New Politics is an organization with a bold mission. It is dedicated to transforming the political landscape by recruiting and developing servant leaders from the military and national service worlds for continued service in politics.
The process of recruiting and placing public servant candidates in political positions is rife with challenges. There are high barriers to entry. While there are exceptions, a background in politics tends to be a prerequisite.
“You could be someone who was an incredible leader in the nonprofit sector or you may have served in the military, but if you don’t have any political background, it can be difficult for you to break in,” says David Heifetz, CCO.
While individuals with civilian service experience may lack political experience, New Politics believes they represent a unique and valuable talent pool.
“Not only do many have a proven track record in terms of serving their community, they also have a willingness to set aside their own personal agendas and self-interests and put others first,” states Charlene Lee, Director of Strategy and Operations.
New Politics helps lower the barriers to political entry and increase the “electability” of service-oriented individuals. It equips candidates with the resources necessary to succeed on the campaign trail and in public office–helping them build their networks, hire campaign talent, and create field and communications strategies, all while inviting them to think purposely about the type of culture they want to develop and values they want to represent.
As a bipartisan organization, New Politics aspires to transcend political divisions and build a cohesive community.
New Politics has always recognized it takes a village to build a movement. And early last year, it decided it needed a platform for keeping in touch with members of its community and better serve the leaders who look to them for support. It turned to Affinity for a solution.
Today, Affinity helps power the New Politics community. The New Politics team leverages Affinity Lists to break down the different segments of its community and better understand how someone can get involved–whether they’re a potential staff member, donor, super volunteer, or candidate.
“Affinity helps us support candidates in a comprehensive and team-oriented way so that we’re singing from the same song sheet. It allows us to track how different members of our team are supporting a candidate and their campaign so we can stay on track and all be on the same page.” – David Heifetz, CCO
Affinity is especially valuable in assisting candidates with staff building and fundraising efforts, as it helps surface potential campaign talent and relationships that might support the campaign.
“Over the course of their lives, servant leaders haven’t thought through how their community can potentially help a future campaign. But when you’re running, you need to know how to mobilize your network behind you,” says Lee.
As it looks to the future, New Politics is committed to improving our political landscape. By leveraging Affinity, New Politics’ mission is to infuse a fresh, service-oriented perspective into politics, and create a system that is committed to the greater good.
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