The campaign activation toolkit is the intellectual property of SC WIL and linked partner organizations. We encourage you to share the toolkit page link with other female candidates so they may also access the information by registering. Other methods of sharing are prohibited.
Jump to a specific month for your to-dos and resources:
December | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November
Get a running start on your campaign before you announce you’re running and officially file your candidacy.
- Pinpoint why you want to run
- Why Am I Running? (worksheet)
- Address doubts about your readiness or capabilities
- Fixin’ to Lead Workshop
- Self-Paced Lesson: You Are Qualified!
- Self-Paced Lesson: Building Emotional Courage
- Self-Paced Lesson: How Does a Run Fit into Your Real Life?
- Self-Paced Lesson: Can I Afford to Run?
- Choose the office you will run for
- Self-Paced Lesson: Choosing Your Office
- Choosing Your Office (video)
- What Office Should I Run For? (outline)
- Self-Paced Lesson: Choosing Your Office
- Use historical election data and voter registration information to research your district
- Office Hours: Opportunity Seats – Statewide Office (video)
- *Check back soon for more upcoming workshop dates
- Opportunity Seats – Local Office (video)
- *Register for Fixin’ to Lead workshop or session replay will be available at a later date
- Researching Your District Outline
- Office Hours: Opportunity Seats – Statewide Office (video)
- Media training
- Presenting Yourself in Person and in the Media (video)
- Self-Paced Lesson: Navigating the Media
- Self-Paced Lesson: Skeletons in the Closet
- Begin attending public meetings of the body you are running for and speak regularly
- Begin drafting campaign plan
- Open your campaign bank account (DO NOT COLLECT ANY FUNDS BEFORE FILING!)
- Audit your online presence (personal profiles)
- Self-Paced Lesson: Your Online Presence
- Create a Campaign Calendar
- Filing deadlines and requirements (web link)
- South Carolina Election Commission – Candidate Information (web link)
- Finance and disclosure requirements and deadlines (SC Ethics Commission website)
- State Ethics Commission Website
- S.C. Candidate Finance and Compliance Outline
- When can yard signs be displayed? – check state and local statutes
- Important voting dates (early voting, absentee voting, voter registration deadlines)
- Note dates of local or regional parades, events, or other gatherings of importance
- Filing deadlines and requirements (web link)
- Build your campaign website
- Establish platform for online donations and incorporate into campaign website
- Fundraising 101 Workshop (video)
- File with local election commission per requirements
- Filing window in S.C. is March 16 – 30 for partisan races
- Filing deadlines and requirements
- If your race is partisan, seek support from state and county political party to enhance campaign efforts
- Review and finalize campaign plan and budget
- Vote, Run, Lead Campaign Plan Worksheet
- Campaign Budget Template 1 (spreadsheet)
- Campaign Budget Template 2 (spreadsheet)
- Depending on your budget and the scale of your race, you may want to consider using campaign software
- Begin drafting a list of campaign connections and what specifically you can ask them to do
- Office Hours: Building Your Network (video)
- Self-Paced Lesson: Identifying Your Network
- Campaign Connections Worksheet
- Campaign Supporters List Template (spreadsheet)
- Establish a system for financial recordkeeping
- SC Ethics Commission Candidate Training Video: Finance & Disclosures (video)
- Office Hours: Campaign Finance & Disclosures (video)
- In-Kind Donation Recording Template (printable)
- Check Receipt Form Template (printable)
- Check Batch Form Template (printable)
- SC Ethics Filing Bulk Upload Template (spreadsheet)
- Candidate raises money – start with people you already know – your network.
- Raising Money for Your Campaign Outline
- Campaign Fundraising Workshop (video)
- Fundraising Tactics (slide deck)
- Fundraising 101 Workshop (video)
- Develop and meet with fundraising committee
- Hold one fundraising event
- Complete rankings and target of wards/precincts for door-to-door canvassing and GOTV activities
- Community group/professional organization/church visits by candidate
- Develop lists of key community leaders for endorsement
- Make calls and cultivate relationships with other candidates, precinct and community leaders
- Identify/interview/select campaign managers/vendors/consultants
- Office Hours: Who’s on Your Campaign Team? (video)
- Self-Paced Lesson: Your Campaign Team
- Building Your Campaign Team (worksheet)
- Campaign Team Roles Overview
- Skills Assessment for Candidates and Campaign Staff (worksheet)
- Define role of major supporters
- Conduct weekly organizational meeting(s)
- Identify and engage precinct/community leaders
- Recruit volunteers
- Craft your campaign platform
- Self-Paced Lesson: Developing Your Message
- Office Hours: Develop Your Campaign Message (video)
- Draft one-page talking points for campaign team, volunteers, surrogate speakers
- Begin to develop surrogate speakers
- Provide speakers with campaign platform talking points
- Speakers trained in Presenting Yourself in Person and in the Media (video)
- Design palm card art file using template
- Print palm card
- Print yard signs
- Design & order large signs*/billboard locations (if budget permits)
- *Note that large signs will require built frames, and a truck or trailer is needed to transport them. Be sure you have the capacity before designing and ordering.
- Develop a tracking system for distribution of signs and campaign materials
- Begin research for media buy *COMING SOON
- Send surrogate speakers to identified events
- Self-Paced Lesson: Developing Your Message
- Candidate continues to raise money
- Hold at least 3 fundraising events
- Community group/professional organization/church visits by candidate
- Begin planning for breakfast/lunch with area ministers, church leaders, and precinct leaders to be held during August and September
- Candidate should make calls and cultivate relationships with primary candidates and precinct and community leaders
- Conduct weekly organizational meeting(s)
- Recruit volunteers
- Erect large signs
- Release announcement of endorsements
- Distribute press release or conduct a media event
- Send surrogate speakers to identified events
- Draft and review telephone script for phone bank/robocalls *COMING SOON
- Develop instruction kits for volunteer canvassing coordinators *COMING SOON
- Candidate continues to raise money
- Community group/professional organization/church visits by candidate
- Breakfast/lunch event with ministers, church leaders, and precinct leaders
- Candidate attend events
- Develop and finalize GOTV plan
- Develop absentee and early voting strategy *COMING SOON
- Conduct weekly organizational meeting(s)
- Recruit volunteers
- Organize yard sign crew
- S.C. Code of Laws – outdoor advertising
- Also see regulations for your municipality
- Erect large campaign signs
- Distribute press release or conduct a media event
- Draft radio and television spots
- Finalize media buy plan
- Send surrogate speakers to identified events
- Conduct door-to-door canvassing in target precincts/wards
- Erect yard signs
- Use collateral template to customize mailer(s) art file(s)
- Candidate continues to raise money
- Begin planning of grassroots events (cook out, drop-in, fish fry, etc.) throughout district
- Finalize locations for fundraisers and other events
- Develop invitation lists for events
- Draft invitations for events
- Mail/email invitations for events/fundraisers
- Refine early voting strategy
- Conduct door-to-door canvassing
- Community group/professional organization/church visits (Candidate/Supporters)
*Refer back to work completed in prior periods
- Conduct weekly organizational meeting(s)
- Recruit volunteers
- Finalize recipient addresses and send final mailer(s) art file to printer/mail house
- Increase sign visibility by erecting large and yard signs
- Create at least one news story
- Candidate continues to raises money
- Conduct RSVP phone calls for events
- Conduct door-to-door canvassing
- Continue early voting effort
- Candidate and volunteers to call undecided voters
- Host events in district (fish frys, chicken bogs, etc.)
- Community group/professional organization/church (Candidate/Supporters)
- Weekly organizational meeting(s)
- Conduct weekly organizational meeting(s)
- Distribute Mailer #1* – 4 weeks out from the election
- *Recommended timing if you have the budget to send three mailers is four weeks, three weeks, and two weeks out from the election
- Begin radio/media advertisements
- Produce and place radio ads (Consultant)
- Distribute Mailer #2* – 3 weeks out from the election
- *If you only have the budget for one mailer, distribution three weeks out from the election is the recommended timing
- Erect yard signs
- Create at least 2 news stories
- Continue early voting effort
- Conduct door-to-door canvassing
- Conduct GOTV meeting
- Community group/professional organization/church (Candidate/Supporters)
- GOTV event
- Conduct GOTV Calls
- Conduct weekly organizational meeting(s)
- Meet with Election Day workers
- Man the polls
- Continue radio/media advertisements
- Increase sign visibility
- Erect yard signs
- Begin radio advertisement
- Distribute mailer #3
- Prepare a Win/Lose Statement
- WIN ON ELECTION DAY NOVEMBER 5TH!!!!
- Celebrate with your victory with your campaign team
- Collect signs
- Thank donors and volunteers
Get your message out to voters with customizable campaign collateral templates using Canva, a free, easy-to-use online design service. You will have to create a login to use the free service, and enhanced features and tools are available with a paid account. Canva does offer a free trial.
The template files are set up to provide you design guidance. Text and photograph content should be customized for your campaign. The template files also allow you to modify fonts, colors, and icons.
The yard sign template includes additional pages for your logo files in color, white, and black. You can download your logo files with transparent backgrounds for use on other materials with a paid Canva subscription or free trial.
Mailer (11.125×6.125 inches)
Palm Card (4.125×9.125 inches)
Yard Sign/Logo (24×18 inches)
Business Card (3.5×2 inches)
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The content provided in the WIL Win! toolkit and all linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. Candidates are solely responsible for the use and application of the information contained herein. Furthermore, SC Women’s Leadership Network (dba South Carolina Women in Leadership/SC WIL), partner organizations, presenters, and any other party associated with the information contained herein are not liable for any effect that results directly or indirectly from use of this information.