About Us
Dirtroad Organizing provides concrete tools and strategies to support organizers, staff, legislators, and aspiring leaders who are working towards an equitable and just democracy in rural America.
Our theory of change revolves around recognizing the inherent political power of rural citizens in American democracy and supporting the organizing, policy, and narrative work necessary to regain trust and build a better future together.
The future of progressive power depends on investing deeply in rural organizing. We are the national training ground for individuals and organizations focused on rural America, providing virtual and in-person trainings for potential candidates, staff, organizations, and volunteers at the state and local levels.
What Makes Dirtroad Organizing Unique?
We are young and rooted in first-hand experiences of growing up and organizing in rural America. We’ve inhabited the roles of staffer, volunteer, candidate, and legislator in rural communities, encountering the sense of abandonment, and carving a path towards a more inclusive and representative politics. Our signature offering is a vibrant, in-depth, inclusive, and collaborative training program to support rural staff and potential candidates, a new nationwide model. We’re also able to offer targeted support on-the-ground to complement.
Our strategy is based in our own trials and errors of rural organizing. When we committed to this work in 2018, we didn’t have access to resources that taught us these skills. For example, we didn’t hear anybody talking about “deep canvassing” when we started. Instead, we followed our intuition to privilege quality over quantity in campaign work and discovered the power of authentic conversations. All these factors provide us with a unique and grounded approach.
Lastly, we know that public service is a complicated and multi-year process, and we aim to support citizens throughout their whole journey. Our new leaders deserve and require support from the early stages of the journey through serving in office and then deciding whether or not to continue their service. We invest in quality, in-depth, long-term support through a collaborative and community-based approach.