Reform Local Government runs its own campaigns, but we also provide resources to reformers across the state to launch and successfully execute their campaigns.

Why Most Local Reformers Lose – and the Bad Guys Win

Most reformers have great ideas and lots of passion – but they lack the experience and tools to define, launch, manage, and win a campaign to achieve reform in their area.

Most reformers do not know how to form a campaign committee legally, lack an understanding of campaign rules which can lead to costly mistakes, don’t have infrastructure to organize public support, and most importantly lack the financial resources to fight.

In contrast their opponents are powerful special interests and career politicians with immense resources and institutional machinery to thwart change.

That’s where Reform Local Government comes in – to level the playing field and make the fight for reform a fair one!

How We Help Reformers

Reform Local Government was created to provide a one-stop resource to help well-intentioned reformers achieve their goals. Reform Local Government provides a wide-variety of assistance such as:

• Strategic Planning Facilitation: Reform Local Government provides strategic planning facilitation services at no cost to campaigns we partner with to ensure they have a thorough and targeted plan to win their reform effort.
• Campaign Management: Reform Local Government can run local campaigns through its campaign committee thus eliminating the overhead costs of setting up a campaign from scratch. In addition, Reform Local Government can utilize its existing campaign infrastructure (voter lists, phone and text systems, online advertising platforms, mail program, etc.) to assist local campaigns.
• Investigative Research and Policy Development: Reform Local Government uses the California Public Records Act and solicits whistleblowers to build the case against wasteful spending and inappropriate practices in state and local government. Reform Local Government also partners with subject-matter experts in each policy area to develop policy alternatives and reforms to hold government accountable.
• Citizen Initiatives and Recall Resource Center: Reform Local Government successfully has led a number of citizen initiatives and Recalls against politicians. Reform Local Government stands ready to assist with the framing and execution of these efforts – how to plan them, file them, collect signatures to qualify them, and wage the campaigns to win them!
• Polling and Data Analytics: Reform Local Government regularly conducts public policy polls to where voters stand on key issues and possible reform proposals. In addition, our Voter Data Center goes beyond demographic data to include actual voter positions on key issues as collected through our online petition and door-to-door canvassing programs.
• Volunteer Deployments: With a database of over 30,000 volunteers statewide, Reform Local Government is always looking for opportunities to connect a worthy campaign to our volunteers to make a difference in their area.
• Fundraising: Reform Local Government can help with fundraising by providing direct financial grants of support as well as introducing your campaign to our supporters statewide and by hosting events throughout the state.

Get Your Campaign Approved

Reform Local Government invites anyone seeking help in advancing reform at the state or local level in California to submit their campaign idea.  Our vetting process will examine three factors:

• Values Alignment: Whether the campaign goal reflects our philosophy of reform (e.g. stop a tax hike, reform wasteful spending, hold politicians accountable, etc.)
• Feasibility: Whether the campaign has a realistic chance of success.
• Capacity: Whether the proponents of the campaign have the professionalism and ability to be good partners with Reform California in executing the campaign.

After we receive your submission, we will contact you for more information and to schedule an interview.