That was the focus of our recent webinar, Outsmart the big spenders: Political pros share the new playbook, where a panel of seasoned campaigners shared what it takes to run a winning grassroots campaign on limited resources.
Our expert panel included Ian Anderson from NationKit, a leading NationBuilder professional services firm providing tailored digital solutions for campaigns and organizations, and Corey McCann of Code Nation, an award-winning digital agency in Australia working with non-profits, advocacy organizations, and political campaigns. Finally, Irene and Sarah from NationBuilder rounded out our panel, with twenty years of combined experience delivering solutions to blossoming campaigns.
Here's a breakdown of the practical steps you can apply right now to build power, scale your impact, and stay personal while staying efficient.
1. Make donation asks feel personal
Fundraising isn't just about asking, it's about relevance. The panel emphasized that big and small donors require different engagement tactics when raising for grassroots organizations. High-dollar donors often get face time with candidates or campaign managers, while grassroots donors (those giving less than $100) should be reached through targeted emails that speak directly to their concerns. This approach works whether you're running advocacy campaigns or electoral races. The key is understanding your audience.
Use segmentation to tailor your messages. Tie your ask to a regional issue or moment of urgency, i.e., "Help us hit our goal by Friday so we can print the signs we need for the weekend push." A clear, timely reason to give makes all the difference.
"The way that I always like to think about engaging with them when we're sending out, say, a donation ask," says Ian Anderson, "is how do we make it relevant to that individual or to that group of people we're looking to target? The relevancy can come in terms of if it's topical, is it regionally specific to them, and there is a piece of urgency to it."
If you're just starting out, build your segments using what you have: postal codes, issue preferences, or even the method that someone signed up. Then craft a short email series with a single "hook," followed by a clear call to action. With tools like NationBuilder, you can retarget based on engagement and grow your donor base with intention.
2. Turn volunteers into local leaders
The most powerful campaigns are community-powered. Instead of centralizing every decision, the panel encouraged grassroots movements to build the infrastructure that lets volunteers lead locally.
Set the strategy at headquarters (goals, key messaging, the theory of change) but empower volunteers with tools, scripts, and training to take action in their own communities. Think house parties, door-to-door canvassing, and peer-to-peer outreach.
"You can only achieve scale when your volunteer leaders are also empowered to execute locally," says Corey McCann, "and that means running their own events and having those visible online, engaging with supporters in person, and continuing those conversations as part of peer-to-peer communications."
Use tech to bridge the gap: volunteer onboarding systems, call scripts, and email templates help streamline your approach. When volunteers have the support and freedom to act locally, they can create unstoppable momentum. This grassroots campaign approach builds authentic connections that social media alone can't replicate.
3. Boost digital outreach with smarter data
For smaller campaigns, blasting out generic messages won't cut it. Data quality is what drives digital success. Instead of buying lists, focus on building your own clean, organized database. Grassroots organizations that combine strong data practices with targeted social media outreach see the highest engagement rates.
Good data hygiene means collecting the right information, keeping it updated, and using it well. That includes paying attention to email deliverability so emails land in inboxes, not spam folders. Monitor engagement rates, remove bounced emails, and avoid sending to inactive contacts.
Irene Pang Lee of NationBuilder says, “Making sure that all of this clean and accurate data that you're slowly collecting over time through the campaign and volunteers is utilized in the right way, and that the emails and the outreach that you're sending are actually landing in people's inboxes."
Segmenting your outreach ensures you're speaking to the right people, at the right time, with the right message. Campaigns with limited resources can't afford inefficiency. Clean data is your competitive edge.
4. Keep supporters engaged after the first action
Engagement doesn't stop after a donation or event. To build lasting momentum, political and advocacy campaigns and grassroots organizations must nurture community through collective action. That means giving people pathways to grow their involvement.
"You don't want your volunteers to feel like they're part of some transactional activism they put on a shirt the last five weeks of a campaign just at election time," says Corey. "You want them to feel like they're part of an ongoing community."
Match volunteers with roles that suit their interests. Invite them to social events. Celebrate wins, big and small. It's this sense of belonging that turns one-time volunteers into campaign leaders.
The most effective campaigns treat volunteers like movement-builders, not task-doers. Create structures that help supporters step up and watch your campaign scale in ways money can't buy.
5. Avoid common targeting mistakes
It's tempting to assume you know what your voters care about. But assumptions aren't strategy. Effective campaigns use listening (through canvassing, surveys, and conversations) to learn what really matters to people in each community.
Issue-based and geography-based targeting can work, but they must be grounded in real feedback. Don't fall into the microtargeting trap of creating fractured messages that contradict your broader narrative. Instead, find the shared values that unite different audiences, and tailor your framing, not your principles.
Consistency and trust are non-negotiable. Make sure your messaging, regardless of who it's for, fits within your campaign's core identity. Whether you're organizing initiatives or working to support elected officials, authentic community input should drive your messaging strategy.
"You always have to start somewhere and make an assumption," says Ian, "but you need to be open to either adjusting that or making sure that you're getting a broad amount of feedback from the electorate on what at that point in time truly matters to them."
Final tips: do more with less
Some of the most tactical tips shared during the webinar:
- Use shift management tools to efficiently organize volunteer time and prevent burnout.
- Prioritize a smaller, more engaged supporter list over size. Quality beats quantity.
- Smooth volunteer onboarding is critical. Friction early on can mean losing great people.
- Follow up with donors with a thank-you and a next step to build long-term loyalty.
- Don't email lists bought from third parties! There's a time and a place for purchased lists, but the contacts therein are less likely to engage (or be active email addresses) and will hurt your email deliverability.
The bottom line
You don't need a million-dollar budget to run a winning campaign. You need clarity, commitment, and collective action rooted in authentic grassroots campaign organizing. Whether you're just getting started or scaling up, the right systems and strategy can help you do more with less and win.
Curious how tools like NationBuilder, NationKit, or Code Nation's solutions can help your campaign? Watch the full webinar or get in touch with us to explore what's possible.