Campaign Training
National Resources
NONPARTISAN
Candidate Boot Camp: Offers online nonpartisan candidate training and free resources to people who want to serve their fellow citizens but don’t have the budget to hire professional campaign consultants and staff.
Dare to Run: 501c3 organization offering female college graduates the opportunity to participate in a two-year certificate program in pursuit of a career path in public service.
Nation Builder: For-profit company that provides campaign tools. Also offers a free, two-hour online course that will help you understand the basics of your district and how to plan your election time line, plus how to engage supporters and raise funds.
Ready to Run: Run by Center for American Women and Politics by Rutgers University, this program holds programs in different states using local experts on the political climate in those states.
ReflectUS Coalition: Nonpartisan coalition of seven leading women’s organizations working to increase representation of women in politics.
Run for Office: Plug in your address to see what offices you are eligible to run for, many local offices are missing.
Running Start: Nonpartisan movement to train young women to run for elected office.
She Should Run: 501c3 to encourage women from all backgrounds to run for office. This website offers free, online courses for women to gain leadership skills necessary for running for office.
Truman National Security Project: Offers a free online course on how to run for office.
Vote Run Lead: offers online resources and in-person trainings to women interested in running for office.
WeLead: Run by American University, WeLead is a four-day intensive training that addresses campaigns and elections, communication and message development, fundraising, public policy and government relations, and professional development.
Women’s Campaign Fund: Nonpartisan group focused on 50/50 representation by women and men in elected offices nationwide by 2028. Website includes a campaign toolkit.
Women’s Political Power Map: Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics offers resources across the country for women interested in running for office, working on political campaigns, or holding appointed office.
Women’s Public Leadership Network: Nonpartisan organization providing “knowledge and resources to make running for elected office and engaging in the political process more accessible” for women, including webinar series on civic engagement topics.
Women’s Campaign School at Yale University: Nonpartisan, issue-neutral program that runs multiday campaign training programs for women interested in running for office or managing campaigns.
CONSERVATIVE
American Majority: Conservative organization created to train conservative activists to run for office. Holds low-cost training programs to train on running for office.
GOPAC: Provides training and funding to conservative leaders.
Leadership Institute: Provides training to conservatives of all ages in campaigns, fundraising, grassroots organizing, youth politics, and communications.
Maverick PAC: Network of business and political leaders focused on driving young people to the political process through fundraising and events.
National Federation of Republican Women: Provides workshops, manuals, and trainings to Republican women interested in running for office.
RightNOW Women PAC: Volunteer organization helping to elect qualified women to federal office.
VOICES of Conservative Women: Holds run-for-office training for conservative women interested in public office.
Winning for Women: 501c4 dedicated to identifying and creating paths forward for women leaders who share core values of economic freedom and strong national security.
LIBERAL
Arena: Progressive organization dedicated to training and supporting candidates and campaign staff through its training program and conference.
Democracy for America: Grassroots-driven progressive PAC run by Howard Dean that recruits and trains progressive candidates.
Emerge America: In-depth, seven-month, 70-hour training program to train Democratic women interested in running for office.
EMILY’s List: Provides training and resources for local- and state-level progressive women candidates.
National Democratic Training Committee: Free campaign training for every Democratic candidate, everywhere.
Progressive Change Campaign Committee: Provides endorsements, small-dollar donations, and personalized trainings to PCCC-vetted candidates.
Run for Something: Program to support people under age 35 who want to run for office. They have a database of campaign training programs at local, state, and national levels available on their Candidate Resources page.
State-Specific Resources
UTAH
Vote.Utah.Gov: Basic information on municipal elections in 2021.
Utah Women & Leadership Project: Has a web page that provides information on serving on Utah boards and commissions. Site also has helpful resources and policy briefs on women leaders in government.
Action Utah: Educates Utahns on issues of public concern and to increase civic engagement.
Better Days 2020: Better Days 2020 is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to popularizing Utah women’s history in creative and communal ways.
Envision Utah: Has a helpful Public Engagement Guidebook.
Real Women Run: Real Women Run is a collaborative nonpartisan initiative to empower women to participate fully in public life and civic leadership through elected political office at all levels, appointments to boards and commissions, participation in campaigns, and engagement in the political system.
Utah Foundation: Utah Policy Reports
Women’s Leadership Institute: Offers a one-of-a-kind, nonpartisan political candidate training program for women in Utah.
CALIFORNIA
The Marian Bergeson Excellence in Public Service Series: Program that seeks to increase the number of Republican women in elected, appointed political, volunteer, and staff positions at the local, state, and federal levels.
Leadership California: Nonpartisan organization with the goal to increase the representation and influence of diverse women leaders across the state and inspire them to act on their knowledge of issues and cutting-edge trends facing California, the nation, and the world.
California Women 4 Women: Nonpartisan organization that promotes and supports women involved in politics. We support women for Boards, Commissions, local, state, and federal office.
California Women Lead: Nonpartisan women’s organization committed to providing women the training and support they need to be successful in the political arena. Subscription based.
California Women’s Leadership Association: California Women’s Leadership Association (CWLA) is a 501c4 statewide organization committed to bringing together influential women to effect meaningful change in our communities and government through education and advocacy.
ARTICLES & OTHER RESOURCES
Pitsker, Kaitlin, “How to Run for Local Office,” Kiplinger, November 26, 2019
Women’s Definitive Guide to Getting Political from the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP)
Weiner, Chloee & Parkes, Miles, “How to Run for Office,” NPR, October 17, 2019.
“Should You Make the Run for Local Office?” Online Candidate.