Learn the fundamentals of campaign strategy to help you win any election.

About this Course

We need to elect more courageous, ethical, compassionate leaders at every level of government.

That means people like you need to run!

Whether you’re brand-new to politics and thinking about jumping in for the first time, or you’re a seasoned campaign pro looking to up your game with fresh insights and innovative strategies, this course is for you. 

We’ve gathered some of the brightest minds in politics today to teach you the fundamental, battle-tested campaign strategies you need to win any election. We’ll walk you through how to find a campaign manager and recruit volunteers, how to communicate your values and craft messaging that drives votes, how to raise the money you need to win, and everything in-between.

Campaign 101 consists of more than 50 instructional videos, 80+ downloadable templates, guides, and other practical resources that you can use to launch your own campaign from day one.

What You’ll Learn

  • How to get on the ballot and successfully launch your campaign

  • How to raise the money you need to win

  • How to recruit, mobilize, and motivate your campaign team

  • How to execute an effective ground game and get voters to the polls

  • How to build a policy platform that drives votes

  • How to communicate your values and craft messaging that resonates

  • How to effectively manage your time and resources

  • How to build your political network and secure impactful endorsements

Course Breakdown

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Getting Started

We’ll start at square one. How do you even get on the ballot? We’ll guide you through what to think about and the steps you need to take to successfully launch your campaign.

Includes

  • Getting on the ballot

  • Launching your campaign

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Building Your Team

Even the smallest campaigns can’t win as a team of one. In this lesson, we’ll show you how to find campaign staff and recruit volunteers to your campaign. We’ll also share best practices and tips on how to effectively manage your team and create a fun and inclusive team culture.

Includes

  • Finding a campaign manager

  • Campaign org chart and sample job descriptions

  • Understanding the role of candidate vs campaign manager

  • Recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers

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Fundraising

Perhaps one of the most challenging (and important) parts of any campaign, we’ll teach you how to raise the money you need to win. Starting with the blueprint to building a successful fundraising plan, to employing the best tactics for your campaign, and then how to efficiently & legally manage that money once you have it.

Includes

  • Building your fundraising plan

  • Fundraising tactics

  • Making the ask

  • Hosting fundraising events

  • Digital fundraising

  • Campaign finance and budgeting

  • Compliance

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Policy

Your steadfastness in your beliefs is a core element of what made you want to run, but translating your values into a compelling policy platform that resonates with voters is a whole other thing. We’ll give you tactics for how to influence public opinion, and how to conduct opposition research in order to prepare you for debates and candidates’ forums.

Includes

  • Measuring and analyzing public opinion

  • Developing your policy platform

  • Conducting self and opposition researchy

  • Developing contrast messaging

  • Preparing for debates and candidates’ forums

  • Effective debate tactics

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Communications

You might be a natural public speaker, but you struggle when it comes to video. Or, you’re a talented writer, but you are learning how to command a room while delivering remarks. Wherever your strengths and weaknesses lie, we’ll show you how to craft a winning campaign message and develop a communications strategy that will inspire and mobilize your supporters.

Includes

  • Finding your voice

  • Authenticity and your personal narrative

  • Developing messaging that resonates

  • Writing your stump speech

  • Effective public speaking and delivery

  • Building relationships with reporters

  • Crafting an impactful media pitch

  • Hosting a press event

  • Crisis communications and rapid response

  • Using video in your campaign

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Field

Winning an election comes down to the effectiveness of your ground game: how you persuade voters and get them to the polls. We’ll show you how to figure out how many votes you need to win, the importance of data and targeting, how to connect with voters, and how to run an effective get out the vote operation.

Includes

  • Using data and targeting in field

  • Building your turnout model and calculating your win number

  • Distributed organizing

  • Relational organizing

  • Employing impactful field tactics: canvassing, phone, and text

  • Hosting engaging campaign events

  • Executing your get out the vote program

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Digital

While an effective ground game can get you across the finish line, modern campaigns also rely on the digital airwaves to build awareness, reach and persuade voters, and get your message out. In this lesson, we’ll dive into everything digital: from branding and building a campaign website and effectively employing paid advertising across major platforms to running an email campaign and managing social media.

Includes

  • Branding your campaign

  • Building your social media strategy

  • Increasing social media engagement

  • Executing a successful social media advertising strategy

  • Building an email program

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Events

The proliferation of communications technology has increased the prevalence of virtual events, and you still have to complement a campaign with in-person events. We’ll prepare you for both.

Includes

  • Managing the candidate’s calendar

  • Scheduling tips and best practices

  • Advancing events

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Political

How do you build your political network and recruit supporters who can endorse you or work as surrogates for your message? We’ll show you how to break down barriers to find allies from within politics, and some unlikely ones from the outside.

Includes

  • Building and engaging with constituency groups

  • Securing endorsements

  • Managing surrogates

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Wrapping Up

Win or lose, running for office is something to be proud of! In our final lesson, we’ll wrap things up and walk through how to run a campaign debrief and how to properly shut down your campaign (until next time!).

Includes

  • Running a campaign debrief

  • Shutting down your campaign