Getting Started with ActivistCentral
A walkthrough of ActivistCentral's Getting Started checklist — what each step means, why it matters, and what order to tackle it in.
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Practical guides, campaign resources, and ActivistCentral updates.
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Getting Started
Orientation and first steps with ActivistCentral.
Your organization deserves better than five tabs and a prayer
A quick, honest guide to what Activist Central is, what it actually does, and how to get set up without losing your mind.
4 min readRead article: Your organization deserves better than five tabs and a prayer
How-To Guides
Practical step-by-step guides for using ActivistCentral.
Getting Started with Contacts in ActivistCentral
Learn how to add, find, organize, and manage the people in your ActivistCentral contact directory.
4 min readRead article: Getting Started with Contacts in ActivistCentralAdding and Editing Contacts in ActivistCentral
Learn how to add individual contacts, update their information, organize their records, and remove contacts you no longer need.
3 min readRead article: Adding and Editing Contacts in ActivistCentralUsing Tags to Organize Contacts in ActivistCentral
Learn how to create and assign Tags, organize multiple contacts at once, filter your directory, and understand how Tags work with Saved Lists.
4 min readRead article: Using Tags to Organize Contacts in ActivistCentralCreating and Using Custom Fields in ActivistCentral
Learn how to create Custom Fields for information that is specific to your organization, add that information to contact records, and choose which fields appear in your Contacts directory.
4 min readRead article: Creating and Using Custom Fields in ActivistCentralCreating and Using Saved Lists in ActivistCentral
Save useful contact filters as live lists you can reopen later and use for outreach as your contact data changes.
5 min readRead article: Creating and Using Saved Lists in ActivistCentralUsing the Org Directory in ActivistCentral
Create records for schools, worksites, committees, districts, and other organizations, then connect them to the people in your Contacts directory.
4 min readRead article: Using the Org Directory in ActivistCentralCreating and Managing Connections in ActivistCentral
Connect people to organizations and other contacts, manage changes over time, and preserve useful relationship history.
5 min readRead article: Creating and Managing Connections in ActivistCentralLogging and Managing Interactions in ActivistCentral
Keep a history of calls, emails, meetings, notes, tasks, and other activity directly on a contact's record.
3 min readRead article: Logging and Managing Interactions in ActivistCentralGetting Started with Memberships in ActivistCentral
Track members using your organization’s own statuses, membership types, dues information, renewal dates, and other details.
6 min readRead article: Getting Started with Memberships in ActivistCentralInviting Your Team and Managing User Roles in ActivistCentral
Invite coworkers to your ActivistCentral workspace and choose the right access level for each member of your team.
4 min readRead article: Inviting Your Team and Managing User Roles in ActivistCentralSetting Up Two-Factor Authentication in ActivistCentral
Add an extra layer of security to your ActivistCentral account using an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, 1Password, or Authy.
3 min readRead article: Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication in ActivistCentralGetting Started with Events in ActivistCentral
Create events, manage event details, enable online registration, set participant limits, and share a public registration form.
4 min readRead article: Getting Started with Events in ActivistCentralManaging Event Registrations and Attendance in ActivistCentral
Manage event participants, link attendees to Contacts, update registration details, and track attendance after your event.
5 min readRead article: Managing Event Registrations and Attendance in ActivistCentralImporting Contacts into ActivistCentral
Import Contacts from a CSV file, map your columns, review new and existing records, and check the results before completing the import.
5 min readRead article: Importing Contacts into ActivistCentralExporting Contacts from ActivistCentral
Export all Contacts, filtered results, or selected Contacts to a CSV file with the fields you need.
4 min readRead article: Exporting Contacts from ActivistCentralFinding Potential Duplicate Contacts in ActivistCentral
Scan your Contacts for matching email addresses or phone numbers and review records that may represent the same person.
3 min readRead article: Finding Potential Duplicate Contacts in ActivistCentral
Campaign Resources
Practical campaign materials and political resources.
Why your political texting registration was rejected — and how to fix it
A rejection isn't a dead end. It's feedback. Here's what the most common rejection reasons actually mean and exactly what to do about each one.
6 min readRead article: Why your political texting registration was rejected — and how to fix itPolitical SMS compliance checklist: 10 things to verify before you submit
Most registration delays are preventable. Work through this checklist before submitting and you'll avoid the issues that slow down the majority of applications.
6 min readRead article: Political SMS compliance checklist: 10 things to verify before you submit
Outreach & Messaging
Practical guidance for email, text messaging, calling, and effective outreach.
How do I know if my email campaign worked?
Replies are only one small part of the picture. Here's what each metric in your campaign report actually means — and what numbers to watch for.
5 min readRead article: How do I know if my email campaign worked?Why campaign emails go to spam — even when you did everything right
Authentication is necessary but not sufficient. Here's what else determines inbox placement — and what to do when a campaign lands in the wrong place.
5 min readRead article: Why campaign emails go to spam — even when you did everything rightSPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained in plain English
Three acronyms, one purpose: proving to email providers that your messages are legitimate. Here's what each one does, why all three matter, and what setup actually looks like.
5 min readRead article: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC explained in plain EnglishEmail deliverability basics: why sending an email doesn't mean it gets delivered
Inbox placement depends on a lot more than writing a good message. Here's what actually determines whether your emails reach people — and what to do about it.
5 min readRead article: Email deliverability basics: why sending an email doesn't mean it gets deliveredWhat is 10DLC and why does your organization need it?
If you're setting up text messaging and hit the term "10DLC" for the first time, here's what it means, why it exists, and what to expect from the process.
5 min readRead article: What is 10DLC and why does your organization need it?