Photo of timeline with steps

Timelines and an Advocacy RFP Template

Using an advocacy RFP template can help streamline the process of hiring the right partner for your next project. The exercise of filling out the template should help you identify your goals, any constraints on the project, and strengths and weaknesses in your organization.

close up of two people shaking heads with american flag backdrop

Legislative Advocacy Kick Off

by Ben Holse (He/Him)

For many issues, legislative advocacy is the best and only way to bring about real change. But there’s a lot of different ways to engage in legislative advocacy. There’s the traditional “inside game” where you work to provide resources and information to lawmakers. There’s also the “outside game” where you work with a network of volunteers to provide pressure on legislators from the outside.

People in suits in runner's position

Political Candidate Assessment: Am I Ready to Run?

by Joe Fuld (He/Him)

Before any runner steps up to the starting blocks, there are months and months of preparation done to ensure they are ready. The same goes for a political candidate deciding to run for office. Here’s a self-assessment guide that’s a follow up to our e-book Are You Ready to Run for Office? and can help potential first-time candidates make a thoughtful decision.

Red mail box with letters in front of it - Campaign Mailers

Campaign Mailers: Getting Started with Political Mail

by Sophie Thurber (She/Her)

The world of campaign mailers is varied and complex, but don’t let that stop you from sending rad mail that gets you noticed. We’ve pulled together some things for you to think about as you start to pin down exactly how your campaign’s mail program is going to take shape.

Phones hanging from their cords, one orange one stands out

Campaign Fundraising: The Keys to Successful Call Time

by Joe Fuld (He/Him)

Let’s face it, campaign fundraising is hard, and call time is often the most dreaded part of it. No candidate wants to press pause on the many other duties of their campaign to dial for dollars. Every candidate will say the same thing: “I just hate asking people for money!” But whether you’re running for town supervisor or president, call time is a critical part of campaign fundraising efforts—and therefore, a critical part of every campaign.

Stump Speech Writing

Stump Speech: The Ultimate Speechwriting Guide

by Martín Diego Garcia (He/Him)

Here is our ultimate guide to writing a great stump speech. We all know that the candidate is the campaign’s best asset, and the stump speech is the best campaign tool for delivering a 7C’s (clear, concise, contrastive, connective, creative, compelling, consistent) message and personal story about the candidate and campaign.

Woman in a striped shirt typing on a silver computer
Coalition mapping: a picture of scrunched up pieces of paper and one yellow ball is depicted like a bright light bulb

Coalition Mapping: Understanding Your Coalition Landscape

by Martín Diego Garcia (He/Him)

When should I start building my coalition? In short, yesterday. but to find your way coalition mapping will help.

Community advocacy campaign   Picture of a hand holding a pride flag i

Community Advocacy Campaign in 7 Steps

by The Campaign Workshop

Launching a community advocacy campaign can seem intimidating – where would you begin? There are countless campaign tools available to you, but they don’t mean anything if you don’t know what to do with them.

Two latte cups on blue plates sitting on a wooden table.

Grassroots Advocacy Basics: Coffee with Your Legislator

by Ben Holse (He/Him)

How do you leverage grassroots advocacy? Start with a cup of coffee.

advocacy campaign testimonials: A busy terminal with lots of people of all ages and races.

Advocacy Campaign Testimonials to Move the Needle

by Elena Veatch

Advocacy campaign testimonials have a unique ability to highlight the human impact of your issue. By recruiting community members who have been directly affected by your issue to share their stories, you can make the seemingly arbitrary stakes of policy decisions more tangible for people.

A board with a fifty colored stickies on it

Advocacy Strategy: Integrated Campaigns for the Win

by Elena Veatch

The art of crafting a well-integrated advocacy strategy is akin to making a great book-to-film adaptation. When you find out a book you love will be made into a movie, you hope the story, characters, and message won’t be lost in translation across mediums. A good adaptation will capture the theme and boil the plotline down to its most important elements—after all, few among us have time to catch a twelve-hour movie (though I personally would be on board with a marathon re-cut of The Shining).