7 Tips for Writing for the Media
This document provides general advice for campaigns to use when writing to the media. The goal is to provide guidance that will help your candidate gain positive media coverage in local media.
The Campaign Toolkit
Welcome to our resource hub! Here you’ll find templates, trainings, and tools you can use to effectively launch and manage a political operation. Whether you’re from a local county party organization or a candidate – you can find everything you need to get started here. New resources and trainings will be added as they become available!
Tools & Templates
- Click Category to Reveal Resources
Comms
Fighting Disinformation
This is a training deck that includes an overview of how disinformation is spread, and what tools Democrats can use to combat it.
How to Write a Press Release
This document provides additional details and examples for crafting an engaging press release. It explains how you can catch a readers attention and helpful information that will make your release more useful to reporters.
Media Training 101
This is a training deck for candidates and campaign surrogates to learn tips for speaking to the media. It includes guidance on messaging, tips for effective interviews, and how to navigate difficult questions.
Press Release Template
This is a press release template that campaign staff or candidates can use to draft a release to send to media. It includes an outline of the format as well as general tips for writing to help your release be picked up by reporters.
Videos
Data
The VANual
This is a condensed guide to using VoteBuilder, both as an admin and as a user. This manual covers “My Voters” and “My Campaign” features of the database.
Videos
Digital
Digital Content Calendar
This is a document that is designed to help plan out, in a timely manner, a campaign’s social media activity.
Field
Basics of Voter Contact
This is a training on what to consider when conducting direct voter contact, including creating universes, scripts, and GOTV.
Canvass Confirm Email Template
Example email template for confirming a canvasser for their upcoming shift
Canvassing 101
This document provides the basics for canvassers on how to canvass door-to-door.
Confirm Phonebank Script
This document is a generic confirmation script to reduce “no show” volunteers and increase volunteer capacity.
DVC Phonebank Script
This document is a generic phonebanking script for making calls to voters.
How to Use Minivan
Step-by-step guide for using MiniVAN as a canvasser.
HTC/Tabling Sign-In Sheet
Sign-in sheet template for tabling events with high-traffic
MiniVAN List Tracker
DPI template for tracking the status of canvassing packets/lists
Office Opening Checklist
This document is a checklist that should be referenced when opening an office.
Petition Scrubber
This document is for reviewing and verifying signatures on a petition to ensure compliance with electoral regulations and to eliminate any invalid or duplicate signatures.
Phonebank Confirm Email Template
This document has a script for contacting volunteers who signed up for a phone banking event.
Phonebanking 101
This document provides the basics for phonebankers on how to make calls using OpenVPB.
Volunteer Debrief Sheet
This document should be used to debrief volunteers after an event.
Volunteer Recruitment Email Template
This document provides a general format for a campaign to send out to help recruit volunteer support.
Voter Contact Methods
This is a training on how to effectively use direct mail and digital ads on campaigns.
Videos
Fundraising
Act Blue Webinar Series
This three-part summer webinar series breaks down the building blocks you need to level up your fundraising program. Whether you’re new to digital fundraising or just need a refresher, check out the trainings below to hear from our team!
Campaign Budget Template
This is a sample budget, with numbers for both realistic, ideal, and uh-oh budgets. Each budget is broken down by month and category. Use this as a reference example when budgeting a campaign. To learn more about budgeting, check out our course on Budgeting & Financial Compliance.
Campaign Cash Tracker
“Throughout the campaign, having an accurate understanding of your finances is critical. Every day there are more decisions to make, and each has its budget implications. Money is moving into and out of the campaign quickly.
The cash tracker template is an easy-to-use tool to keep track of checks and invoices before they are deposited or paid.
Having an accurate, up-to-the-minute look at your cash on hand will help you make decisions quickly without second-guessing your available funds. “
Campaign Rolodex
A campaign rolodex is a repository of your personal and political network. To start building your rolodex, you’re going to Rolodex yourself: put all of your information about your personal contacts into this template. Then, you’ll start to expand your rolodex starting from the personal relationships you already have.
Digital Fundraising Best Practices
Here are some tips for running a strong digital fundraising program and getting the most out of ActBlue.
Email Fundraising Best Practices
Here are some tips to take your strategy, fundraising, and messaging to the next level!
Fundraising Email (Prospective Donors)
This template is for mass eBlasts, not individual fundraising emails and should be sent through a platform like NGPVAN Targeted Email or Mailchimp.
Fundraising Plan Template
Campaigns cost money, and raising money requires time and planning. This template will help you examine the revenue streams your campaign can focus on, complete some research to help you set goals, and draft of your fundraising plan.
Pledge & Contribution Tracker
This spreadsheet can be used by campaigns or political organizations to track incoming pledges and contributions. It also includes useful tabs for tracking donor information as well as thank-yous and other follow-up activities. Campaigns and political organizations should track every single pledge and contribution they receive, starting on day one.
Videos
Labor
Videos
Planning
Community Events Tracker Template
This is a document designed to help candidates and staff better manage and prioritize events in the community when developing a presence.
Developing a Campaign Plan
A campaign plan maps out your campaign’s goals and how to achieve them. It organizes priorities, funding, and staff, and keeps everyone focused on getting your message out to voters.
Your campaign plan is a written agenda that coordinates the whole campaign, as well as the four sub-plans, or departments, within the campaign: communications, digital, fundraising, and field.
Hiring a Team
This is a training of things to consider when hiring a team for a campaign.
Local Party GOTV Planning Manual
This is a step by step guide on what local parties should be doing in preparation for GOTV.
Planning Calendar Template
Calendar planning tool for candidates/staff to plan out their week to week schedules
Visibility Event Checklist
This document should be utlizied before, during, and after an event.
Writing Your Campaign Plan
The Campaign Plan Template will help you work out strategies for messaging, organizing, communications, staffing, scheduling, and data and begin to understand how all of these elements fit together.
