This September CPD launched an exciting, innovative Sustainability Initiative - a program designed to help our partner organizations build greater financial independence by developing revenue generating dues-paying membership and small donor field programs.

The launch follows over two years of planning and piloting work with our partners. CPD has teamed-up with Membership Drive, a canvass consulting and technology firm to build the initiative to scale nationally. Membership Drive was founded by Phil Radford, former National Canvass Director of Greenpeace. Together, we will build street and door-to-door fundraising and membership programs with our partner organizations across the country. Each program aims to bring financial self-sufficiency to organizations within two years. The programs aim to generate revenues that can cover 50 to 75% of a partner organizations' operating budgets within five years. Through improved training and technology, these programs will provide a path for racial and economic justice organizations to build significantly bigger pools of unrestricted revenue - funds that can be used for any purpose, enabling organizations to realize their programmatic visions. 

The program kicked-off this month in our New York office with a two-week Canvass Director Boot Camp driven by Greg Basta, CPD’s Director of Sustainability Initiatives, and Tiffany Cruz, our National Field Lead. Participants included canvass directors from VOCAL-NY, Take Action Minnesota, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Wisconsin Jobs Now, and Action United. Over the next three months, we will develop further canvass programs with New York Communities for Change, Make The Road Pennsylvania, and Working Washington. We are excited to watch our partner organizations flourish as they bring new organizing skills and strength to their communities.

If you are interested in regularly supporting CPD’s work, you too can become a sustaining member of CPD and support our ongoing efforts to generate momentum from the local level up to ensure that the values of equity, opportunity and dynamic democracy become national priorities. Become a sustaining CPD member today!