The Campaign Workshop Blog

With Trump as president, nonprofit organizations have an opportunity to use digital advocacy to grow engagement and reach donors and constituencies. This doesn't make it any easier to get legislation passed, but it does present an opportunity for growth that may not have existed in the past for your organization.

One of the biggest benefits digital advertising can bring to a campaign is data. Unlike TV and mail, you can hone in on your targets, pay attention to metrics mid-campaign and adjust as necessary, and analyze what worked and what didn’t when the campaign is over.

There are many grassroots strategies out in the world, but not all of them work. So when it comes to grassroots, what actually works? The most effective strategies are built around personal relationships with legislators. When organizations build real relationships between their members and elected officials, their engagement lasts longer and their phone calls get returned.

According to Mirriam Webster, advocacy is defined as the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal. In the time I have worked, the process of supporting causes has changed. From needing lobbyists to meeting with legislators, all the way to how we promote causes, a lot has changed.

Ever had a moment when you to launch a Kickstarter nonprofit campaign ( or other online fundraising platform)? Some folks in the nonprofit and advocacy space have been hugely successful with Kickstarter, but it takes a combination of work, timing, and luck.

Should you pay a campaign fundraising commission? No, but likely not for the reason you think. Campaign fundraisers are worth every penny they get paid, but clarity in a business relationship is critical. It is simpler for finance directors and consultants to get a monthly fee. That way what they make is transparent. 

Last year I spoke to a group of legislators at the Public Leadership Institute. There were a lot of great questions, and the crowd was so much fun that I decided to turn the highlights into this week's post.

It’s difficult to recruit volunteers for any political or advocacy campaign in the first place—not everyone has the time, energy, or desire to clock in unpaid hours for a candidate or cause that they support. But it can be even harder to retain volunteers in your grassroots organization once you get them in the door.

If job hunting at any stage in life is a daunting process, searching for your first ever political job as a young person can be soul-crushing. While you may not be able to avoid all the headaches and meltdowns that accompany your transition into the Real World, these tips for your first political job hunt will at least help you breathe more easily (and maybe even sleep at night) as you navigate.

Digital Advocacy is on everyone's mind. Last month, I attended the Nonprofit Technology Conference in Washington, D.C. and one panel caught my eye: New Tools From the 2016 Elections That Nonprofit Techies Need to Know About. Given that our clients are both campaigns and nonprofits, it was a perfect fit. 

It seems like every month there is a new social media platform taking off that those of us who do digital work hear about from our clients (Peach anyone?). While the instinct is to be on every channel to reach the most people, it can work against engagement.

While blogging is undoubtedly an important element of any nonprofit content marketing plan, there are a number of other ways to use your team’s knowledge to promote your organization. These methods will increase traffic to your site and boost brand awareness. Here are a few:

Before a content launch, it is useful to have a system or checklist to make sure people know your new product exists and engages with it. This is a critical part of tour content's early success. This system is more than a tweet or a release—it is a holistic approach to all of it.

We all love life hacks. I’ll read any article that promises to show me “10 ways to be more productive at the office” or “15 secrets to make your morning better” or “5 ways to pack a healthier lunch.” Even if I just glean a single tip from the list, the sparkling promise of ease and order will hook me every time. That was why I was excited to try out the Hemingway Editor, a website that’s designed to show you simple ways to make your writing “bold and clear.”

When I started on the campaign trail, I was lucky enough to go through the Campaign Management Institute, where I became focused on political campaigns and encountered great mentors like Peter Fenn, Richard Smolka, Bill Sweeney and Peter Lindstrom through college programs and internships. Meeting folks who had made careers out of politics encouraged me to set aside my mom’s vision of me becoming  a professional chef and instead, pursue a career in politics and find a political campaign job.