# Build Power After the 2026 Midterms
### A checked directory of groups, trainings and tools — verified November 9, 2026

Voting decided who holds office. What those officials do with it depends on what happens next: who shows up at their offices, who organizes the workplaces and buildings they govern, and who runs next time. This directory lists the groups and tools for each of those jobs.

**How to read it.** Each entry says what the group does, how you can take part, its legal form, and where it sits politically. Only gifts to 501(c)(3) charities are tax-deductible; gifts to 501(c)(4)s, 527s, PACs and trade associations are not. "Confirmed" means an official page or IRS record was read on November 9, 2026. "Not confirmed" means we could not establish current activity or a key fact, and the entry says which.

Confirmed: the organization or program exists and was active in 2026 according to its own site or a public record. Legal form and tax status are shown separately and may say Not confirmed.

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## Start here

1. **This week.** Look up your officials ([USA.gov](https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials)) and find a local group that meets in person: an [Indivisible group](https://indivisible.org/get-involved/find-a-group/) or a [RepresentUs Local Action Team](https://represent.us/resources/). Set one [Congress.gov alert](https://www.congress.gov/get-alerts) on a bill tied to a winner's campaign promise.
2. **This month.** Take a free training: Freedom Trainers' *Noncooperation 101* (Nov. 18, 7 pm ET) or the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute's free *Candidate & Campaign 101* (Washington DC, Dec. 3). Read three Beautiful Trouble entries: [Action star](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/action-star), [Choose your target wisely](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/choose-your-target-wisely), [Do your research](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/do-your-research).
3. **Build economic power.** Renters: start with the [Tenants Together guide](https://www.tenantstogether.org/resources/form-tenants-union). Workers without a union: contact [EWOC](https://workerorganizing.org/).
4. **Run, or recruit someone.** Find an office on [RunForOffice.org](https://runforoffice.org/) or Ballotpedia's state filing pages, then apply to a pipeline that fits (section 3).
5. **Give with intent.** Want the deduction? Choose a 501(c)(3) such as Democracy at Work Institute, the Participatory Budgeting Project or a group's education fund. Want lobbying muscle? Give to the 501(c)(4) arm.

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## 1. Anti-corruption and democracy

| Group | What you can do | Legal form | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| [RepresentUs](https://represent.us/) | Join a Local Action Team (15 listed) or the [remote volunteer team](https://represent.us/volunteer/); pass local anti-corruption laws from its [model act](https://represent.us/anticorruption-act/) | Represent Us, 501(c)(4); Represent Us Education Fund, 501(c)(3) | Calls itself nonpartisan; 2026 campaigns target the administration as well as stock trading and gerrymandering |
| [Issue One](https://issueone.org/issues/reformagenda/) | Champion its agenda: abolish super PACs, ban dark money and congressional stock trading, limit emergency powers | Issue One, 501(c)(3); Issue One Action, 501(c)(4) | Cross-partisan |
| [Common Cause](https://www.commoncause.org/) | Election Protection volunteer; state chapter campaigns | Common Cause, 501(c)(4); Education Fund, 501(c)(3) | Nonpartisan |
| [Indivisible](https://indivisible.org/) | Join or start a local group (about 2,500 nationwide); groups are meeting new officials now to set expectations | Indivisible Project, 501(c)(4); Indivisible Civics, 501(c)(3); Indivisible Action, hybrid PAC | Progressive, works inside Democratic politics |

**The Montana Plan won.** Montana's Initiative 194, which bars corporations, unions, nonprofits and anonymous-donor groups from spending in state elections, passed about 65% to 34% with 97% counted (unofficial). Opponents, including the Montana Republican State Central Committee, sued in federal court the same day. It was led by the Transparent Election Initiative; Issue One backed the volunteer drive. Watch the court case before copying the model in another state.

## 2. Economic power: tenants, workers, co-ops, mutual aid

| Group | What you can do | Legal form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Tenant Union Federation](https://tenantfederation.org/about/) | Join a member union | Fiscally sponsored by the National Housing Law Project | Five founding unions: KC Tenants, Connecticut Tenant Union, Kentucky Tenant Union, Bozeman Tenants United, Not Me We. No public join form. |
| [Tenants Together guide](https://www.tenantstogether.org/resources/form-tenants-union) | Start a tenants' union: small team, door-knocking, first assembly | Not checked | California network; method transfers, law does not |
| [EWOC](https://workerorganizing.org/) | Ask for help organizing your workplace; volunteer as an organizer | Project of the UE Research and Education Fund (501(c)(3) per EWOC's FAQ) | Joint project of DSA and the UE union. 15,000th intake call came in Nov. 2025. |
| [US Federation of Worker Cooperatives](https://www.usworker.coop/clinic/startups/) | Free startup webinar, first Wednesday monthly; Builder's Guide | 501(c)(6) trade association — dues are not charitable gifts | |
| [Democracy at Work Institute](https://institute.coop/resource-guide/startup) | Co-op startup and conversion resources | 501(c)(3) | |
| [Big Door Brigade toolbox](https://bigdoorbrigade.com/mutual-aid-toolbox/) | Models for 16 kinds of mutual aid | Volunteer project | No update date shown |
| [Mutual Aid Hub](https://www.mutualaidhub.org/) | Map of mutual-aid networks | Not stated | **Not confirmed**: could not verify upkeep or who runs it |
| [National Day Laborer Organizing Network](https://ndlon.org/) | Support or help open a worker center | 501(c)(3) | 70+ member worker centers |

**Data centers and your power bill.** This was a top-versus-bottom fight in 2026, and it is being won locally. On Nov. 3, voters favored limits on data centers in 40 of 41 local ballot measures ([Ballotpedia](https://news.ballotpedia.org/?p=52198)). In Congress, the House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act (H.R. 9340) 417–3 on Sept. 16; it only asks state regulators to *consider* making 100 MW+ data centers pay the full cost of grid upgrades. In the Senate, Sen. Martin Heinrich blocked fast-track passage as too weak, and a Sept. 30 motion to proceed failed 57–43, short of the 60 needed. The binding decisions sit with your **state utility commission** and **local zoning board**: file comments in large-load tariff cases and ask new governors and legislators for a mandatory standard. (A separate Senate resolution, S.Con.Res. 30, only praises the White House's voluntary pledge.)

## 3. Run for office

**Free, nonpartisan starting points:** [RunForOffice.org](https://runforoffice.org/) (find offices; nominate someone), [Ballotpedia filing guides](https://ballotpedia.org/How_to_run_for_office_in_North_Carolina), [She Should Run](https://sheshouldrun.org/) (501(c)(3)), [Veterans for Public Office](https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/) at Syracuse (free), [IGNITE](https://ignitenational.org/) and [Running Start](https://www.runningstart.org/) for young women (both 501(c)(3)).

| Pipeline | Who it serves | Legal form / politics | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Run for Something](https://runforsomething.net/) | Progressives 40 and under, state and local | 527 PAC + Action Fund 501(c)(4) + Civics 501(c)(3) | Active; National Run for Office Day was March 31, 2026 |
| [Emerge](https://emergeamerica.org/candidate-training/) | Democratic women | 527 political org (not deductible); Action Fund 501(c)(4) | Active |
| [Advance Native Political Leadership](https://advancenativepl.org/) | Native candidates | Action Fund 501(c)(4) project; Education Fund 501(c)(3) at Tides Foundation | Active; endorses. Native people are 0.07% of elected officials vs. at least 3.4% of the population, by its count |
| [LGBTQ+ Victory Institute](https://victoryinstitute.org/trainings/candidate-campaign-trainings/) | LGBTQ+ candidates | Training is nonpartisan; Victory Fund endorses | Free 101 in DC Dec. 3; 2027 bootcamps (Providence, San Francisco) due March 14, 2027 |
| [Higher Heights](https://www.higherheightsforamerica.org/) | Black women | 501(c)(4) + PAC | Active; #BlackWomenRun database |
| [The Collective PAC / Black Campaign School](https://collectivepac.org/) | Black candidates and staff | PAC; school is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) | 100+ endorsements in 2026 |
| [Latino Victory](https://latinovictory.org/upcoming-events) | Latino candidates | Project trains; Fund endorses | "Path to Victory" trainings in 2026 |
| [New American Leaders](https://newamericanleaders.org/programs/ready-to-lead/) | First- and second-generation immigrants | 501(c)(3); Action Fund 501(c)(4) endorses | Publishes a 2026 [endorsed-candidates list](https://www.nalaf.org/2026-endorsed-candidates) |
| [APAICS](https://apaics.org/national-leadership-academy) | AAPI candidates | Nonpartisan | Regional academies ~$100 (not confirmed for 2026) |
| [Emgage](https://emgageusa.org/) | Muslim American civic leaders | Foundation 501(c)(3); Emgage PAC endorses | Active |
| [Vote Run Lead](https://voterunlead.org/) | Women and gender-expansive people | 501(c)(3); Action 501(c)(4) began endorsing in 2026 | Active |
| [Arena](https://arena.run/get-trained) | Campaign staff; down-ballot candidates | Democratic-aligned | Post-election job-search accelerator Nov. 10–30 |
| [re:power](https://repower.org/classroom/trainings-events/) | Organizers and grassroots leaders | Progressive | Active; Introduction to Digital Organizing runs Dec. 1–17, 2026 (virtual) |
| [National Democratic Training Committee](https://traindemocrats.org/) | Any Democrat | Hybrid PAC; free | Active |
| [Leadership Institute](https://leadershipinstitute.org/) / [American Majority](https://www.americanmajority.org/) | Conservatives | Conservative | Active |

**Not confirmed for 2026:** Jetpac (Muslim candidates) and Disability Victory (disabled progressives; site shows a 2025 copyright). **Gap:** we found no active, dedicated candidate pipeline for Jewish Americans; existing programs (AJC's 2021 ACCESS Incubator, Jewish Democratic Council fellowships) either could not be confirmed for 2026 or train organizers rather than candidates.

## 4. Civic tools: watch, speak, serve, follow the money

- **Find and track officials:** [USA.gov](https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials), [House lookup](https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative), [Congress.gov alerts](https://www.congress.gov/get-alerts). Google's Civic Information API stopped returning representatives in April 2025 (its elections data continues), so some third-party "find my reps" tools no longer work.
- **Work the polls:** [EAC Poll Worker Lookup](https://workelections.azurewebsites.net) or [Power the Polls](https://www.powerthepolls.org/) (nonpartisan, 1 million+ sign-ups since 2020). Poll work is often paid.
- **Follow the money:** [FEC data](https://www.fec.gov/data/) for federal races; [OpenSecrets](https://www.opensecrets.org/) (501(c)(3)) for federal and state data, including the former FollowTheMoney.
- **Speak at public meetings:** rules are local. Seattle's [official guide](https://www.seattle.gov/council/meetings/public-comment-tips) is a good model: name and neighborhood, one clear ask, stay within the limit, and send a written comment as well.
- **Serve on a board or commission:** no national guide exists. Most cities post vacancies and an online application, and appointments usually come from the mayor or council. Attend the board's meetings first.
- **Shape the budget:** the Praxis Project's [grassroots budget guide](https://www.naccho.org/resource-hub-articles/a-grassroots-advocates-guide-to-influencing-the-local-government-budget-process) covers getting the budget early, finding who decides, and using hearings.
- **Put a measure on the ballot:** [NCSL](https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/initiative-and-referendum-processes) shows which states allow it; the [Ballot Initiative Strategy Center](https://ballot.org/what-we-do/) (501(c)(4); Foundation 501(c)(3); progressive) trains campaigns.

**Holding the 2026 winners to their word.** Write down each winner's three main promises. Set alerts on the matching bills. Meet district staff with your group in the first 60 days. Check who funds them once in office. Show up at public comment at city, county, school board and utility-commission meetings.

**Rights and services.** Immigrants: [ImmigrationLawHelp.org](https://www.immigrationlawhelp.org/) lists 1,000+ vetted nonprofit legal providers; [United We Dream](https://unitedwedream.org/migrawatch/) trains MigraWatch hotline volunteers (hotline 1-844-363-1423). Tenants facing eviction: [LawHelp.org](https://www.lawhelp.org/resource/rent-and-eviction-help-resources) and the right-to-counsel map from the [National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel](http://civilrighttocounsel.org/). Public schools: [Network for Public Education](https://networkforpubliceducation.org/) (anti-voucher; [School Privatization Explained](https://networkforpubliceducation.org/npe-releases-latest-toolkit-school-privatization-explained/) fact sheets). Tribal sovereignty: [NCAI Native Vote](https://nativevote.org/) (nonpartisan), [Native American Rights Fund](https://narf.org/), and [Native Organizers Alliance](https://nativeorganizing.org/) trainings.

## 5. Good Trouble

Rep. John Lewis called the work of justice "good trouble, necessary trouble." It names a practice — disciplined, nonviolent confrontation of injustice — that he learned in Rev. James Lawson's Nashville workshops.

- **[Good Trouble Lives On](https://www.goodtroubleliveson.org/)** — yearly coalition weekend around July 17. The 2026 weekend (July 17–19) was the sixth, with 600+ events announced; 2025 had 1,600+. No 2027 date yet; the site currently asks people to sign a pledge and register voters. Billed as nonpartisan, though many local events were co-hosted by Democratic groups and framed against the administration.
- **[John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation](https://www.guidestar.org/profile/82-4295449)** — 501(c)(3) in Atlanta; "Good Trouble Talks" and youth civics.
- **Trainings now:** [Freedom Trainers](https://freedomtrainers.net/trainings/) — Community Strike Readiness, Nov. 16, 8 pm ET; Noncooperation 101, Nov. 18, 7 pm ET (free listing). Indivisible's eight-hour NVDA trainings appear on [Mobilize](https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/910400/).
- **Reading:** Waging Nonviolence's Nov. 3 analysis, *The fight after the vote*, on defending the count, certification and seating.

## 6. Beautiful Trouble and Beautiful Solutions

**[Beautiful Trouble](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox)** (501(c)(3); 15,000+ people trained) is a free, Creative Commons toolbox in eight languages. It has five kinds of entry:

| Type | What it is | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Stories | Past actions and campaigns, with what worked and why | Borrow from a campaign like yours |
| Tactics | Specific action formats (flash mob, blockade) | Pick a form |
| Principles | Hard-won rules of thumb | Test a plan before acting |
| Theories | Ideas about how power and change work | Build shared analysis |
| Methodologies | Planning frameworks and exercises | Run a strategy session |

For turning a win into lasting power, start with [**Choose your target wisely**](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/choose-your-target-wisely) (aim at whoever can sign the check or introduce the bill), [**Do your research**](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/do-your-research), [**Action star**](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/action-star), and [**Don't fall in love with your tactics**](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/dont-fall-in-love-with-your-tactics), then the planning tools [**Power mapping**](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/power-mapping), [**Pillars of power**](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/pillars-of-power) and [**Spectrum of allies**](https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/spectrum-of-allies). *If you're not uncomfortable, your coalition is too small* fits a top-versus-bottom coalition. Extras: trainings, a $40 strategy card deck, and a Resistance Hotline for one-on-one action planning (current hours not confirmed). It also publishes a Palestine-solidarity tool set, which some readers will see as a political position.

**[Beautiful Solutions](https://beautifulsolutions.info/)** (OR Books, 2024; edited by Elandria Williams, Rachel Plattus, Eli Feghali and Nathan Schneider) is the companion on building alternatives: co-ops, the commons, energy democracy, participatory budgeting. Each section pairs Solutions, Stories, Principles and open Questions. **Beautiful Rising**, gathered from Global South movements, was folded into the main toolbox in 2020.

**[Participatory Budgeting Project](https://www.participatorybudgeting.org/resource-library/)** (501(c)(3)) has free guides — a Scoping Toolkit for officials, an Outreach Toolkit, a Guide to PB in Schools — for letting residents decide part of a public budget. The usual first step is one official who controls a slice of budget and will pilot it.

## 7. Start something

| Start a… | First step | Guide | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-corruption team | Join RepresentUs's new-volunteer call | [Resources](https://represent.us/resources/) | RepresentUs |
| Local accountability group | Check for an existing group | [Find a group](https://indivisible.org/get-involved/find-a-group/) | Indivisible |
| Tenants' union | Talk with 3–4 neighbors, then hold a first assembly | [Tenants Together](https://www.tenantstogether.org/resources/form-tenants-union) | Tenant Union Federation |
| Workplace committee | Fill out EWOC's form | [Basics](https://workerorganizing.org/resources/guide/basics/) | EWOC |
| Worker co-op | First-Wednesday startup webinar | [Startups](https://www.usworker.coop/clinic/startups/) | USFWC, DAWI |
| Mutual-aid network | Look for one nearby first | [Toolbox](https://bigdoorbrigade.com/mutual-aid-toolbox/) | Big Door Brigade |
| Participatory budgeting | Find one official to pilot it | [Library](https://www.participatorybudgeting.org/resource-library/) | PBP |
| Ballot measure | Check whether your state or city allows it | [NCSL](https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/initiative-and-referendum-processes) | BISC; the Montana Plan as a model |
| Candidate slate | Run an open endorsement process, then recruit for open seats | [Indivisible endorsement guide](https://indivisible.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Indivisible-2026-Endorsement-Guide.pdf) | Section 3 pipelines |

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## What we could not confirm

- **Current activity:** Jetpac, Disability Victory, Mutual Aid Hub's upkeep, and the hours of Beautiful Trouble's Resistance Hotline.
- **Legal form:** Tenant Union Federation's own status (only its fiscal sponsor is stated), LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, Latino Victory, United We Dream and Arena. Higher Heights Leadership Fund's 501(c)(3) status rests on a secondary source. Advance Native Political Leadership's two official pages name different fiscal sponsors for its Action Fund.
- **Gap:** no active, dedicated candidate pipeline for Jewish Americans was found.
- **Results still moving:** the Montana Plan's 65–34 margin is unofficial and the measure is in federal court. Irvine's ranked-choice Measure D leads 52.6% to 47.4% in the latest county count reported by NBC Los Angeles; FairVote has declared it passed, but it is not certified. The Alaska and Mississippi Senate races and the Alaska and Kansas governor races were not called as of this check; Alaska's ranked-choice tabulation is set for Nov. 18 and Mississippi must certify by Nov. 13.
- **Dates change.** Training dates and deadlines above were current on Nov. 9, 2026. Check the link before you go.