Bring Candidate Playbook
to your community.

The question for your organization is not whether national training programs exist. They do. The question is whether those programs are accessible to the women in your community — and whether your investment can change that.

Your chamber wants more business-minded women in local government — on city councils, planning commissions, and school boards where economic decisions are made. The existing political training pipeline doesn’t serve your members.

Candidate Playbook gives your chamber a tangible, nonpartisan way to invest in women’s leadership in your community. Sponsor seats in a cohort for chamber members considering candidacy, or license the curriculum for your women’s leadership programming. Your name is associated with real outcomes — women who run, and women who win.

Your foundation’s civic engagement work focuses on voter turnout and community participation — but the pipeline that produces local candidates, especially women candidates, is empty in most communities you serve.

A Candidate Playbook partnership lets your foundation fund the supply side of civic engagement — not just getting people to vote, but getting qualified women to run. Sponsoring a cohort is a natural extension of your existing civic investment. The nonpartisan design fits your foundation’s neutrality requirements and makes it grantable.

Your organization develops women leaders in business and professional life. The step from professional leadership to civic leadership is a natural progression for your members — but most of them don’t know how to make that move.

Candidate Playbook gives your organization a structured pathway from professional leadership to public office. Offer sponsored access as a member benefit, build a candidate cohort from your membership, or license the curriculum as part of your leadership development programming.

Custom partnerships available

If none of these tiers fit your organization’s structure or budget, reach out directly. Joanne works with organizations to design partnerships that serve the mission — getting more women into local office in communities that need them.

"Too many women are trained to support power. Candidate Playbook is built to help you hold it."

Is Candidate Playbook truly nonpartisan?

Yes. The curriculum covers campaign skills, strategy, communication, and governance — none of which are ideological. It does not advocate for any party, policy position, or political agenda. Women from across the political spectrum have participated. This design is intentional and is a core commitment, not a marketing position.

Can we use this for a grant application?

Yes. Joanne can provide a program description, curriculum overview, facilitator credentials, and outcome framework suitable for grant applications. Community foundations and civic engagement funders have supported programs like this through their normal grant cycles. Reach out directly and she will provide whatever documentation your application requires.

What states does this program serve?

All of them. Candidate Playbook is delivered entirely via Zoom and is designed for women running for local office in any state. This is specifically valuable in states like Indiana where partisan training organizations have limited or no presence.

How are participants selected for a sponsored cohort?

The sponsoring organization identifies and nominates participants. Joanne conducts a brief intake conversation with each participant to confirm readiness and fit. You control who gets access — you can open it to members, nominate specific individuals, or use an application process.

What does the train the trainer option look like?

The curriculum license tier includes facilitator training and certification for up to two staff members. Certified facilitators can then deliver Candidate Playbook to your members or community independently, using Joanne’s curriculum and materials. Facilitator certification is a two-day live Zoom intensive.