From March 3-7, 35 lead organizers and their teams from six CPD affiliates across the country joined Make the Road Nevada for an organizer training and community engagement blitz in Nevada. This program combines intensive training and cross-affiliate cohort building with direct experience in the field. It also engages a significant number of newly organized members for affiliates. Our team grounded the program in the direct needs of affiliate organizers, tailoring training to fit the skills and campaigns they are driving. Participating affiliates included CASA MD and VA, Good Jobs Now (MI), LUCHA (AZ), Make the Road NV,  Make the Road PA, One PA, and UNE (CO).

Each day combined training with one aspect of field organizing, including canvassing for membership, one-on-one meetings and second visits, phone banking, peer-to-peer texting and Make the Road Nevada’s membership meeting. By the end, affiliate organizers had engaged  110 new petition signers, 12 new dues paying members, 41 people through one-on-one meetings, over 70 new people interested in in-person follow up after phone banking and texting, and over 35 people who attended Make the Road’s moving membership meeting.

Many affiliates in attendance gave us positive feedback. “These trainings are so powerful,” as UNE’s Organizing Director, Celeste Martinez, described,  “our teams can apply the skills they are learning in the field each day.” Amanda Hill from Good Jobs Now explained that she was, “ grateful to learn about best practices for committee building that fosters leadership development, real buy-in, and member and community empowerment.” And Alex Vazquez, an organizer with CASA, explained that “as an organizer, sometimes you lose sight of your overall mission and purpose. Having this type of training helps you refocus and ground you in the importance and value of your work.”

Affiliates who attended the training will bring home the lessons they learned to continue building the strength and capacity of their organizations. This work is ongoing and critical to CPD’s mission to support and strengthen the power of our communities. Together, we can take bold action to build a resilient economy and political institutions that reflect our priorities. Please stand with us to ensure our country embodies our vision of an inclusive and equitable society by making a donation today.