Elections
A year in which significant political elections occur, including midterm and general elections. During these years, PA staff engage in coordinated or independent expenditure campaign activities with endorsed candidates or ballot measures.
Election Year
A specific action or activity used to carry out a strategy. The concrete steps taken to move work forward, such as hosting events, canvassing, or sending emails.
Tactic
A clear and measurable outcome you aim to achieve. Describes what success looks like and guide the overall direction of a project, campaign, or program.
Goal
Content - Words, images, or videos - that asks activists, supporters, voters, or volunteers to take a particular action to help achieve the campaign’s goals.
Call to Action “CTA”
A tool that allows you to target specific members of your audience with personalized SMS and MMS text messages.
Hustle / Hustling
A year without major political elections, during which PA staff do not typically engage in coordinated or independent expenditure campaign activities for endorsed candidates. Endorsement cycles still occur, but no campaign work takes place.
Non-Election Year / Off Year
Setting up a table at an event or in a high-traffic location to engage people about the organization or a specific cause. This tactic is used to start conversations, provide information, recruit volunteers, raise funds, or encourage advocacy on an issue.
Tabling
The approach or plan used to achieve a goal. Outlines how you will reach your goal by focusing your resources, strengths, and activities in a coordinated and intentional way.
Strategy
A concerted effort to register voters and increase voter turnout during elections.
Get Out the Vote "GOTV"
The media and digital components of a campaign plan, including tactics such as paid advertising, social media content, email outreach, and geotargeted messaging.
Digital Campaign
A communication or expenditure made in coordination with a candidate or campaign. When a committee, group, or individual pays for a communication that is coordinated with a candidate, it is considered either an in-kind contribution or a direct expenditure.
Contributions have limits.
Coordinated Campaign / CC / Hard Side
Talking with people at their homes by going from door to door. This tactic allows staff or volunteers to communicate directly with community members for persuasive, informational, or electoral purposes.
Canvassing / Door-Knocking
The act of publicly supporting or recommending a policy, cause, or candidate to influence decision-makers. Focuses on one-time wins that do not permanently alter the relations of power.
Most effective when paired with organized, collective power from the people affected.
Advocacy
The national arm of Planned Parenthood.
Works directly with local Planned Parenthood affiliates, leads national campaigns, and engages with candidates in federal elections.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America "PPFA"
A key practice in social justice movements that aims to create shared power, promote inclusion, and dismantle traditional systems of oppression that have historically disenfranchised non-English speakers.
Language Justice
A communication that expressly advocates for the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate and is made without any consultation, coordination, or communication with the candidate, their committees, agents, or a political party.
Contributes do not have limits.
Independent Expenditure / IE / Soft Side
A contactless tactic where campaign literature or materials are left on doors to inform, persuade, or remind people about an important issue, event, or action they can take.
Lit-Drop / Literature-Drop
The act of rallying or activating people to take immediate action, often for a specific event or campaign, such as attending a rally, voting, or contacting decision-makers.
Short-term and task-focused. It is a transactional relationship. Power is exercised by sheer numbers.
Mobilizing
The C3 entity that provides direct patient care and operates all health centers across our region. ____ is responsible for health care delivery, education, and other non-electoral services.
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains "PPRM"
A time-bound effort with a defined beginning and end. Can be short-term or long-term and are designed to produce a specific result, deliverable, or product.
Project
A system that prevents coordinating and non-coordinating units within the same organization from sharing information about a candidate, authorized committee, or political party committee.
Firewall
A series of intentional conversations with community members, partners, or stakeholders to gather feedback, learn about needs and experiences, and build trust. This tactic help inform program design, strategy, and organizational priorities.
Listening Tour
A deep, sustained process of building mass collective power among people to take meaningful action. Focuses on engaging individuals, developing leaders, and creating structures for long-term participation and influence.
Prioritizes building trust, relationships, and rank-and-file power, not just momentary activity.
Organizing
The C4 entity that allows staff to engage in electoral and direct candidate-related activities.
Leads political advocacy, endorsements, and campaign efforts within our region.
Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Action Fund
"PPRM-AF" "PPVNM" "PPVC"
An ongoing effort that occurs annually or seasonally and delivers a consistent set of services or activities designed to meet specific, verified community needs.
Program