2026 Boot-CAMPaign for Change
📣 Calling all BIPOC (future) Candidates & Campaign Managers 📣
Oregon Futures Lab (OFL) is excited to announce that we are organizing our annual BIPOC campaign school: 2026 Boot-CAMPaign for Change. Boot-CAMP is for progressive folks of color who are interested in using electoral politics to build a racially just Oregon. You should apply!
Boot-CAMP will be hosted in-person in Portland on the following dates:
Friday, June 12th: 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Saturday, June 13th: 9am - 4:30pm with an optional happy hour afterwards
Sunday, June 14th: 9am - 4:30pm
Please note we have a budget to support participants traveling within Oregon from outside of the Portland area (60 miles or greater). If you are admitted to Boot-CAMP, we will reach out to see if you need support accessing transportation or lodging to attend, and we will do our best to accommodate.
We know that our electoral system was not built to uplift folks of color. To combat this, our goal with Boot-CAMP is to combine the technical skills that are needed to run a campaign with centering the experiences of BIPOC candidates and campaign managers.
When you leave Boot-CAMPaign for Change school, you will:
Understand the expectations and impacts of a candidate and campaign manager
Have tools to build trusting relationships amongst your campaign team and partners
Know what it takes to lead a successful campaign that is aligned with progressive values, including basic campaign plan mechanics: campaign management, fundraising and budgeting, communications, and field work
Imposter syndrome is real and no one will ever meet 100% of the requirements, so please apply even if you don't have all of the following qualifications.
The ideal candidate:
Has progressive values, with an emphasis around racial equity, intersectionality, progressive representation and integrity.
Has interest and/or experience with community organizing and/or electoral campaigns. Boot-CAMPaign for Change is an advanced training school that covers what you need to run a successful candidate campaign. This series is geared towards future candidates and campaign managers.
Seeks to be an inclusive and compassionate community centered leader.
Completing the Application: The Boot-CAMP application will close at 11:59pm PST on Sunday, May 17th. We will review and accept applicants on a rolling basis, and you can expect to hear back from us by Friday, May 22nd at the latest. If you have any questions or need support filling out the application, please reach out to naomi@oregonfutureslab.org.
We expect participants to attend all three sessions in full. Please put a hold on your calendar for the Boot-CAMP dates. We will provide the program location after participants have been admitted.
Transportation and Lodging: Boot-CAMPaign for Change will take place in-person in Portland. We have a limited budget to support participants traveling from outside of the Portland area (60 miles or greater) within Oregon. If you are admitted to Boot-CAMP, we will reach out to see if you need support accessing transportation or lodging to attend, and we will do our best to accommodate.
Program Accessibility: We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to fully participate. If you are admitted to Boot-CAMP, we will reach out to see if you have any access needs and we will do our best to accommodate them. Please see below for more details about the building we will be in:
Boot-CAMP will be hosted in-person in Portland and facilitated in English. Our meeting space has two accessible entrances to the building with ADA door openers. There is an elevator and stairs in the lobby which will take you to the space we have reserved. You will need a security code to enter the meeting space, which will be sent out after program acceptance. There is one single-user restroom and one all-user restroom on the floor. Seating in the meeting rooms is primarily cushioned, rolling chairs with arm rests. There are chairs without armrests on site.
Masks are available for use, but not required in the building. We ask that attendees please stay home if you feel sick leading up to the Boot-CAMP sessions. Hand sanitizer and surface sanitizing stations are available throughout the building.
There are two Narcan doses and two CPR masks on each floor of the building. The building has a fragrance-free policy. Please do not wear perfume, cologne, aftershave, scented lotion, essential oils or other fragrances. With that in mind, we also recognize that fragrances are an important part of many cultural or religious practices. For this reason, please reach out to us directly if you would like us to consider an exception to this policy.
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. If you have any questions about accessibility, please reach out to naomi@oregonfutureslab.org.
Thank you to our sponsor, New Oregon Movement! New Oregon Movement is a collective of Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) organizations and individuals dedicated to uplifting and improving the lives of BIPOC community members and leaders in Oregon.
