Frequently Asked Questions

What if no one in the City Finance Department will tell me who they bank with?

If the City Employee tells you they aren’t allowed to provide that information, FIRST ask if there's some other department that might be able to share that information. If they still refuse and /or say you need to make a Freedom of Information Request, thank them for their time and note that down. Next you can try to research the info online (see instructions on main research page). Take note of the name of each person you speak to. That way, if you need to call back to that office, you have a paper trail of names to reference.

If they ask "where are you from?" what should I say?

You could say “I’m helping a national research project on municipal banking.” Don’t lie, but if they ask directly, you can tell them you’re a volunteer with the Defund DAPL Coalition and/or Greenpeace depending on where you first heard about this.

The person I spoke to said I needed to submit a Freedom of information Act (FOIA) request to get that information. What do I do now?

Make a note of that in the “Research Report” Google form and we will follow up.

I can't open the spreadsheet to see what cities/counties have been researched.

You can view the research results spreadsheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yLf1rqnHGq7BKvfV45iRrfxEp3DaNCW20qmYqEzPxfY/

How do I add my results to the form?

You can add your results by filling out THIS FORM. Please fill out one form per city/county you call so the data shows up correctly in the spreadsheet.

What if no one answers the phone? Should I leave message?

If you're ok with getting a call back you can definitely leave a message. If they don't call you back in 24 hours you can call again. Here's a sample script:

"Hi my name is _____, I'm doing a research project on municipal banking. I wanted to know what bank CITY NAME has depository services or payroll services with. You can reach me at NUMBER, EMAIL, thanks for your help!"

My city has a lot of accounts with different banks. Am I looking for a particular one?

If they give you the names of any banks they have any relationships with that are also on this list of any of the dozens of banks financing the Dakota Access Pipeline, congratulations: you have a campaign!!!

NOTE: PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOUR CITY BANKS AT ONE OF THE BANKS FUNDING DAPL! YOU CAN EMAIL US AT DEFUNDDAPLCOALITION@GMAIL.COM

What are depository services?

This is a common way to describe a whole list of various banking products that banks offer to cities or companies. The more general way to ask the question we’re wondering is: “what banks does CITY NAME have any relationship with at all?”

What cities are the most important for me to call?

First, check this google spreadsheet to find out where we have information and where we still need it. Start with the city where you live. If that’s already covered, you might start with somewhere you know someone who could follow up with the city to ask them to #DefundDAPL. If not, then anywhere is fine! Thanks for getting going!

How can I start / join a campaign my city to #DefundDAPL?

Thanks for getting started! Here’s a toolkit to help guide your organizing (with love from the coalition in Seattle!)

Can my friends call a city too?

Sure - just send them this link to sign up!

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