How To Navigate the Progressive CRM Ecosystem
Progressive campaigns and Democratic organizations are now operating in an era defined by a paradox of choice. New solutions have sprung up to solve core campaign challenges using AI, better targeting, and stronger UX. As a result, we have more technology options available to us now than we did in the last decade.
But the paradox is that while these choices can be empowering to consultants and campaign leadership, they can also lead to some decision paralysis — or result in sticking with the tried and true when newer tools could be more effective. That’s something we wanted to help practitioners with going into the 2026 midterms.
The tools we use to manage relationships with voters, volunteers, and donors must keep pace with the modern needs of our movement. As we’ve evolved, we’ve also seen persistent challenges: fragmented data, clunky integrations, and systems that are difficult to scale.
But in recent years, our ecosystem has made incredible progress in making the flow of data easier and more interoperable — thanks to partners such as the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Data Exchange, and Community Tech Alliance, The Movement Cooperative, and others. We are finally ready to use the tools and platforms that best meet the needs of each program.
In our conversations with ecosystem partners on opportunities and challenges in political tech, one need that consistently surfaced was the desire to understand the options for relationship management and how to evaluate them against organizational requirements. At Higher Ground Institute, we set out to map the options by developing the Progressive CRM Guide, an in-depth resource mapping the various CRMs that are used across the progressive ecosystem.
This resource is built for campaigns, organizations, and activists looking to understand what progressive CRM options are available in order to better inform their tech decisions. We’ve applied a consistent taxonomy and evaluated each tool’s feature, functionality, and organizational fit.
We define “CRM” broadly — as any software that helps organizations manage relationships — to capture a diversity of tools and approaches. We also included a shared taxonomy of definitions to create a common language across campaigns and organizations.
Our research highlights where tools compare, where the gaps remain — particularly around data integration, scalability, and usability — and what it will take to support wider adoption. We hope it offers a snapshot of where we are today, and a vision for where we can go next.
This project is part of a broader effort at Higher Ground Institute to modernize progressive tech infrastructure. What we need now is shared understanding: consistent evaluation criteria, common taxonomies, and aligned investments that will create long-term impact.
The work is far from done. But with collaboration, transparency, and a focus on adaptive infrastructure that truly supports modern campaigning, we can build the systems needed to power the next era of progressive wins.
Kate Gage is the Executive Director of Higher Ground Institute, which helps progressive organizations harness emerging technologies to create lasting change.
