Grassroots Advocacy

Non-Political Books for Politicos

May 10, 2018 by Elena Veatch

10 Non-Political Books Every Politico Should Read

*Originally written by Joe Fuld and updated by Elena Veatch 4/3/18

When you get into politics, it’s hard to resist the all too common tunnel vision of focusing only on politics. But be careful – binge watching Veep or The West Wing is not going to help you run a better campaign or organization; nor will reading solely political books.

The fact is, you are running a business. And while we like to think of politics and business as totally separate realms, it’s tough to run any political operation without a Business 101 crash course. So, take a break from the latest Clinton campaign staffer or Obama aide memoir you are probably reading, and check out some of our non-political book recommendations. Below are ten non-political books that will be helpful to any politico running a campaign, a non-profit, or really any operation.

read more

Grassroots Strategies: Relationships Matter

Jun 19, 2017 by Joe Fuld

Grassroots Strategies Work when You Focus on the Relationship

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.

read more

Grassroots vs. Grasstops Advocacy

May 12, 2017 by Joe Fuld

Grassroots Advocacy vs. Grasstops Advocacy: Know the Core Components of an Advocacy Campaign.  

Do you ever ask yourself, "What is the difference between grassroots advocacy vs. grasstops advocacy?" Well, you're not the only one scratching your head. 

read more

Winning Advocacy Strategies for 2015 and Beyond

Jan 05, 2015 by Joe Fuld

The Evolution of Advocacy Strategies

Advocacy strategies have changed a lot over the last 20 years. When I was a chief of staff in the New York State Legislature, I don't remember there ever being a real advocacy campaign around public support of an issue that focused on legislators. The main way groups moved legislation was to hire a lobbyist and that was really it. There were occasional print ads and lobby days, but day-to-day mass contact from constituents that were driven by member groups were few and far between. Today, we spend a lot of time running advocacy campaigns on the state level.  Issue advocacy tactics that were once only used on large, federal issues are now seen on smaller federal issues as well as state and municipal issues.

read more

How Much Should Campaign Training Cost?

Aug 11, 2014 by Joe Fuld

TCW’s Guide to Campaign Training Costs and Programs

How much should a campaign training cost? Here at The Campaign Workshop, we believe it's important to train campaign staff by providing individuals who want to become campaign operatives the opportunity to go out and gain hands-on experience. If your goal is to work on a campaign, we suggest finding a training program with a strong track record and high attendance. There are a number of great programs throughout the country that we are happy to recommend to you. We’ve listed a few of these noteworthy organizations below.

read more

Engaging Your Campaign Supporter List

Mar 03, 2014 by Ben Holse

Building a Campaign Supporter List: Keep Your Campaign Supporters Engaged!

Your organization has developed a strong campaign supporter list. That’s great news! Now let’s make sure we keep your campaign supporters involved with your campaign or cause. Email is undoubtedly one effective method of communicating with your campaign supporters. There are, however, a variety of other ways to engage with your campaign supporter list as well. Here are a few suggestions:

read more