Overview
As we head into another high-intensity election year, re:power’s Campaign School for Field Directors is designed to build the capacity of campaigns to run effective field programs. This 4-part training series will focus on ensuring that field directors gain the skills and tools needed to determine field strategy and goals. This includes recruiting, hiring and managing field staff, voter targeting and contact, messaging and persuasion, and utilizing digital tools for organizing.
Who is this course for?
- Directors who can facilitate inclusive, productive and positive work environments
- Folks who have 4+ years of organizing experience
- Experienced managers with strong interpersonal and organizational communication skills
- Leaders with a commitment to racial, gender and economic equity
- Previous experience working in metrics-driven campaigns for direct voter contact
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
Overview a Field Plan and DVC Basics
Why do you need a field plan and field team to be successful? This session will provide an overview of what goes into a field plan, how to create your “North Star” (i.e. your campaign Win Number), and what the basic elements of direct voter contact are.
Targeting Voters & VAN
During this session, we will break down how to target the key voters that your campaign needs to talk to and we will go over how to use the Voter Activation Network (VAN) and navigate its limitations.
Base Building and Digital Tools
Up to this point, we will have covered how to determine your win number, what should be in a field plan, the basics of direct voter contact, and how to target voters. This session will explore how to build an inclusive base of support and how to craft what you say to your base once you have identified them.
Developing Your Team
This last session will take everything we’ve covered from previous sessions and walk through best practices on how to build and manage the A-Team that you will need to execute your field plan.
