The Campaign Workshop Blog

IssueVoter: Maria Yuan discusses civic engagement

IssueVoter founder Maria Yuan decided to start the nonpartisan platform after working on a successful political campaign in one of Iowa’s swing districts and for a Texas State Representative. The organization seeks to increase civic engagement and communication between constituents and their members of Congress. In this interview, Maria discusses her experience running IssueVoter and how her platform connects constituents with their Congressional representatives.    1. Why did you start…

Digital Campaigns - Make Digital Advocacy Easy to Find

When it comes to digital campaigns an organic approach is often overlooked. The first place most of us look to answer a question is online. But often digital advocacy campaigns and political campaigns forget about search especially organic search in their digital strategy. Start with a plan: Advocacy organizations, Associations and political campaigns need to plan for organic search - specifically Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in their digital campaigns.…

Care2 Petitions: What You Need to Know 

Molly Connors is the Director of Business Development for Care2, a social network for good with 50 million members starting Care2 petitions and sharing stories that inspire action. Care2 helps connect nonprofits and mission-based brands with supporters who are passionate about their causes. Molly has over 20 years of experience in marketing with over ten years focusing on the nonprofit space. She is an expert in helping businesses and nonprofits grow their revenue and impact. We chatted with Molly Connors…

Joe Weston Teaches Us About Leadership, Resilience, and Stress 

Joe Weston is the founder of the Weston Network, which trains corporations, governments, and other organizations on communication, productivity, and time and stress management. Joe Weston works with individuals to build their self-confidence, enrich their relationships, and gain clarity in their life goals. Joe Weston’s book, Mastering Respectful Confrontation and his Respectful Confrontation workshops teach participants how to de-escalate conflict, improve their resilience, and…

Own a Strategy to Make Your Political Endorsements Count 

Campaign endorsements can still make a big difference in politics. But to make your political endorsements count, you need to have a strategy to collect them and amplify them. Be intentional about what political endorsements matter and how you will use them. Which endorsements matter?  Endorsements, when used right, are a great way to build momentum, but when they are used wrong, it can be a huge waste of time, overlooked potential or even charge momentum for your opponent. Good…

Reflecting on Robinson’s Rules for Campaign Staffers

Will Robinson of the New Media Firm penned his rules for campaign staffers over 25 years ago and they are truly words to live by.  Over the years, these rules have saved money, time and jobs for many campaign staffers who have heard and lived by them. Whether you are working on a candidate’s campaign, ballot measures, or independent expenditures, these campaign rules will help.   Here is our interpretation and commentary of Will Robinson’s rules for campaign staffers, including some of our…

Nonprofit Blogging Is Easier Than You Think

Nonprofit blogging takes a lot of work, but it is easier than you think. Learn how to harness thought leadership, storytelling and simple tips to write blogs and long-form content that engages and converts. This is probably the most meta blog post we have ever written: a blog post about writing a blog post! But blogging, especially for nonprofits, labor unions or trade associations is not always intuitive for folks. Many people who are asked to write a blog post for their organization have never had…

Use Canvassing to Mobilize Voters

Canvassing is special to me. I love knocking on doors. I think it is still a vastly underrated form of communication. Post COVID-19, canvassing is coming back in a big way and campaigns should plan for it now. Why do I think canvassing is so special? Because of the connection, direct contact grassroots combined with paid ads make with targeted voters in a personal and systematic way. With any paid medium you need repetition over a condensed period of time. With door-to-door contact, especially on political…

Download our eBook Collection: Summer Reads for Your Next Campaign

Looking for summer reading suggestions? Whether you are gearing up for an advocacy campaign, in need of communication tips for your current campaign, or deciding whether to run for office, our eBook collection provides comprehensive guides to help you achieve your goals. Download our eBooks today for campaign and advocacy tips and tricks that suit your needs.  Did My Program Work? Try These Tips for Program…

Democratic Direct Mail: Your Questions Answered

What does a campaign mail firm do? Admit it, this is a question that a lot of people have asked but have never gotten a clear answer. Well, never fear; after producing winning Democratic direct mail for over ten years, The Campaign Workshop is here with answers. Your mail firm is an integral part of your campaign’s communication team. They are available to provide you with advice on the best ways to message your campaign, interpret polling data, and formulate your message in order to create a…

Political Polling -  Dead or Alive? 

Is political polling dead? In the campaign world, this is one question comes back to haunt us every election cycle After polls (and the media outlets reporting on them) suggested an inevitable landslide for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Donald Trump’s victory shook the American public to its core and undermined our collective confidence in political…

How to Run a Political Campaign: What You Need to Know

Learning how to run a political campaign for the first time can be tough. Sure, there are some great resources online (such as the TCW blog!) that can provide insight. There are also tons of great trainings that can teach you the basic dos and don’ts and if you’re interested in learning how to run a political campaign, we strongly encourage you to attend one. But so much of what you need to…

Qualifying ballot measures: Tips For Getting a measure on the Ballot

Qualifying ballot measures is a significant undertaking. Sometimes the most difficult part of a ballot measure campaign is just making it to the ballot. From gathering signatures to overcoming legal hurdles, qualifying an initiative takes planning, time, and (very often) a sizable investment (both in terms of dollars and human capital). Advocacy and political organizations alike have long used ballot measures as a tool to advance their policy objectives where legislative…

Grasstops Will Grow Your Advocacy Program

A grasstops campaign seeks to persuade the people who can influence key decision-makers. Legislators are often inundated with calls, emails, petitions, meetings, and other communications about a wide variety of issues. Breaking through that noise is tough, and grassroots campaigns, unless they reach critical mass, may not be enough on their own. When those efforts are paired with the authority of grasstops supporters, their impact will be greater, and your campaign will be more likely to succeed. What…

Thought leadership to Amp Up Your Public Affairs Strategy

Thought leadership is not used to its true potential in public affairs. With so much noise out there, engaging thought leaders to build a public campaign around a policy or public affairs goal can be really important. Especially these days, separating your issue from the rest and making it a priority is a necessity. Similar to storytelling…