🏘️ Neighborhood Lead Handbook

Thank you for stepping up as a Neighborhood Lead for Castro for Georgia! You’re playing a critical role in grassroots democracy—organizing your neighbors, fostering community engagement, and making local voices heard.

This handbook equips you with practical tools, tips, and guidance to effectively lead your neighborhood using our open-source campaign infrastructure on GitHub.

🌟 What Does a Neighborhood Lead Do?

As a Neighborhood Lead, you are the go-to organizer for your community. Key responsibilities include:

Organizing local campaign events and meet-ups.
Encouraging neighbor participation in campaign activities.
Moderating neighborhood Discussions and Issues on GitHub.
Ensuring local concerns and ideas are represented and heard.

📂 Where You Organize on GitHub

Your main workspace is your neighborhood folder:

campaign/
├─ neighborhoods/
│   └─ [your-neighborhood]/
│       ├─ field-ops/          ← canvassing, yard signs, etc.
│       ├─ mutual-aid/         ← local support and help
│       ├─ [your-neighborhood]-hub/  ← central discussion and info
│       └─ captains-room/      ← planning & strategy space for leads

Each subfolder includes a README.md with clear guidance and ideas for organizing.

🚀 Getting Started as a Lead

Step 1: Set Up Your Neighborhood Page

Visit your neighborhood folder, e.g., neighborhoods/oakland_city/.
Edit the README.md file to introduce yourself and explain how neighbors can get involved.

Step 2: Start a Neighborhood Discussion Thread

Navigate to our GitHub Discussions.
Create a new discussion titled: “[Your Neighborhood] – Welcome & Introductions.”
Pin this discussion to the top for easy access by neighbors.

Step 3: Start Organizing!

Use Issues to track neighborhood tasks clearly (yard signs, canvassing notes, mutual aid requests).
Regularly post updates, announcements, and reminders in Discussions.
Check the Project Board to track local tasks visually.

🎯 GitHub Features You’ll Find Useful

Issues: Track tasks, requests, and neighborhood needs (always non-sensitive info).
Discussions: Encourage friendly, open conversation and brainstorming among neighbors.
Pull Requests: Submit neighborhood-specific event plans or documents.
CODEOWNERS: Automatically notified when someone suggests changes in your neighborhood folder.
Projects Board: Visual task management to clearly see neighborhood progress and needs.

📅 Hosting Neighborhood Events & Meetups

Plan and post events using Discussions (include date, time, location, agenda).
File an Issue labeled event-support to request materials or support.
Encourage neighbors to RSVP directly in the Discussion thread or Issue comments.

📣 Encouraging Participation & Engagement

Regularly welcome newcomers personally in Discussions.
Highlight success stories from your neighborhood in posts and updates.
Create clear “good first issue” tasks for new volunteers.

🛡️ Community Safety & Privacy

Never post personally identifiable information (names, addresses, phone numbers) in Issues or Discussions.
Use internal campaign tools (e.g., secure spreadsheets, ActionNetwork, Airtable) for sensitive details.
Foster respectful dialogue and always uphold the campaign’s Code of Conduct.

✅ Best Practices Checklist for Leads

Set up and maintain a clear, welcoming neighborhood README.
Regularly check and moderate Issues and Discussions.
Respond promptly to neighbor questions or feedback.
Plan regular community meet-ups (weekly, bi-weekly).
Regularly report neighborhood progress and needs to campaign HQ.

🌟 Recognition & Impact

Your leadership significantly boosts local engagement, ensuring the campaign authentically represents community needs.
Neighborhood Leads regularly recognized in campaign communications and updates.
See the direct impact of your work through increased community involvement and local successes.

🙋 FAQs for Neighborhood Leads

“Do I need tech skills to lead?” No! Basic familiarity with GitHub is enough, and our team is always here to support you.

“How much time does leading require?” A few hours per week is typically enough to make a significant impact.

“Can I get help organizing events?” Absolutely. Open an issue labeled event-support anytime.

📞 Support & Resources

Post questions or ask for support in the Help Desk Discussion.
Join weekly office hours via Zoom to collaborate directly with campaign maintainers and other neighborhood leads.

🚦 Ready to Start Leading?

Go to your Neighborhood Page.
Edit your README, start your Discussions, and organize your first local event!

Thank you for stepping up to lead your community! Your efforts ensure our campaign stays true to the working-class communities of Georgia’s 5th District.

Neighborhood Lead Handbook