The Campaign Workshop Blog

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…

Grow Your Non-Profit with Help from Aly Sterling

Aly Sterling is the founder and president of Aly Sterling Philanthropy, a non-profit consulting firm that specializes in fundraising, board governance, strategic planning, and executive search partnerships. Most recently, Aly partnered with a legal aid foundation in Los Angeles to lead their first-ever capital campaign for a new building headquarters. She also served as fundraising counsel to a prominent healthcare system managing multiple regional and national campaigns raising more than $85…

The Perfect TV Show to Fuel Your Social Activism

Let us help you fuel your social activism fire! In the political world, we are currently in the weird lull of the election cycle between the primaries and the general. Things are slow because while everyone else is taking trips, sipping cold drinks, and relaxing, our days are occupied by fundraising, canvassing, scheduling, and planning for November. Thankfully, our evenings are free to binge watch a show that will fuel our fire long past November (as if recent events in the press weren’t enough…

Why the Most Positive Social Change is to Subscribe to the Resist Podcast List

I love a good podcast. Amongst all the Fox News dog whistle rhetoric, it is good to hear positive social change.  This list is a compilation of favorites from the TCW staff and we know you will love them too. Listen, get inspired, and go instill positive social change throughout the world. Welcome to The Campaign Workshop’s Resist Podcast List. 1. Primary Concerns by New Republic Magazine When to Listen:…

Hal Malchow Shares Insights From His Latest Novel

Hal Malchow has over thirty-five years of experience in politics, having worked for four Democratic presidential nominees and a long list of Senate, congressional, and gubernatorial candidates. Hal Malchow’s pivotal role in introducing data science to American political campaigns and measuring the impact of voter communication tactics changed the way campaigns are run. In his latest novel, No Popes in Heaven, Hal…

Know Your Strategy Before You Pick Campaign Tools

There are so many campaign tools out there it can be hard to choose which one to use. Here are a few questions that you should ask before you lay down money for a campaign tool. How many votes do I need? Having a real vote goal is essential for winning campaigns. Identifying the win number and a vote goal will allow you to figure out how many votes you need to win and create a strategy around them. Who…

Seth Masket on why Political parties matter and the activism that changes them in the long run.

Seth Masket is a political scientist based at the University of Denver who specializes in political parties, campaigns and elections, and state legislatures. In 2016, he authored The Inevitable Party: Why Attempts to Kill the Party System Fail and How they Weaken Democracy. Seth Masket writes a weekly column with Pacific Standard. He is a founder of and…