We've been working on this for weeks, and we're proud to announce that every night next week, C&L will join with Democracy for America to offer the first of several ongoing sessions of their famous campaign Night School.

We know the news is depressing. That's why we want to empower readers with the tools that will enable them to take part in local campaigns and make a difference. You may even decide to run for office yourself -- and that's how democracy is supposed to work, after all.

You don't have to sign up, either. Just drop into a session to see if you like it. But if you do register, please add "C&L" after your name so we can track how many people are taking part.

We do suggest that you register, because DFA will be sending related emails to those who take part.

Next Week's Session: Finance

Winning campaigns cost money. Although we can protest the growing costs of campaigning, the reality for any campaign is that without these funds, there can be no staff, no office, no phones, no computers, no signs, no media coverage -- no campaign. How much money the campaign will need to succeed depends on a number of factors. The sessions will cover the key skills and strategies to effectively raising and managing your campaign's finances.

Sessions begin at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET and run for one hour.

• Monday, March 17th -- Targeting your donors ;
• We will cover building your donor list, tools and systems for donor research and how to determine ask amounts.

• Tuesday, March 18th -- Making the Ask
• Participants will walk through principles for making a strong ask, how to train your candidate to make strong asks and what to do after the ask.

• Wednesday, March 19th -- Tactics: Calltime, Direct Mail, Event Planning
• There are three core tactics used for fundraising. This session goes through preparation, keeping the candidate on the phone, creating call sheets, setting goals, logistics, recruitment, execution and follow up.

• Thursday, March 20th -- Budget & Finance Planning
• We'll cover how to document money in & out, prepare for reports and setting quarterly goals. By the end, you'll be able to tie it all together in one document.