What’s Inside Your Campaign Toolbox? Must-Have Tools for Success
Running a campaign on a tight budget? We get it. That’s why we compiled a list of free tools to include in your campaign toolbox and make your efforts more efficient. From launching your campaign to streamlining operations, these free tools can make a difference.
While no single tool can solve every problem, incorporating a few (or, hopefully, all) of these tools will help you along the way. Whether you’re fundraising for a nonprofit, managing an independent expenditure campaign, or running for office, we hope you find this post valuable—and if you want to learn more about campaign management tools, check out our blog about 2024 Campaign Management Tools: What You Need to Know.
While you’re here, we recommend exploring our website as we offer free tools, eBooks, infographics, and weekly blogs that could serve as a great addition to your campaign toolbox. Our latest eBook, The Complete Guide to Advocacy, provides key strategies to craft and implement a winning advocacy plan. Additionally, we released the 5th edition of our 100+ Best Campaign Management Tools List, where we’ve curated political and advocacy resources in one convenient place.
The Conservation Campaign Guide
The Conservation Campaign toolbox is designed for environmental advocacy groups, but many progressive organizations can benefit from its materials. Their toolbox contains three key resources.
- The Campaign Guide: This guide helps you think strategically by asking you the right questions and aligning your efforts with your campaign goals. Topics include goal setting, building coalitions, crafting messages, fundraising and budgeting, and voter outreach.
- The Campaign Checklist: This template makes sure no task is overlooked. Check it out and customize it to fit your specific campaign.
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Case Studies: These provide examples of how the guide can be applied in real-world scenarios.
Nonprofits, this is for you! PlanningToWin.org offers great resources to prepare for an issue campaign. Their Just Enough Guide for Campaigners organizes the campaign planning process into six stages, guiding you through key questions to inform your decision. Additionally, Planning to Win has provided a variety of other downloadable guides and templates. Be sure to check out their toolbox and downloads section on their website.
The Smart Chart and Activation Point from Spitfire Strategies are excellent tools for nonprofits looking to communicate their plans effectively and increase member engagement. In recent years, Spitfire Strategies has added even more tools, so we recommend checking them out.
The Action Network is a great free tool for fundraising, event organizing, and petitions. With its user-friendly layout, it’s easy to integrate into your site. We’re big fans, we recommend giving it a try!
Formerly known as Wellstone, re:power offers a variety of helpful tools for communications, fundraising, organizing, and management. Thor resources include the Vote Deficit Calculator and the Win Number Calculator, just to name a few, which are invaluable for campaign planning and a must-have for your campaign toolbox. Check them out!
You’re likely already using Canva as a free tool for creating PowerPoint presentations, but it also offers free templates for social media posts, flyers, and more. Campaigns can save time and resources while maintaining a polished image. Take full advantage of Canva’s free offerings!
Apps are always helpful, and free apps are even better. The Politico mobile app is a fantastic way to stay updated on political news and analysis. They are available for both iOS and Android. If you’re not a fan of apps and prefer website browsing, don’t worry—Politico’s website is mobile-friendly and offers a wealth of news and insights.
We know that no campaign toolbox is ever complete. For a more extensive list, check out our 100+ Best Campaign Tools. Keep an eye on The Campaign Workshop blog for even more tools and tips for advocacy and candidate campaigns.
Want to learn more about advocacy and are ready to take the next step? Check out our Virtual Advocacy Training!