Organizing Beyond Election Day
Since 2019, the Wisconsin Democratic Party has used Reach to build a year-round strategy that wins elections, builds community and harnesses long-term volunteer power. By focusing on trusted messenger outreach, layered volunteer asks, and targeted actions, WisDems have frequently defied expectations, winning crucial elections in their swing state.
Most recently, in April 2025, the Wisconsin Democrats orchestrated a huge statewide win, swinging the electorate by more than 10 points in just 5 months to elect Judge Susan Crawford and re-elect Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Jill Underly. Their winning formula included three central voter outreach pillars: door knocking, phone banking, and relational organizing, powered by Reach.
Challenge: Making Relational Central and Engaging Volunteers Year-Round
Traditional organizing often ramps up only in the final months before an election—but WisDems understand that isn’t enough. Still, the team faced a common challenge in relational organizing: most volunteers only engage with relational tools near the end of a campaign cycle, missing out on the long-term benefits of sustained outreach.
To address this, WisDems tied their adoption of Reach to a sustained approach to organizing that includes:
- A Neighborhood Action Team model and make relational organizing a core part of every campaign and every canvassing shift.
- Using targeted Action Cards to ensure that volunteer asks are locally relevant.
- Using Reach year-round to grow volunteer networks and recruit supporters through a layered approach to engagement.
- Engaging voters around high-impact moments like the Spring 2025 election—and during the off-year, when strong infrastructure can be built with easy asks of volunteers, like consistent content sharing. All the while, gathering data from voters on key issues and concerns.
Solution: Building Trust, One Contact at a Time
In the lead-up to the April 1st, 2025 election, WisDems used Reach’s tagging functionality to prioritize outreach to key targets, making sure that the right conversations were happening with the right people. Volunteers were empowered to act as trusted messengers to their own networks, and that personal touch made a difference.
Using Reach’s Content Galleries, WisDems also created a steady drumbeat of action for their volunteer hubs. Organizers used these curated content assets to share talking points, event details, and issue-based messaging, keeping volunteers plugged in and motivated.
And then once voting began, WisDems deployed Reach to identify voters who had not yet cast early ballots—and mobilized volunteers to help them make a plan to vote early or on Election Day.
Results: +298% Growth in Relational Contact Attempts
Long-term investment in relational organizing pays dividends! In the Spring 2025 elections alone, WisDems made 6,900 relational contact attempts—a +298% increase compared to Spring 2023.
Beyond the numbers, Reach became an essential organizing tool:
- Volunteer hubs thrived with easy to take, consistent actions like content sharing and chat engagement.
- Volunteer retention increased as organizers could stay connected with their teams through Reach Chat and foster a sense of community.
- Events saw better turnout with Action Cards used to create layered, localized asks to engage more volunteers and supporters—ensuring relational was always fully integrated into the strategy.
Training & Support: Coaching for Long-Term Buy-In
To get volunteers up and running with Reach, WisDems invested in a combination of virtual and in-person trainings. While both were effective, in-person events sparked the biggest “aha” moments, helping volunteers experience the power of relational in action.
They learned that adoption doesn’t happen overnight—but with coaching, support, and patience. Over time, using Reach is now second nature for their local teams.
Looking Ahead: Reach for the Long Game
WisDems isn’t slowing down. With a wave of grassroots protests and issue-based organizing happening across the state, they’re now working to expand Reach Content Galleries with more resources, talking points, and focus-area content to keep their message front and center.
The plan moving forward? Use Reach throughout the summer to connect supporters around the issues they care about, deepen engagement, and keep the organizing muscle strong—even when no election is on the horizon.
Advice to Other State Parties
WisDems has a clear message for other state parties looking to use Reach:
“It might take a moment for relational organizing to click with your volunteers. Be patient, give coaching and support. The payoff is worth it.”
Most Powerful Feature: Tailored, Targeted Action Cards
When asked what makes Reach indispensable, WisDems organizers are quick to highlight one feature: Targeted Action Cards that are tailored to specific issues and voter segments.
Whether it’s volunteer recruitment, early vote reminders, or issue-based messaging, these cards help organizers turn outreach into action—while allowing flexibility and personal touch.
Conclusion: Building Power, One Relationship at a Time
For WisDems, Reach is more than an app—it’s an infrastructure for people-powered politics. From relational voter contact to volunteer recruitment and retention, Reach has become central to how the party organizes, engages, and wins.
By making relational organizing a year-round strategy, Wisconsin Democrats are building a movement that lasts, and provides a winning formula on Election Day.
