The Campaign Workshop Blog

Follow These 8 Tips to Ace Your Political Internship Interview

*Authored by Ilana Foggle (TCW Intern) All political greats start somewhere. a political internship can help teach you important skills necessary for future success in the political field- it will be your first political job. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand interned for former New York Senator Alfonse D’Amato during college, while Virginia Senator Mark Warner interned for three different Connecticut Democrats throughout high school and college. But with other…

Getting past those pesky campaign fundraising objections

Campaign fundraising objections are part of what happens when you run a fundraising operation. Don’t be discouraged. Here are ways to get past those pesky campaign fundraising objections: Objection: “Can you really win?”Answer: “Yes I can.” Viability is an important benchmark for donors and politicos trying to handicap races. Money is one easy way folks measure campaign progress, as well as how many doors you’ve knocked. Being able to articulate real results is important. By…

What is a New Nonprofit Executive Director to do?

Whether you have been a nonprofit executive director in the past or this is your first time as a new executive director, taking over an organization has its challenges. Follow our 10 tips to make your transition into a new executive director job smooth: Understand the board. The board got you there. Don’t alienate them. Many presidents upset the same group of folks who recruited them to be there in the first place...why? Caring for a board takes time and planning but many executive directors…

What does a political consulting firm’s intern do?

*Authored by Ilana Foggle and Sam Finn (The TCW Interns) 5:00am – 6:00am: After hitting the snooze button, the political intern wakes up. Already having their work clothes packed, they grab a quick breakfast and head off to the gym. 6:00am – 7:30am: After an hour workout, the intern queues up the newest Crooked Media podcast while getting ready for the workday. 7:30am – 8:00am: Now walking to the office, the intern braves the Washington DC humidity while listening to their morning…

Spreading Your Message - Political Advocacy Books

Everyone has a story to tell. For politicians, advocates, and change makers, how you tell your story is essential. A great way to do this is through writing a book about your life. Every major politician of the last few decades has penned an autobiography, telling their story of how they achieved the American Dream. Political advocacy books include how the writer grew to overcome obstacles and persevere to make the world a better place. These stories are tales of advocacy. They delight and…

Survey Says: What Should I Look For In A Political Survey?

I am not a pollster and I don’t play one on T.V. But I am a big consumer of political polling and spend a lot of time working with pollsters to craft political surveys. When it comes to creating a political survey, we often see folks make the same mistakes. No matter how good your pollster may be, it’s important that you avoid campaign-caused mistakes that can render even the most accurate and effective data useless. Here are some tips to ensure that your pollster data is being utilized…

5 Favorite Campaign Manuals

Campaign manuals and eBooks on politics (especially good ones) are hard to come by. So here is a list of our favorite campaign manuals to help progressive candidates win campaigns. These campaign guides come from experts in a range of different fields. They cover everything from debate prep to messaging. Here is a run-down of our favorite eBooks and campaign manuals by Meg Ahern, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, and more: 1.…

Relational organizing tools and tips/neighbor to neighbor 2.0

Relational organizing and neighbor-to-neighbor postcards have been a mainstay of political campaigns since the late 1970s, and for good reason. Politics is about relationships and harnessing the power of those relationships is essential to secure campaign success. In recent years, newly accessible tools have empowered campaigns of any size to strengthen relationships within the networks of candidates, staff members, and volunteers. This has opened the door for campaigns to create…

Stop slacking on Slack for political and advocacy campaigns

Looking for a good organizational campaign tool? Today I am going to explain why every political and advocacy campaign should use Slack to coordinate and streamline group communication. Slack for political campaigns  and advocacy efforts can be a big help. In its most basic form, Slack is a great business tool that allows team members to easily collaborate on projects and develop…

Spec Campaign Ads: A Best Practice in Today's Landscape 

As election day approaches, many disturbing things are happening in the news today, which make spec campaign ads even more pertinent. Families are being separated, Justice Kennedy is retiring, and the President’s ethics are questioned on a daily basis. As the midterms stand on the horizon like a beacon of hope, it is critical that we prepare as much as possible for the impending change and beyond. After all, after 2018, comes 2019 and 2020, an election year that is a must win for…