The Campaign Workshop Blog

You’ve decided to run for office - congratulations! You’re probably wondering how to get your message out to the community, and you might be a little overwhelmed by all your options. it's time for your campaign budget to come to to the rescue.

When you get into politics, you can have tunnel vision.  Binge watching House of Cards and the West Wing is not going to help you run a better campaign or advocacy organization. The fact is, campaigns are like running a small business.

Jason Mida is a seasoned fundraising and political professional, having served in a number of roles throughout his career. His work has been focused in the areas that truly motivate him, including LGBT causes. 

Getting your issue out organically through blog posts, videos and infographics might seem like a lift, but most organizations are publishing content all the time - and see themselves as thought leaders. The big issues organizations have with publishing material is harnessing the content they already produce.

A summer lull in campaign action means extra time to gear up for the electoral battles ahead of this fall, in 2018, and beyond. As Democrats across the country deliberate party priorities and the best ways to communicate our values after a series of losses, you can sit back and do the same with these porch reads. 

Video storytelling is an “it” topic in advocacy and advertising circles. The strategy of delivering a story in the digital age that will get people to engage seems to be the latest goal for many nonprofits. But how can you do it in a consistent, scalable way that achieves your goals? Here are our tips to make an impact with advocacy video storytelling:

Snapchat has created a new way to have conversations—from consuming content and messages to creating and broadcasting it. Through Snap, conversations are held in video and picture form rather than through texts, messages, posts, or speech; making Snapchat not only a creative way to get your political and advocacy campaign's message out but a new way to communicate it to a specific group of people. 

Whether you’re looking for reassurance that things usually work out, validation of your political path, or pure entertainment to help you keep your sense of humor (and sanity) during the Trump presidency, these political memoirs will inspire you to effect positive social change in whatever context you see fit.

Digital advocacy in Trump’s America means (for many of us) a near unending need for Trump photos. Unfortunately, buying rights managed photos of our fearless Commander in Cheeto means running up an epic tab pretty darn quickly. But fear not (at least with regard to photos… I can’t make any promises regarding the rest of what’s going on at this point) – compelling photos of Trump are still available to those of us who don’t have deep pockets and an unlimited Getty account.

Digital advocacy is about engagement and capacity building—likes are just a starting point. Over the last few years, Facebook’s algorithm has evolved, as has its advertising options, making it easier than ever to capitalize on the audience you’ll find there and turn likes into actions that advance your advocacy goals.

The simple concept of Twitter is to post short thoughts- 140 character thoughts to be exact. In a just a sentence or two, millions of people worldwide (310 million monthly active users) engage in conversations, find information, and express their feelings on a multitude of relevant topics. Whether it be a large event like a presidential debate or a local issue like a ballot measure, Twitter can be a significant social media platform for your advocacy campaign.

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.