Improve Individual Skills

For new and seasoned organizers facing basic skills challenges

Using technology effectively makes your organizing easier, better and faster, but you can’t achieve those gains if your team lacks the skills. PTP offers two programs to build basic skills:

Join other organizers for a “Technology Boot Camp” that draws on community organizing scenarios and includes these subjects: introduction to file management; mailing label production; newsletter layout; contact tracking; email and spam management; web research; and photo manipulation. MORE

  TechCamp en Español

Entrenamiento en tecnología básica, en persona, diseñado para aquellos interesados en desarrollar sus habilidades y conocimiento en el área de tecnología, esenciales para la organización comunitaria. Para más información

  TechCamp Online

If you want to learn at your desk, TechCamp Online offers one basic and one intermediate online session a month. Each month is dedicated to one of these subjects: Word; Excel; PowerPoint; Publisher; or Paint.NET. MORE 

Increase Organizational Capacity

For decision-makers, staff, and leaders interested in winning campaigns

Community Organizing and Technology Institute (COaTI)

PTP’s Community Organizing and Technology Institute (COaTI) helps your organization incorporate technology to take your work to the next level. Its focus is on finding and sharing the best ways to use technology in the grassroots community organizing environment. MORE

PTP offers two COaTI Programs:

  COaTI: Communications

Organizing is all about communication, and today effective communication must incorporate modern technology. Communications COaTI covers design for organizers, desktop publishing, Internet strategy, video, and audio communications. MORE

  COaTI: Databases and Technology Assessment and Planning

To demonstrate power you need numbers; to build numbers, you have to get beyond clipboards and spreadsheets and build up your database skills. This Coati will develop your understanding of what databases can and can’t do and deepen your understanding of how they fit into your organization’s broader vision.  MORE

As your organization integrates technology more deeply, you’ll likely find a need to provide basic skills training to more staff and leaders.  Learn PTP’s TechCamp curriculum so you can offer workshops to the staff and members of your organization and its allies.

For groups who have been in a COaTI and are looking to strengthen their in-house communications skills, these intensive trainings offer the opportunity to dig deeply into specific topics.
Sessions in 2009 include:

• Video/YouTube production
• Community Organizing and Online Social Networking
• Framing and messaging

Deepen Strategic Integration of Technology

For organizations committed to transforming the scope and scale of their work

  PTP has programs – REVERB, VOTER Project, and the Database Project – that offer grants, training, and ongoing technical assistance and strategic consulting. These programs are for groups that have the infrastructure, staff, and a commitment to strategic integration of technology into their work.

Build a Community of Practice

For graduates of PTP training programs

  Power On Network

The Power On Network brings together organizers and tech people to share their knowledge of the best practices of technology use in community organizing.  Power On Network members have access to: a private web site for sharing resources and advice; a membership directory where members can find mentors and offer to be a mentor; frequent online presentations about the latest in technology; and an organizing technology convening where members will meet, have fun, and learn from one another.

  Power On Network Convening

Gather with fellow organizers to share ideas and innovate ways to refine technology use in your organization. Got questions? Get answers!