Women's Political Power Map

Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, University of Virginia

The Sorensen Institute's Candidate Training Program (CTP) is an intensive, four-day program focused on the fundamentals of a winning campaign for office.

Participants explore the nuts and bolts of building a strong campaign from the ground up—all within the context of ethics and principled public service. The curriculum does not prescribe a particular set of campaign guidelines or rules, but does provide candidates with a framework for developing their own code of conduct to run a winning and ethical campaign. Participants in the program represent  a broad range of ideologies and a diversity of communities from throughout Virginia. The CTP was first offered in 1999 with support from a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Seven graduates of our 2009 Candidate Training Program were elected to office the same year— 3 Republicans, 3 Democrats and 1 Independent. That includes 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats of the CTP 09 class who were elected for the first time to the Virginia General Assembly on November 3— all four of whom were brand new to state-level campaign politics until they participated in Sorensen.

Veterans Campaign

Veterans Campaign's two-day training sessions are specifically designed to educate, encourage, and motivate veterans to continue their commitment to public service by running for elected office. Program curriculum progresses in five stages: laying the groundwork for your campaign, getting your campaign of the ground, financing your campaign, and taking your campaign into the home stretch. Program instructors are office-holding veterans, campaign operatives, professional fundraisers, and representatives of veteran-oriented political action committees who value and understand the mechanics of electing veterans to public office. 

The purpose of Carol’s List is to recruit, train, elect, and otherwise support progressive Democratic women to elected office, in order to represent Montanans across the state in various levels of government.

Iowa State University

Founded in 1992, the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics provides leadership development and educational opportunities for women and men interested in politics and public service through programs blending the resources and scholarship of the academic environment with the actual experiences of individuals in the public and private sectors. The Center: / -- Offers leadership development, mentoring and educational opportunities to ISU students / -- Fosters research on issues related to women and politics through the Archives of Women's Political Communication, annual Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics, and studies conducted by Center staff and students / -- Brings prominent women leaders, national and international scholars, and political activists and practitioners to campus for lectures, programs and seminars; and / -- Encourages women to pursue careers in politics, public administration and public service through its mentoring and leadership development programs.

The aim of Catalyst PAC is to increase the variety of backgrounds represented in Congress by supporting diverse Republican candidates running for Congress.

The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is the leading source of scholarly research and current data about American womens political participation. CAWP promotes greater knowledge and understanding about women's participation in politics and government and enhances women's influence and leadership in public life. CAWP scholars conduct research on women and politics; the Center offers up-to-date national information on women in local, state, and federal offices; CAWP works with partners across the country to offer state based political education and training program for college women (NEW Leadership Development Network) and women preparing to run for political office (Ready to Run National Training Network).

Baldwin Wallace University

The Baldwin Wallace Center for Women and Politics of Ohio (CWPO) is a non-partisan public resource that tells the story of women running for public office in Ohio. 

Institute for Women's Leadership, Texas Woman's University

The Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy seeks to increase the number of women in leadership positions in public service. Their goal is to become a destination for young women who desire to dedicate their professional careers to public service, advocacy and leadership.

Portland State University

The Center for Women's Leadership works to increase women's leadership in public policy through targeted teaching and community service programs. The Center promotes scholarship that examines the presence and role of women in politics and public policy and provides diverse and inclusive service programs that will develop the next generation of women leaders who will serve the city, state, region and nation.

CIEE Work &Travel USA

At the CIEE Civic Leadership Summit, participants will join young leaders from around the world to learn about leadership, social entrepreneurship, and cultural understanding. Applications include an essay and a video.

Established in 1972, the Cincinnati Women's Political Caucus recruits, trains, and supports feminist candidates. It is the only active chapter of the National Women's Political Caucus in Ohio.

Univeristy of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement

The Civic Leadership Academy is an interdisciplinary leadership development program for emerging and high-potential leaders in nonprofit organizations and local government agencies within the City of Chicago and Cook County.

Close the gap CA is a statewide recruiting campaign to find talented, progressive women to run and win seats in the California legislature in 2014 and 2016. Over the past 10 years, women's representation in our state legislature has declined from 30% to 25%;women of color dropped from 44% of women legislators to just 32% today. In 2014 and 2016, nearly 50% of Assembly and Senate seats will open up. Progressive women can win many of them. Working with women's political and civic organizations, past and current legislators and with Educate Our State, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of CA andwomen in the forefront of anti-poverty efforts, we can identify, recruit and connect promising prospects to the resources that will enable them to run and win.

Colorado 50/50 is a nonpartisan group formed in the spring of 2017 by a circle of women in Fort Collins, Colorado. They believe office-holders – whether elected or appointed – should more closely reflect the population. In other words, since women make up more than 50% of the population, then women should hold at least 50% of the seats. Fifty-fifty, fair and square.

We’re here to change that. We’re encouraging women to run for office. We’re encouraging women to apply for boards and commissions. The promise of our representative democracy will never be fulfilled until our office-holders truly reflect the people they represent. Onward!

The Colorado BlueFlower Fund is small donor committee that helps to elect Democratic, pro-choice, progressive women candidates running for state and local office in Colorado. The BlueFlower Fund actively researches and recruits qualified, competitive candidates for whom they will provide financial support.

Through affiliate chapters in nearly every state, the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) promotes the principles, objectives and policies of the Republican Party; elects Republican candidates; informs the public through political education and activity; and increases the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government. In working toward these objectives, the NFRW concentrates its efforts in the areas of educating, communicating, recruiting, campaigning, fundraising, training and legislative action.

The Colorado Springs Leadership Institute was formed in 1996 with the purpose of promoting the quality and quantity of leaders in the Pikes Peak region. The Institute works to connect, educate, and engage area leaders from diverse sectors of the community through programs and events. The cornerstone program of the Institute is a weeklong training for about sixteen new members annually.

Virginia Democratic Party

The Virginia Democratic Party runs either a single statewide training or multiple regional trainings on grassroots work to committee members each year.

The National Federation of Democratic Women (NFDW) supports the inclusion of women's voices in the Democratic Party. NFDW chapters promote Democratic Party goals and candidates and works to unite women party members behind them. 

Through affiliate chapters in nearly every state, the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) promotes the principles, objectives and policies of the Republican Party; elects Republican candidates; informs the public through political education and activity; and increases the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government. In working toward these objectives, the NFRW concentrates its efforts in the areas of educating, communicating, recruiting, campaigning, fundraising, training and legislative action.