Online Organizing Platforms

By Jared Ford | January 07, 2014

Small Photo
Photo
At roots camp

Our last RootsCamp ‘13 round-up identified free tools to maximize voice, and to collect and analyze social and mobile data. Each tool was quite specific in its purpose and execution. Beyond these, the attendees (vendors and activists alike) discussed a broader set of platforms (suites) that attempt to manage people and data in a way that allow for a variety of campaign and advocacy activities including petitions, member engagement, mobilization, etc.  As before, find a round-up of the best-of-breed at the conference below. Send any of your own suggestions, and we'll update the list.

Campaign Management

NGP VAN is the largest provider of political data management tools for progressives in the US. With it’s recent purchase of NationalField, which builds tools for managing field staff and volunteers, they provide an integrated platform of fundraising, organizing, new media, and social networking products.

NationBuilder is billed as “Political campaign software starting at $19/mo”, NationBuilder has developed an impressive set of online tools for campaigns including websites, voter databases, fundraising tools, and communications tools. Nationbuilder is looking to internationalize its platform.

The Action Network has a free suite of online organizing tools. They allow you to develop petitions, fundraising pages, events, surveys, mass mailers, all with reporting features to analyze your data.

AbleOrganizer is designed for conducting outreach and advocacy efforts through a Drupal website. Largely a module for community engagement with pre-configured outreach and advocacy tools including: fundraising, event management, petitions, volunteer management, etc.

Mobile Commons is a vendor that provides simple tools to reach people on their mobile devices, primarily, via text-messaging-based campaigns that integrate into existing communications outreach. Sample actions include: send targeted text messages, launch phone calls from texts, create polls and surveys, track every text and call.

One of the most-recognized petitioning outfirts, MoveOn, offers services that get people to sign petition, send emails to all signers, ask signers to share petition, come to an event, make a phone call, etc. MoveOn also offers to test your petition against their list, and offers training on how to grow your own lists

You can also check out our previous writing on political party support and campaign strategy.

Share