When Oakland voters approved Democracy Dollars in 2022, they created California’s first public campaign financing program and set up a major community engagement challenge:
How do you help residents understand and use an entirely new civic tool, especially in communities historically excluded from political power?
Local Policy Lab partnered with Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission to develop a comprehensive engagement strategy, drawing on national research, local stakeholder interviews, and best practices from Seattle to NYC.
Now we’ve distilled those lessons into a universal guide that any jurisdiction can adapt when launching democracy vouchers, campaign finance reforms, ranked choice voting, or other civic innovations.
The guide includes:
- equity principles,
- audience analysis tools,
- outreach tactics,
- messaging frameworks,
- and implementation timelines.
The guide is designed for government staff and community partners alike.
