Relational
Organizing
Playbook
Vote-Tripling. Trusted Messengers. Real Results.
What Is Relational Organizing?
Relational organizing is simple: instead of strangers calling strangers, we ask supporters to talk to people they already know. Friends trust friends. Neighbors trust neighbors. That trust is the most powerful tool in any campaign.
The goal is vote-tripling: every supporter commits to personally contacting three people in their network, making sure they are registered, informed, and planning to vote.
Every supporter who joins this program commits to three things:
- Identify three people in their personal network to contact.
- Have real conversations, not cold calls.
- Log every conversation in our tracking system.
Recruiting Your Supporters
Your best recruiters are your current volunteers and supporters. Use these channels to build your relational organizing team.
Digital Outreach
Post on the PA Democratic Black Caucus Facebook page, chapter email lists, and statewide text alerts asking supporters to join the program.
Events Ask
At every event, do a 90-second ask from the front of the room: "We need 50 people willing to make three phone calls."
Peer Recruitment
Ask current volunteers to each recruit one friend. Peer-to-peer recruitment is 3x more effective than mass outreach.
Allied Organizations
Reach out to unions, churches, community groups, and block associations in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the Lehigh Valley, York, and Bucks County.
Paid Facebook Ads
Run a short Facebook ad targeting Pennsylvania registered Democrats, ages 25–65, with a signup form.
Recruiter Script: The Initial Ask
We're asking supporters to each personally reach out to three people they know: friends, family, neighbors. Not to read a script at them, just to have a real conversation about voting and make sure they have a plan.
You'd spend maybe an hour total. We'll give you everything you need. Would you be willing to be one of our people?"
Training Your Team
Training takes 45 to 60 minutes. Run it as a group session via Zoom or in person before each major contact window. Organizers should train every new cohort personally, not send a video.
Training Session Agenda (60 Minutes)
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00 – 0:05 | Welcome and introductions. Why this race matters for Pennsylvania. |
| 0:05 – 0:15 | What is relational organizing and why it works. Show the research: people are 5x more likely to vote when asked by someone they know. |
| 0:15 – 0:25 | Walk through the three scripts. Practice in pairs. Debrief what felt natural and what felt scripted. |
| 0:25 – 0:35 | Tracking sheet walkthrough. How to log contacts. How to update the organizer. |
| 0:35 – 0:50 | Role-play a tough conversation: "I don't follow politics" / "My vote doesn't matter." |
| 0:50 – 1:00 | Assignments and Q&A. Each person leaves with their three names written down. |
Key Training Principles
Contact Scripts
These are conversation guides, not word-for-word scripts. Supporters should adapt to their relationship with the person they are calling.
I'm not calling to read you a script. I just wanted to make sure you knew about [election/candidate/issue] and see if you're planning to vote."
I've known you for [years / through work / from the neighborhood] and I know you care about this community. I just didn't want to assume you knew how much is on the line this cycle."
Election Day is [DATE]. Your polling place is [LOCATION]. Polls open at 7 AM and close at 8 PM.
Is there anything that would make it harder for you to get there? Sometimes just talking through the logistics helps."
| What They Say | How You Respond |
|---|---|
| "My vote doesn't matter." | I used to feel that way too. But Black voters in Pennsylvania have swung statewide races by tens of thousands of votes. When our community shows up, the outcome changes. That's not a theory — that's history. |
| "I don't follow politics." | You don't have to. This is about who controls courts that decide voting maps, workers' rights, and school funding in communities that look like ours. You don't have to love politics to understand those decisions affect your life. |
| "They're all the same." | I understand that frustration. But I'm not asking you to trust politicians — I'm asking you to vote. Because the decisions being made about our communities will be made by someone. It should be us. |
| "I don't have time." | It takes less time than a coffee run. Your polling place is five minutes from you. I'll text you the address right now if you want. |
| "I already voted early." | That is amazing. Thank you. Can I ask you to pass the word to one person you know who might not vote? You'd make a real difference. |
Tracking Sheet
Every supporter gets a personal tracking sheet. All voter contacts are entered into VAN/VoteBuilder within 24 hours of each conversation.
Individual Supporter Tracking Sheet
| Supporter Name | Phone / Email | Contacts Made | Confirmed Voters | VAN Updated? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Organizer Master Metrics
Review every Friday during the active contact window.
| Metric | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Active supporters in program | 50 minimum / cycle | Grow by 10 each week until 30 days out |
| Total contacts attempted | 3 per supporter | 150 total if 50 supporters activated |
| Confirmed voter commitments | 60%+ of contacts made | Target 90 confirmed voters from 150 contacts |
| Contacts entered into VAN | 100% within 24 hours | Audited weekly by organizer |
| Supporters with zero contacts logged | 0 after 2 weeks | Follow up directly, reassign or remove |
Program Management
Consistent weekly management is what separates programs that hit their targets from ones that fade out by week three.
Weekly Organizer Checklist
- Review tracking sheets from all active supporters. Identify anyone with zero contacts.
- Send a midweek encouragement text to the full supporter group with a running contact count.
- Enter all new voter contacts into VAN with correct support codes.
- Identify the top 3 performers. Give them a personal shoutout by name at the next meeting.
- Recruit at least 2 new supporters to replace anyone who has gone inactive.
- Review confirmed-voter numbers against your weekly target and report up to your organizer.
Contact Window Calendar
"Cold calls have a contact-to-commitment rate under 10%. Relational contacts run 40 to 60 percent. The research is unambiguous: when the ask comes from someone who knows you, people say yes."
asked by someone they know
is the core commitment
from contact to commitment
log contacts in VAN
Pennsylvania is not a monolith. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the Lehigh Valley, York, Bucks County, and every community in between have different trusted voices, different concerns, different histories. That is exactly why this program works: it moves through the relationships that already exist in those communities, not around them.