The Progressive Organizing Institute is a comprehensive training program designed to develop organizers at every stage of their journey, from first-time volunteers learning to knock doors to senior leaders building organizations that shift power for generations. The curriculum is rooted in the belief that effective organizing is both a craft and a calling, and that the people closest to the problems are the ones best equipped to lead the solutions.

This institute exists to close the training gap in progressive organizing infrastructure, particularly in the South and in communities that have historically been underresourced and overlooked. Too often, organizers are thrown into the deep end without the foundational skills, strategic frameworks, or leadership development they need to sustain the work and win. This program is built to change that. Every course is grounded in real world application, designed to be immediately useful in the field, and informed by the lived experience of organizers doing the work in communities like yours. The goal is not just to train individuals but to strengthen the entire ecosystem of progressive organizing by developing a pipeline of skilled, strategic, and values driven leaders.

The program is organized into three sequential tracks and a set of specialized electives. The Foundations Track is built for beginner organizers and includes eight required courses covering the essential skills of voter contact, community engagement, volunteer recruitment, and an introduction to organizing and power. This is where participants build the muscle memory of the work. The Practitioner Track is designed for working organizers ready to deepen their strategic capacity. It includes six required courses focused on campaign planning, coalition management, data, communications, facilitation, and volunteer leadership development. The Leadership Track serves senior organizers and directors responsible for organizational strategy, sustainability, and movement building. It includes six required courses on transformational leadership, long term planning, fundraising, governance, team culture, and ecosystem strategy. In addition, Specialized Tracks offer elective and intensive courses in areas such as electoral organizing, issue based campaigns, disaster response and mutual aid, narrative strategy, faith based and cultural organizing, and Southern and rural organizing strategies. These courses are open to participants across all tracks and allow for tailored learning based on organizational need and regional context.

This track is built for organizers who are already in the field and ready to sharpen their strategic edge. You know how to talk to people. Now it's time to learn how to plan campaigns, manage coalitions, use data, and develop the leaders around you. These courses deepen your capacity to run smarter, more sustainable organizing operations.

This track is for experienced organizers and organizational leaders responsible for strategy, staff, and sustainability. The work at this level isn't just about running campaigns. It's about building institutions that outlast any single election cycle. These courses prepare you to lead organizations, develop resources, and think at the scale of movements.

These courses go deeper into specific areas of organizing practice. They are open to participants across all tracks and can be taken based on interest, organizational need, or regional context. Each course is designed to provide both strategic frameworks and hands-on tools for the particular challenges of specialized organizing work.