Overview
Campaign Management Bootcamp is an accelerated version of re:power academy’s signature program the Advanced Campaign Management School (ACMS). The Bootcamp will be an intensive 4 week, 8 course, virtual training curated to teach experienced leaders the fundamentals of how to manage a progressive state or national-level electoral race.
Participants will learn from campaigners and operatives the skills necessary to hit the ground running as a campaign manager. Modules will focus on field operations, fundraising and budgeting, digital and comms, data and targeting, and leadership. The training will be grounded in a framework of inclusive politics. For us, that means we’ll apply a lens of race, class, and gender to all aspects of campaign management and strategy, and we will ask that you do as well, because it’s a part of how we can run and win grassroots campaigns and build political power for our communities.
Who is this course for?
The Campaign Management Bootcamp is geared toward training experienced mid and senior level career organizers. There are a few other key attributes we look for in our applicants and those include:
- Folks who have played key staff roles on political campaigns and are looking to hone their skills and move into a managerial position
- Folks who have managed at least one campaign and are looking to improve upon those skills
- Folks who are making transition from managing issue organizing campaigns to working for a candidate.
- Folks who are proud and comfortable to center race, gender, class, and sexual orientation and identity during all of our training. Our trainees will be managing campaigns for candidates by building a coalition of the willing and we want them to be open to discussion from folks of different backgrounds, experiences, geographies and organizing philosophies
Ideal applicants come from all walks of life, from seasoned organizers and campaigners looking to sharpen their skills, to beginners who are passionate about organizing and want to start their learning journey. Here are some attributes shared by all our applicants:
Appetite for learning: Whether you have experience in organizing or not, we are interested in organizers and campaign practitioners who are eager to develop their skills further and are committed to learning and growth.
Organizing insight: You don’t need to be a professional politico, but we’re looking for applicants with experience doing organizing work on the ground. That work can be tied to grassroots, electoral, and/or issue organizing. We seek to support organizers who are currently part of a campaign effort or are seeking to build one.
Dedication to inclusive politics and intersectional solutions: At re:power, we center race, class, gender and sexuality across all our trainings – it’s part of our practice of inclusive politics. We want organizers to be open to new ideas regarding it and to the ideas and contributions from their fellow organizers who will reflect our diverse communities.
Course Expectations
This is an interactive course. We ask participants to write in the chat box, share verbally, and participate in breakout group discussion. We understand that folks have a lot going on though, so if you are not able to participate in a breakout discussion you can let the tech moderator know. We encourage, but do not require, participants to turn on video during breakout discussions.
Lesson Plan
Campaign Planning and Strategy
- Understand all components that make up a successful campaign plan
- Create an integrated campaign timeline
- Articulate the roles and importance of the core components of a campaign, as well as the cross collaboration opportunities: field, communications and digital, fundraising, and team management
- The practice of applying a lens of inclusive politics to this level of work
Leadership and Management
- Understand leadership and communication styles through a race, gender and class lens
- Effectively and creatively hire and manage campaign staff
- Identify, support, and champion the strengths on your team, as well as the diversity
- Delegate, structure, and engage your team
Base-Building and Communications/ Digital
- Understand that engaging authentically with your base/community is essential to building power and winning campaigns
- Develop and communicate a consistent, authentic message through every component of your campaign
- Create a message box and a larger communications strategy
- Learn how to integrate your digital strategy with field and communications to wield online organizing for the benefit of your campaign
Direct Voter Contact and Targeting
- Learn to create a realistic and effective organizing plan for your campaign
- Write effective scripts for direct voter contact
- Understand how to effectively target your audiences
Paid and Earned Media
- Articulate the options and viability of various kinds of paid and earned media for your campaign
- Articulate components of effective mail pieces
- Create plans to work effectively with the press/media
Budget and Fundraising
- Develop a realistic campaign budget
- Set fundraising goals that are realistic and ambitious for your organization or campaign
- Learn how to create an integrated fundraising plan
Questions? Please contact us at civicengagement@repower.org
