Today, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin released a new memo laying out his vision for the seven organizing principles of the DNC centered on organizing early, organizing always, organizing everywhere, and winning everywhere. 

You can read Chair Martin’s full memo below.

MEMORANDUM

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: Ken Martin, DNC Chair 

DATE: April 17, 2025

RE: Vision for the DNC’s New Organizing Program: Organize Early, Organize Always, Organize Everywhere, and Win Anywhere

Since my election as DNC Chair, it’s been my mission to get the DNC out of DC. We win elections by getting into the states to meet with voters, organize Democrats everywhere, and compete in off-year elections. Today our political landscape looks different than it ever has before — and as we see the Trump-Musk policies wreak havoc on working families across the country, it’s clear the stakes couldn’t be higher. 

Our organizing program must evolve to meet this moment — with new energy, new strategy, and a renewed dedication to the people and communities who make up our coalition. These principles laid out below will guide every aspect of how we organize — from how we recruit and train the next generation of organizers to how we build infrastructure, scale programs, and engage the voters whose trust we need to earn or re-earn.

We’ve already started putting these principles into practice. We made some of the earliest investments in critical elections in the committee’s history — including the Wisconsin Supreme Court race and the congressional special elections in Florida. While Musk and the Republican machine put everything they had into winning a state Supreme Court seat, the people of Wisconsin squarely rejected billionaire special interests as they elected Susan Crawford to the state Supreme Court by nearly double digits. And despite many pundits dismissing Florida’s special elections as unwinnable, we know that we don’t only organize to win the current cycle; we organize to build lasting trust, develop new leadership, and expand the promise of democracy — for everyone, everywhere. We took the first step in Florida with a historic overperformance in those districts.

You’re going to continue to witness a level of aggressive investment and organizing from this DNC that’s unlike anything we’ve done before. With these guiding principles for organizing, our party will be dedicated year-round to organizing communities, empowering the grassroots, electing candidates who fight for working people, and improving the lives of Americans. Moving forward, there are no off-years.

Organizing Principles for the DNC

1. We Organize Early, We Organize Always, and We Organize Everywhere

We believe organizing is not something that begins six months before Election Day — it is the core, continuous work of political engagement and civic leadership. Our programs will not be reactive or transactional. They will be year-round, embedded in community, and designed to create momentum, not just respond to it.

By organizing early, we give ourselves time to build deeper relationships, test messages, learn from the field, and scale volunteer leadership. This approach builds infrastructure that lasts beyond any one candidate or cycle — and ensures our most loyal supporters never feel forgotten.

2. We Build Up and Support Community Leaders

Organizers are the heart of our programs — and we will empower them as such. We reject the notion that organizers are temporary workers meant to execute static scripts or manage spreadsheets.

Instead, we will recruit, train, and support organizers as facilitators of community power. They will have the tools and autonomy to build volunteer leadership, train others, and reflect the values and culture of the communities they serve. Our organizing staff will not just execute tactics — they will lead local movements.

3. We Integrate Digital and Field Organizing as One Strategy

We recognize that voters live in a world where information flows between online and offline spaces, and organizing must follow. No longer will digital and field teams operate in silos. Our organizing will treat digital outreach, relational organizing, influencer engagement, and social media as essential parts of one strategy.

By integrating these elements into a cohesive program, we will reach voters more efficiently, adapt faster to emerging narratives, and build a more dynamic and resilient organizing infrastructure.

4. We Equip our Volunteer Army with the Best Technology and Data Systems 

Our organizing deserves tools and data systems built for usability, adaptability, and real-time learning. That’s why we’re launching a process to acquire new organizing tools that will allow us to expand our methods for interacting with voters — both in person and online. We will invest in modern tech that supports feedback loops, surfaces qualitative insights, and centers the user experience of organizers and volunteers.

The DNC has long provided the Democratic ecosystem with central infrastructure and tools to enable voter and volunteer engagement. As we work to build campaigns that honor these principles, we are committed to ensuring the tools available to those campaigns meet the moment — driving authentic, impactful voter engagement, while enabling continual learning and program improvement over time. We are seeking partnerships with vendors that will support Democratic organizing not just this year but for cycles to come.

We will establish strong national standards around data sharing and reporting, while preserving flexibility at the state and local levels. Our goal is not just better data — it’s smarter, more human-centered organizing.

5. We Coordinate Strategically Across the Ecosystem

We understand that our strength as Democrats comes from the diversity of our allies — state parties, organizations, unions, and community groups. 

The DNC will take the lead in establishing clear coordination frameworks that avoid duplication, stretch resources, and respect the efforts of all involved. We will model what effective cooperation looks like — and bring discipline and alignment to our infrastructure.

6. We Invest in People — Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Talent

Our organizing will be built around people — not just metrics. We will invest in a full talent pipeline: recruiting new leaders from the communities we seek to organize, delivering continuous training, and creating clear paths for long-term development and advancement.

We are committed to equity at every level of our organization — ensuring our teams reflect the full diversity of our coalition, and that those closest to the work are empowered to lead it.

7. We Use Organizing to Hold Power Accountable — Not Just to Win It

We believe that organizing doesn’t stop when the polls close. The DNC will help supporters take meaningful action between elections — to resist authoritarianism, protect freedoms, and hold elected officials accountable at every level.

Whether it’s responding to Trump’s policies, defending reproductive rights, or standing with working families, our organizing work will be a vehicle for action — connecting everyday people to the urgent fights of the moment and giving them the tools to lead change in their communities.