Relational Organizing 101

Relational organizing works because people trust the people they already know. Instead of relying only on cold outreach, this strategy turns your existing supporters into recruiters who tap their own networks of friends, family, and neighbors. It's one of the most effective tools available to local parties, first-time candidates, and organizers who want to build lasting political power in their community. Running a successful relational organizing program well takes planning and follow-through.

This course breaks down how relationships and social pressure shape behavior, then shows you how to put that knowledge into action. You'll learn how to prepare supporters to assess their personal networks, engage the right contacts, and mobilize them at the right moments in your campaign. We'll also cover how relational organizing fits alongside traditional field and voter contact work, plus the systems you need to manage an ongoing program instead of a one-off push.

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

• Explain how relationships and social pressure influence individual voter behavior

• Prepare supporters to assess, engage, and mobilize their personal networks

  • Identify relational organizing tactics that supplement a traditional field program

  • Set up the systems needed to run and manage an ongoing relational organizing effort