Making change happen with pride
RunWithPride needed to elevate their candidates, spread their progressive message, and raise funds fast. Under my direction as Director of Comms, we raised millions, became the second largest LGBTQ+ Political Action Committee, and changed U.S. politics for the better.
Background
Run With Pride reached out after reading my work online. They first took me on to write fundraising copy and to interview congressional candidates. When they saw how dedicated I was to their mission, they promoted me to freelance Director of Communications.
Solution
As a big believer in the world-changing power of stories, I put character at the heart of Run with Pride’s content strategy.
Creating candidate prospectuses
Writing speeches for the Senate floor
Community building and fundraising
After selecting progressive LGBTQ+ candidates for endorsement, I conducted heartfelt interviews, highlighting the candidates’ greatest causes, individual stories, and personal motivations. These interviews – coupled with a rigorous email marketing campaign – broke all engagement and reach records and led to huge fundraising spikes.
In some cases, I became more directly involved: writing campaign prospectuses for candidates and speeches for incumbent Congresspeople to read on the Senate floor.
As our community grew, we used our platform to campaign directly for The Equality Act, legislation that would update the Civil Rights Act of 1964 so that it explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Results
– Candidates elected to US Congress
– RWP grew to the second-largest LGBTQ+ PAC
– Five-figure fundraising emails
– The Equality Act passed in the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support
