordinated publicly, many aspects of our work are intentionally conducted "behind the scenes." This allows us to be more effective and to protect our volunteers.

Currently, we are not publishing a map of county leaders or representatives out of safety concerns. While we do plan to eventually create a visualization showing which counties have representation and which still need volunteers, this will come only after we've processed all submissions and established robust security protocols.

By sometimes moving in silence and focusing on impact rather than visibility, we can build power and create change without unnecessarily exposing our members to risk. This approach also allows us to coordinate more effectively with existing organizations and to take strategic action when and where it's most impactful. The safety of our volunteers is paramount, and we're being intentionally cautious about what information becomes public.

We hear you! One of the most powerful aspects of this movement is the eagerness to take meaningful action rather than just scrolling through more bad news. We want to shift from passive consumption and doom scrolling to purposeful action – because that's where the energy, hope, and wins come from.

This is exactly why we created the Action Bingo – to provide concrete steps everyone can take right now, regardless of where they are in the connection process. The beauty of these actions is that they're designed to be done individually but have collective impact when thousands of us move together.

Every week, our county rep leadership community creates and distributes new action-oriented Bingo cards to keep momentum building. We've pulled together top action items everyone can work on together while waiting to be connected. Access our first community-wide Action Bingo below.