I want to run for office! Now what....?

A conversation among those working in the youth movement today surrounded a list of resources for candidates who wanted to run for office. Local candidates of all stripes are stepping up to the plate for the upcoming 2012 election because they want to help change the world. But once you decide you want to make an impact and take those first steps declaring you're in it to win it .... where do you go from there?

Worry not! There are so many organizations out there working with state and local candidates. To make things easier - we here at Future Majority have made a handy list!

• The New Organizing Institute has recently announced its Candidate's Project - a great resources for state and local people who want pledge to be one of their 2012 people to run in 2012.
• Democracy for America Campaign Academy travels around the country teaching skills to activists to help them be more efficient and effective in helping candidates and causes. Don't listen to them when it comes to young voters and new media though... the one we had in Wichita had a guy who said they didn't matter.... :)
• Camp Wellstone - so named for the late Senator Paul Wellstone who inspired a generation of activists to make a difference. His legacy lives on in the lives touched by programs that help train staff and candidates across the country. I think I still have a green Wellstone training manual around somewhere.
• Progressive Majority - supporting candidates running for office who want to make a difference in progressive legislation. PM works to train staff and candidates and has tons of resources on their website to get you organized.
• The New Leaders Council - started in 2007 in San Francisco and has grown to be a powerhouse organization that works within local infrastructures to train young people who work in politics, policy, government, etc... further skills so they can move up the ladder. My favorite part is that they use local leaders to teach their classes, so it becomes a huge networking benefit for these fellows as well. Full disclosure the second I met Adam Borelli I knew the NLC was going to be a thing and pledge to do anything for him until the end of time.
• EMILY's List - stands for Early Money is Like Yeast ... because it raises the dough. They got started because there wasn't a lot of money out there for women running for office and as a result there weren't a lot of women IN office. So amazing strong women joined forces to help women raise money, get good solid staffs, and win. I think I've actually been to every single training except for the candidate training that EL offers. Their fundraising manual is a Bible for anyone working in politics or running for office.
• EMILY's List has a few state spin-offs like the California List, Annie's List (Texas), and Sally's List (Oklahoma) all of which work at the local level to help women running for office.
• Emerge is another good resource for young women who want some help getting elected. They boast over 500 women they've helped train and inspire to run for office. Go them!
• PoliCorps - is a project of The Bus Project that helps train 20-24 year olds to be genius political organizers. Their program is an intensive ten week political organizing and leadership development bootcamp.
• The White House Project - got started in effort to inspire a richly diverse group of women in to the leadership pipeline.
• The Women's Campaign Forum - works as a non-partisan resource for all women at all levels of government who would like to run for office. They run the She Should Run project that gets more women candidates involved and trained.
• For LGBT candidates you can check out the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute who runs a great training program for candidates.
• The Truman Project I heard does candidate trainings specifically for veterans but I couldn't find it on their website. What they do that is critical is help progressives message around national security policy.
• The New American Leaders Project - help prepare first- and second-generation immigrants for civic leadership. They recruit and train candidates and help bring a face and a voice to immigrant issues for sure.
• Leadership for Educational Equity - inspires Teach for America alumni - as well as others I presume - to seek leadership in politics, policy and advocacy as a critical lever for long-term change ensuring all children have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.
• The Front Line Leadership Academy - a project of Young People For and the Young Elected Officials Network that helps 20 talented young people from across the country every year. FLLA provides prospective candidates and campaign leaders the ability to learn from successful political campaign professionals.
• Running to Govern - This all partisan organization helps recruit and train people to not just run for office but how to govern as well. Hence the name...

I know there are probably tons that I'm forgetting - so please email us if you have a training program you would like to list here. FutureMajority (at) gmail (dot) com.