Start an Issue Campaign

Do you want to make change in your community? Do you have an idea of a policy you'd like to see supported (or opposed) at the state or local level? Do you feel committed to getting others involved in this effort?

Then consider starting an issue campaign!

Issue campaigns are highly focused efforts to enact/oppose a policy or propel a specific issue. In general, they revolve around passing policies through Delaware’s General Assembly or through local governments.

Network Delaware engages with existing issue campaigns and helps start new ones. This guide goes over how we support and structure issue campaigns

Ways Network Delaware can be involved with issue campaigns

• Coalition member: In this role Network Delaware will add its name to the coalition, spread information about the campaign, and encourage folks to get involved. Depending on the issue/need we can also help with planning, coaching, and volunteer recruitment/development.
• Fiscal sponsorship: In this role Network Delaware serves as a “fiscal sponsor” for the issue campaign to raise and spend money in support of their cause.

Keys to our involvement with issue campaigns

• Committed to actively changing a specific policy (i.e. cannot just be an “education campaign”/campaign to “give people the information”)
• The issue campaign falls within Network Delaware’s policy platform
• Deeply focused on building new and inclusive leadership and team members, in particular they center the leadership of those most impacted
• Issue campaigns focus on developing diverse and multiracial leadership and membership
• Building people capacity across the state (i.e. issue campaigns have the opportunity for people to contribute from any geographic area)
• Campaign co-coordinators do most of the planning (and add people as needed), and get people to implement the work (i.e. meetings should be about distributing tasks, rather than discussion planning)

For issue campaigns we can offer the following as needed:

• Coaching and training for team members
• Monthly check-in sessions (e.g. a 15-30 minute support session)
• Planning support and writing
• Field organizing (e.g. canvassing, house meetings, etc.)
• Communications and graphic design (e.g. flyers, Facebook events, sharing materials on our listserve or Civic Action Alert system, etc.)
• Outreach and volunteer engagement
• Tech tools (e.g. email system, petition system, etc.)

Starting a new issue campaign can start at any time of the year! However, we encourage folks to get ready planning/laying the foundation July through December, since January to June are more focused on the General Assembly.

Here's our guide to how we support new issue campaigns.

To get started, check out the guide to new issue campaign and reach out to schedule a 1-on-1 meeting to discuss your idea. Email us at Info@TheNetworkDE.org.