Making a Political Campaign Plan
In order to begin a successful campaign, you need to set clear goals and objectives. In order to do this, you need to form a campaign plan. This plan is a roadmap which lists your priorities and timeline for field strategies, communications, budgets, and fundraising. It provides the foundation for your campaign and helps you to stay focussed along the way.
The following is a suggested outline which will help you develop a campaign plan. For a more detailed look, consult the National Democratic Training Committee courses at: National Democratic Training Committee
I. Overview Information
Overview of your district: What is key background information about your district? What are the major businesses and employers? What is the status of economic development in your district? What social issues are important to your community?
Demographics: What is the current population of your district. How many registered voters? How many of the registered voters turned out to vote in the last election? What is the race and ethnicity breakdown of your district? What is the political party breakdown of your district?
Current Race: Who is the incumbent officeholder for the office which you will be running? What are the key issues that will be central to this campaign? Who are you expecting your challengers to be? What is the filing deadline?
Candidate Background: What are some key facts about your background and experience that will be important in your campaign? What key issue caused you to run for office? What organized groups can you count on for support for your campaign?
II. Field Plan
1. Vote Goal: What is the projected turnout in this election? What is your campaign’s vote goal? How many votes will you need to win? What is the number of base voters you can count on to vote for you? How many voters will you have to convince?
2. Ballot Access: What forms must be filled out to get your name on the ballot? What are the deadlines and fees? What petition signatures are required? What is the proposed schedule for signature collection?
3. Voter Contact Plan: What is the schedule for key contact events like meet and greets? What voters or campaign volunteers are you targeting through these events? How many volunteers will you need? What are their key functions for your field plan (i.e. phone banking, canvassing etc)?
III. Timeline
How many months do you have until the election? What is the month to month timeline for your campaign, and what are the key deadlines and goals for each month?
IV. Fundraising Plan
What is your overall fundraising goal? What methods will be used to raise revenues? (i.e. events, digital, etc) What are the reporting periods? How much do you need to raise for each period?
V. Communications Plan
What are the overall goals of your voter communication plan? What volunteers or professionals will be needed to meet your communication goals? What methods will you use to get your message out to the public? (direct mail, email, social media etc) Who do you need to target? How much will it cost? What is your timeline?
VI. Budget
What is a realistic budget to set for your campaign? Who will act as your treasurer to track contributions and expenses?