7 Steps to Winning!

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Experience has taught that many women with political aspirations do not start early enough to build their campaign. It is essential to start 2 to 3 years before the next municipal election. 

The 7 Steps to Winning workshop series is designed to equip aspiring political candidates and campaign managers with the knowledge and skills necessary to run a successful political campaign. Our workshops cover a range of key topics such as campaign strategy, fundraising, volunteer management, media and public engagement, and more. Each workshop includes hands-on activities, group discussions, and expert-led sessions to provide practical insights and actionable takeaways. With the 7 Steps to Win workshop series, you'll gain the confidence and expertise to run a winning political campaign.

Depending upon registration, more dates can be added.

When you complete all workshops, you’ll be offered the “Managing Social Media for Women” workshop at no charge in January 2024.
 

"Are You Compatible with Public Office?" is the first in a series of 7 designed to help women get elected. The objective of this workshop is to identify the qualities required to become an elected official and assess the compatibility of individuals with public office. The workshop includes a compatibility assessment quiz, group discussions, role-playing scenarios to test decision-making skills, and case study analysis of successful women in politics. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a better understanding of what it takes to be an elected official and whether they have the necessary qualities to succeed in public office.

"What is Your North Star" workshop is the 2nd in a series of 7 designed to help women get elected. When you are making decisions as a politician, your purpose or "North Star' is an integral part of your decision making process, it will help in many ways. That's why it is one of the first workshops because it drives everything you do!

The objective of this workshop is to help individuals develop their vision and mission statement. The workshop includes a brainstorming session to identify personal values and beliefs, a group discussion on how to align personal values and beliefs with political goals, and the development of vision and mission statements for a political career. Participants will present their vision and mission statements at the end of the workshop. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of their personal values and beliefs and how they can align them with their political goals to create a strong vision and mission statement for their political career.

"Know Your Story, Develop Your Elevator Pitch" workshop is the 3rd in a series of 7 designed to help women get elected. This can be a difficult one to nail down but it is so important when you starting telling your story.  The North Star workshop naturally leads into this one. The objective of this workshop is to help individuals craft their personal stories and elevator pitches for political campaigns. The workshop includes storytelling exercises to identify personal narratives, group discussions on how to connect personal stories to political goals and developing elevator pitches for political campaigns. Participants will present their elevator pitches at the end of the workshop and receive feedback. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of how to use their personal stories to connect with voters and communicate their political goals effectively.

"How to Advocate in Your Community" workshop is the 4th in a series of 7 designed to help women get elected. We all have our issues in the community that we would like to improve. The objective of this workshop is to teach you how to effectively advocate in your community. The workshop includes a group discussion on the importance of community advocacy, researching issues and identifying potential supporters, developing a communication plan for community outreach, and role-playing scenarios to practice community advocacy techniques. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of how to effectively advocate for their political campaign in their local community, build relationships with potential supporters, and communicate their message effectively.

 ‘Working with Media and the Public' is # 5 in the 7 Steps to Win series, designed to help women get elected. In this workshop, participants will learn how to effectively work with the media and engage with the public. The workshop includes group discussions on the role of media in politics, role-playing scenarios to practice media interviews and public speaking, and developing a communication plan for media and public engagement. Participants will also have the opportunity to present and receive feedback on their media interviews and public speaking skills. By the end of this workshop, individuals will have gained valuable insights and practical skills to help them navigate the media and engage with the public during their political campaign.

  "Creating Your Election Campaign" is the 6th in a series of 7 designed to help women get elected. The objective of this workshop is to teach individuals how to create a comprehensive election campaign plan. The workshop includes a group discussion on the elements of a successful election campaign, researching past election campaigns for inspiration and best practices, developing a campaign plan including messaging, branding, and strategic planning, and presenting and receiving feedback on campaign plans. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of how to create an effective election campaign plan that includes a strong message, branding, and strategic planning to appeal to voters and win the election.

 "Making the Ask" is the 7th & final workshop in a series of 7 designed to help women get elected. WE have observed that many candidates have trouble asking for money and then are very surprised by the expense involved in running for office. Their campaign struggles due to lack of funds. The objective of this workshop is to teach you how to effectively fundraise and budget for their election campaign. The workshop includes a group discussion on the importance of fundraising and budgeting in politics, developing a fundraising plan including donor identification, solicitation, and recognition, developing a budget plan including expenses & revenue, presenting, and receiving feedback on fundraising and budget plans. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of how to effectively fundraise and budget for their election campaign, including identifying potential donors, soliciting donations, and creating a comprehensive budget plan that includes expenses, revenue, and cash flow.

Experience shows that most women start their campaign much too late. The time is now if you want to be ready!  Workshop dates can be adjusted if necessary.

A portion of workshop fees will be donated to the Sarnia Community Foundation for The Jean Macdougall Fund for Women in Politics. Our youth need leaders and the next generation of girls and young women will benefit from having diverse role models and mentors. Let's help build those leaders through our scholarship for young women. Do you want to help us fund education for young women?  

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/sarnia-community-foundation/?mprompt=1

Click on the link, it will take you to the Canada Helps site for the Sarnia Community Foundation, you can donate to the fund using the dropdown menu down to find 'Jean Macdougall Fund-for Women in Politics'. You will receive a tax receipt.

Our workshop series is only $197 for all 7 workshops! After completion of the 7 workshops, you receive “Managing Social Media for Women” at no cost. This is an introductory price and will change in 2024. Register now to ensure this fee, if this fall does not work for you, it will be offered again in 2024 but you want to lock this price in now.