Candidate Trainings

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Non-partisan Programs
The White House Project
The Center for Progressive Leadership
The Women’s Campaign School at Yale University
The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University
Running Start
Wellstone Action
Women, Politics, Media

Democratic Programs
EMILY’s List
Emerge America

Republican Programs
The National Federation of Republican Women

Non-Federal Programs
The Center for American Women in Politics (CAWP) has a state-by-state guide to non-national trainings available at their website.
Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund

The White House Project (non-partisan)
http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/
The White House Project, a national, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization, 501(c)(3), aims to advance women’s leadership in all communities and sectors, up to the U.S. presidency. By filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women, The White House Project makes American institutions, businesses and government truly representative. Through multi-platform programs, The White House Project creates a culture where America’s most valuable untapped resource — women — can succeed in all realms.

Training program: Go Run
http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/voterunlead/gorun/
 Go Run is an annual training program started in 2005. Go Run is a weekend long training designed to demystify the political process by teaching women the basic skills involved in running a campaign and being a candidate. Studies show that men are twice as likely to self identify as political leaders and run early — before the age of 35. With the political pipeline 86% male and 81% white, there is a need to invite women in to gain fresh perspectives and diverse solutions. The training provides the nuts and bolts of running for political office by focusing on the core areas of Communications, Fundraising, and Campaigning and the unique barriers that women face.
Go Run is part of the Vote, Run, Lead initiative of The White House Project. Sessions are offered one per month.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Sessions: July 23-25, Denver, CO; July 30-31, Miami, FL; September 10-12, Duluth, MN; November 7-9, Milwaukee, WI.
Cost: $150 (scholarships are available)
To Register: Application available at http://www.thewhitehouseproject.org/voterunlead/gorun/
Contact: Erin Vilardi at evilardi@TheWhiteHouseProject.org

The Center for Progressive Leadership (non-partisan, progressive)
http://www.progressleaders.org/
The Center for Progressive Leadership (CPL) is a national political training institute that develops diverse leaders who can effectively advance progressive political and policy change. CPL has trained almost 3,000 progressive leaders through intensive, nonpartisan leadership programs primarily in their state offices (currently Arizona, Colorado, Michigan and Pennsylvania). Across CPL’s long-term leadership programs, 60% of participants have been women and almost 50% people of color. In addition, a third of trainees had never been involved in a political campaign before the trainings. The diversity of alumni reflects CPL’s deep-rooted commitment to engage new leaders in the progressive movement. CPL maintains relationships with a number of other progressive organizations. CPL’s partnership programs work to nurture, develop, build, and connect diverse communities of progressive leaders across the country who share common values and are equipped with the skills and support to run, organize, advocate, and win. CPL has conducted partnership trainings with a variety of groups, including the NAACP, National Hip Hop Political Convention, League of Independent Voters, Young People For, Young Elected Officials, Wellstone Action, and the Sierra Club.

Training Program: State Political Leaders Fellowship
http://www.progressleaders.org/leadershipprograms/fellowship.htm
http://www.progressleaders.org/resourcs/StatePoliticalFellowshipOverview.pdf
CPL’s flagship training program recruits, trains, mentors, and connects promising political leaders and future candidates in its target states. The Fellowship consists of nine months of intensive political training, coaching, mentorship, and networking events. CPL focuses on providing Fellows with the skills, resources, knowledge, and relationships needed to become effective future candidates, organizational leaders, and activists in their communities. In each of its target states, CPL trains between 40-60 political Fellows per year. Sessions take place for one weekend during every other month for nine months (12-15 hours per month).
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: Ongoing. The next full-year session begins in January 2011.
Location: Various, including Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania
Cost: $900 (scholarships may be available)
To Register: Refer to individual state organization pages (links above). Registration begins in early winter.
Contact: Refer to individual state organization pages on http://www.progressleaders.org/aboutus/contact.htm
Other Programs: Springboard Trainings, State and National Partnership Trainings, New Leaders Program, Network Trainings, Local Progressive Candidate Trainings.

The Women’s Campaign School at Yale University
http://www.wcsyale.org/
The Women’s Campaign School is a nonpartisan, issue-neutral political campaign training program. Our mission is to provide the very best training in the world for women who want to run for office or who want to move up to higher elective office. We train women to run political campaigns, and to advance their careers in public life in political environments. We train women leaders who are capable of building relationships regardless of political point of view.

Training Program: The Women’s Campaign School Summer Session
http://www.wcsyale.org/training.php
Every summer WCS brings women together from around the United States and other parts of the world to learn the skills and strategies to run successful political campaigns. For five days, participants are put through an intensive political immersion program designed to teach political skills, strategic assessment, and improvisation. The Women’s Campaign School brings experienced operatives in to teach and to share their experiences in a more reflective way to provide perspective. This unique curriculum is designed by and for women to address the particular cultural challenges faced by women in politics.The instructors are the best and most experienced in the business, and they come from both political parties. WCS focuses on our common needs and experiences as political women, not our differences as political partisans.
Upcoming Trainings
Next session: July 13-17 2010, Registration Opens March 1, 2010
Location: New Haven, CT
Cost: $950 (financial aid is available)
To Register: Visit http://www.wcsyale.org/register.php.
Contact: (203) 734-7385 or (800) 353-2878 or wcsyale@wcsyale.org

The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University (non-partisan)
http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/index.php
The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is nationally recognized as a cutting-edge research center, the leading source of scholarly research and current data about American women’s political participation. CAWP’s education and outreach programs translate research findings into action, addressing women’s under-representation in political leadership with effective, imaginative programs serving a variety of audiences. As the world follows the progress of the first viable female candidate for President of the United States, CAWP’s nearly four decades of analyzing and interpreting women’s participation in American politics have provided a foundation and context for the discussion.
Training Program: Ready to Run
http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/education_training/ReadytoRun/index.php
Ready to RunTM was established to encourage women in New Jersey to seek public office. In 1998, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics, created Ready to RunTM as a bi-partisan effort to recruit and train New Jersey women to run for all levels of office. The one-day annual Ready to RunTM Campaign Training presents a unique opportunity for potential women candidates and campaign managers to hear directly from prominent elected and appointed leaders, campaign consultants and party officials about how to get ready to run.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: TBA (calendar of events)
Location:  TBA
Cost: TBA
Contact: Jean Sinzdak, sinzdak@rci.rutgers.edu or (732) 932-9384
Other Programs: CAWP has partnered with key individuals and organizations to present special pre-conference programs for women of color: Elección Latina, Run Sister Run, and Rising Stars: Educating Asian Women for Politics. Participants in the pre-conference programs will then attend the Ready to RunTM training the following day to learn about the nuts and bolts of working on a campaign

Running Start (non-partisan)
http://www.runningstartonline.org/
Running Start brings young women to politics so that they are knowledgeable about the process, invested in the outcome, and interested in participating as elected leaders. Our programs educate the public about young women’s unique role in politics and the importance of getting more young women engaged and involved in politics. By educating young women and girls about the importance of politics, and imbuing them with the skills they need to be leaders, we will give women the "running start" they need to achieve greater political power. With an earlier start in politics, women will climb higher on the leadership ladder, allowing more women to share in the decision making power of this country.

Training Program: Path to Politics Seminar
http://www.runningstartonline.org/about/luncheon.php
The Path to Politics is a nine-month seminar designed to give young women the inspiration and the information they need to run for office. This program encourages women to run for office when they are young by featuring young legislators and candidates who will talk about their experiences with politics. Each month’s one hour seminar focuses on a different aspect of running as a young woman, and the seminars are designed to build upon each other.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: September 22nd
Out of Left Field: Understanding the Progressive Community
Hosted by Democratic GAIN
Location: 1850 M St NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC
Cost: Free of Charge
To Register: email info@runningstartonline.org
Contact: info@runningstartonline.org or (202) 421-4102

Training Program: The Young Women’s Political Leadership Program
http://www.runningstartonline.org/leadership-program/index.php
The Young Women’s Political Leadership Program encourages high school girls to channel their leadership into politics. Running Start is hosting our second annual program this July to train high school girls in political leadership skills and to plant the seed that they should run for office. Fifty girls chosen for their leadership potential from around the country will come to Washington, DC for this exciting program. The girls are chosen from public, charter and private schools and we pride ourselves on recruiting a diverse group of young women to attend our program. The program is entirely free of charge, and travel scholarships are available.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: July 19-24, 2010. Application Deadline has passed.       
2010 FALL Training in Los Angeles 
Location: Washington, DC/Los Angeles, CA
Contact: info@runningstartonline.org or (202) 421-4102
Wellstone Action (non-partisan)
 http://www.wellstone.org
Wellstone Action is a national center for progressive training and leadership development. Named in honor of late Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone and his wife Sheila, Wellstone Action offers a number of trainings for people of all ages and all levels of campaign experience. Below we’ve highlighted two Wellstone trainings targeted at potential candidates, but they also offer specialized trainings for labor movement organizers, student activists, and activists who work to combat domestic and sexual violence. For the full array of programs visit Wellstone Action’s website. For a She Should Run Newsletter Article featuring Wellstone, check here.

Training Program: Camp Wellstone
http://www.wellstone.org/our-programs/camp-wellstone
Wellstone Action’s signature weekend training program provides hands-on, practical training in grassroots politics for citizen activists, campaign workers, and people interested in running for office. Camp Wellstone is an intensive and energizing training program that is open to anyone interested in gaining practical skills in progressive political action. Over 16,000 people have graduated from the camps since they began in 2003, and there have been camps in 39 states to date.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Sessions: July 9-11, New York NY; July 30-August 1, Oakland, CA.
Cost: $200 full price, rates on a sliding scale to $50
To Register: Register Online.
Contact: jennifer@wellstone.org, 651 645 3939

Training Program: Advanced Campaign Management School
http://www.wellstone.org/our-programs/advanced-campaign-management-school
This intensive multi-day training is designed for individuals with past electoral experience who want to take their political organizing skills to the next level. Trainers teach the fundamentals of winning campaigns, building the skills of a new generation of campaign managers and developing leaders and professionals for long-term involvement in the progressive movement.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Cost: TBA
Contact: info@wellstone.org, 651 645 3939

Women Politics Media (non-partisan)
 http://www.womenpoliticsmedia.org
Women Politics Media is a nonpartisan media training organization, owned and run by women, that is designed to prepare women and minority leaders in politics to engage in traditional and new media.  Our organization was founded upon the premise that “The Media is the Playing Field for Politics in the 21st Century.”  The Women Politics Media Training Institute offers custom-tailored practical skills trainings that prime participants on how to use the media as a vehicle to impact public policy. 

Training Program: Poltical Media Training
http://www.womenpoliticsmedia.org
WPM trainings offer participants an opportunity to create their own “Personalized Media Packages” which consist of an Op-Ed on their topic of choice, a 2-3 minute Video Segment and a Professional Head Shot.  Participants will use these media packages to pitch their stories to the media, articulate their personal policy profiles to key decision-makers and promote their viewpoints on the leading issues of the day by tapping into the power of the media.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: June 25, 2010
Location: Washington, DC
Cost:$299 full price, 50% discount available to She Should Run members
To Register: www.businessmediatraining.eventbrite.com.
Contact: Sui Lang Panoke at suilang@womenpoliticsmedia.org for the discount code

EMILY’s List (Democratic)
http://www.emilyslist.org
EMILY’s List members are dedicated to building a progressive America by electing pro-choice Democratic women to office; they believe in the power of women as candidates, as contributors, as campaign professionals, and as voters to bring about great change in our country. EMILY’s List practices a three-pronged strategy to elect pro-choice Democratic women: recruiting and funding viable women candidates; helping them build and run effective campaign organizations; and mobilizing women voters to help elect progressive candidates across the nation.

Training Program: Political Opportunity Program
http://www.emilyslist.org/programs/pop/
EMILY’s List’s Political Opportunity Program (POP) helps pro-choice Democratic women run and win for state and local office. The POP also seeks out and asks qualified pro-choice Democratic women to run for office. The Political Opportunity Program recruits, encourages, supports, and trains pro-choice Democratic women who are thinking of running for office for the first time, as well as incumbent officeholders facing tough challenges. It also helps elected women chart careers that will put them on the path to leadership, either at the state level or in Congress. Programs are held nearly every weekend during the winter and spring months.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Sessions: TBD
Cost: None (applicants must only pay for travel)
To Register: Individuals must be invited or may contact EMILY’s List to attend
Contact: Michelle Stephenson at mstephenson@emilyslist.org.

Training Program: Campaign Corps
http://www.campaigncorps.org/
Campaign Corps, a project of EMILY’s List, is a national grassroots program dedicated to politically empowering young people. The program trains talented recent college graduates (both from undergraduate and graduate) and places them on targeted, progressive Democratic campaigns. Once selected, a diverse group of staffers will come to Washington for a week-long Campaign School, where they will learn the basics of political campaigning, such as voter targeting, field organizing, fundraising, and press strategy, from the country’s leading Democratic operatives. Staffers are paid to work side by side with candidates and other political professionals for the last three months of the campaign. After Election Day, Campaign Corps brings staffers back to DC for a post-election retreat and debriefing. Campaign Corps will help them launch their career in progressive politics!
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: TBD
Location: Washington, D.C., and various placements around the country
Cost: Free. Participants receive a stipend plus housing
To Register: Application available in January 2010 at http://www.emilyslist.org/do/ccorps/apply/
Contact: info@campaigncorps.org or (866) 682-6777

 

Emerge America (Democratic)
http://www.emergeamerica.org/
Emerge America is a training program for Democratic women, inspiring them to run and honing their skills to win. By identifying, inspiring, and training more Democratic women to run for office, Emerge America is building a pool of highly qualified candidates that reflects the breadth and diversity of the Democratic Party. Emerge trains more women of color than any political organization in the country: 46% of graduates are women of color. Sessions last one weekend per month for seven months
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: June 19th - Las Vegas, NV; June 26th - Eastern, KY; July 10th - Albuquerque, NM; July 10th - Salem, OR; July 17-18th - Milwaukee, WI; July 24th - Western, KY; August 14th - Albuquerque, NM; August 28th - Frankfurt, KY; September 11th - Albuquerque, NM;
October  9th - Albuquerque, NM
Location: Various, including: Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico,Wisconsin
Cost: Varies, typically between $250 and $500. Financial aid is available.
To Register: Refer to individual state organization’s websites here.
Contact: http://www.emergeamerica.org/ for affiliates

 

National Federation of Republican Women (Republican)
http://www.nfrw.org/
Founded in 1938 and one of the largest and most influential women’s political organizations in the country, the Federation is a grassroots organization with 100,000 members and 1,825 local clubs nationwide. NFRW strengthens the Republican Party by recruiting, training and electing candidates; advocating the Party’s philosophy and initiatives; and, empowering women of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds in the political process.

Training Program: Campaign Management School
http://www.nfrw.org/programs/political_education.htm
The NFRW’s highly-successful and acclaimed Campaign Management School is a comprehensive training and instruction program.  Schools are two-days in length and feature top-notch political professionals and strategists who have a wide range of knowledge and experience. These experts volunteer their time to teach students the most successful ways to raise money, write winning campaign plans, organize volunteers for get-out-the-vote activities and communicate with voters. Programs are given monthly around the US.
Upcoming Trainings
Next Session: TBD
Cost: $225 per person (includes registration, lunch and materials)
To Register: Visit http://www.nfrw.org/programs/political_education.htm
Contact: mail@nfrw.org or 703.548.9688

 

Pennslyania Women’s Campaign Fund (non-partisan) http://www.pwcf.com/
The Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund is the only organization in the state devoted solely to supporting progressive women candidates for election to the General Assembly. PWCF believes in the need to encourage pro-choice women of any party affiliation to become candidates and seeks to support them so that they can compete and win. In the long run, their success will not only make the legislature more representative, but their participation will also improve the lives of women and their families throughout the Commonwealth.

Training Program: The Winning Edge
http://www.pwcf.com/winningedge.html
The objective of the PWCF Campaign Training program is to provide the skills necessary for participants to effectively introduce themselves into the political arena and run successful campaigns as candidates or campaign staff. World class campaign experts guide PWCF participants through the process of creating and implementing a winning strategy. The typical training format includes a 2 1/2 day intensive program that covers topics including but no limited to creating an effective campaign message, managing effective communications, addressing criticism, planning a get-out-the-vote effort, seeking party endorsements, outreach efforts and fundraising. The program is ideal for candidates or staff considering waging a campaign within one-to-three years after the training.

Upcoming Trainings
Next Session:TBA
Location: TBA
Cost:$385
To Register: Visit http://www.pwcf.com/winningedge.html
Contact:866-956-9254