Circles of Support
Candidate Support
Circles of Support bring candidates together in small, consistent groups
Running for office is one of the hardest—and loneliest—things many women will ever do. Candidates are suddenly expected to be fundraisers, communicators, managers, and community leaders all at once, often without the infrastructure or staff to guide them. For many women, especially those running in their first campaign, the learning curve can feel steep and the experience isolating.
At Her Term, we’ve found a simple but powerful solution: bring candidates together in small, consistent groups where they can lean on each other, share knowledge, and build the confidence to keep moving forward. We call these our Circles of Support.
We piloted this approach with what became our Weekly Candidate Support Group. The results were striking: candidates not only stayed on track with campaign tasks, but they reported feeling less alone, more motivated, and more resilient. Over four election cycles, this peer-based model proved itself again and again. Candidates who participated not only learned the nuts and bolts of running a campaign—they also built friendships, traded strategies, and found encouragement in moments when they might otherwise have given up.
THE THREE CIRCLES
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Formerly our weekly support group, this circle is about grounding candidates for the long haul. Each session begins with a check-in: What progress have you made? What blockers are you facing? Every answer—whether a big win or “I didn’t get to it”—is welcomed with positivity, because forward motion in a campaign often comes from persistence more than perfection. Candidates leave with renewed energy, clarity, and a sense of community.
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Campaigns stall not because candidates lack vision, but because small tasks pile up and block momentum. This circle blends structured “deep work” time with campaign coaching. We teach practical skills—like setting up a campaign bank account, handling compliance filings, sharpening a 15-second pitch, or setting up social media. Each session clears real to-dos from the list while also building long-term capacity.
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Fundraising is consistently the most intimidating part of campaigning, especially for women. In this circle, candidates get to practice asks with supportive donors who know this is part of the training. They commit to giving something, so the candidate always experiences a “yes.” More importantly, candidates learn to weather the nerves and keep practicing until asking for resources feels like a normal part of leadership.
Why It Works
The Circles of Support are successful because they flip the script: instead of candidates struggling alone, they move forward together. This peer-to-peer accountability creates momentum; the group structure breaks down big challenges into manageable steps; and the safe, supportive environment makes even intimidating tasks—like fundraising—doable.
By design, the circles are targeted toward first-time or not-yet-elected progressive women who don’t yet have a fully staffed campaign. For these women, a circle functions like a campaign team: providing guidance, accountability, and camaraderie when it matters most.
Over time, we’ve seen that candidates who participate in Circles of Support don’t just survive their campaigns—they thrive, and many go on to become part of the supportive ecosystem for the next class of women stepping forward to lead.