In honor of Groundhog’s Day, the Swing Blue Alliance research team hosted an event to discuss the results of our 2020 mailing program and how we can apply what we’ve learned to support Democrats in the 2022 midterms. One key lesson comes from how we choose our postcard and letter-writing campaigns.
Choosing a postcard and letter writing campaign
Swing Blue Alliance sent 1.7 million cards and letters in 2020 (learn more about the results), and we decided where to invest our time based on one mantra: AIM HI.
ADDITIVE: Complements existing efforts
IMPORTANT: Aligns with our goals
MEASURABLE: Quantifies impact
HELPFUL: Builds our movement
IMPACTFUL: Achieves intended outcomes effectively
As you decide which postcard and letter-writing campaigns to support in 2022, try asking these questions:
- ADDITIVE: Does this mailing complement existing efforts? Will this mailing get lost in a sea of similar mail, or does it address a specific unmet need?
- IMPORTANT: Is this project important for your group? Is it core to your group’s goals and strategies? Is it in line with your group’s preferences and skillsets?
- MEASURABLE: Are there planned outcome metrics? What are the outcomes to be tracked for this mailing? Will the results be shared in sufficient detail that we can understand the methods? (Caveat: Since we don’t know how people vote, it can be harder to measure the impact of persuasion cards.)
- HELPFUL: Will this mailing help frontline groups? Will it strengthen the Democratic party at the grassroots level? Will it support marginalized communities? Will it help improve grassroots organizing in swing states?
- IMPACTFUL: Do you believe this mailing will achieve the intended outcome? Is there prior research that indicates that this mailing will produce the outcome you are seeking for the targeted population?
Take a look at the AIM HI in Action example. We applied the AIM HI mantra to our Florida vote by mail application campaigns, where we sent postcards to Democratic voters in Florida. We believe this methodology helps us choose the campaigns where Swing Blue Alliance can make the biggest difference in helping Democrats succeed in elections.
Are you interested in partnering with Swing Blue Alliance?
We are welcoming new volunteer groups into our community to host postcard and letter-writing campaigns in 2022. Swing Blue Alliance develops programs for volunteer groups and partners with other organizations to support voting rights, strengthen the Democratic party at the grassroots level, and elect Democrats up and down the ballot. If you’d like to get involved with Swing Blue Alliance as a volunteer group or organizer in 2022, visit: https://swingbluealliance.org/hosts/