A ballot measure is one of the highest-stakes communication moments a district will face. Whether you’re asking the community to support a bond, renew a levy, or approve an operational referendum, the outcome depends on how well your district informs, engages, and earns the trust of voters.
The question isn’t just whether your case is strong—it’s whether the right people heard it, understood it, and felt confident enough to vote yes.
Donovan Group partners with school districts to build and execute ballot measure campaigns that are strategic, coordinated, and grounded in what moves communities. We’ve supported districts through measures of every kind—bonds, levies, operational referendums, and more. We bring that experience to bear from the earliest stages of planning through the final days of the campaign.
Built for Support, No Matter the Ballot Measure
How we support your district depends on what you need. Some districts want a full-service partner to build and run the campaign from the ground up. Others have internal capacity and need experienced outside counsel to guide strategy, sharpen messaging, and keep the effort on track. Both paths are available.
Ballot Measure Campaign Support
Our ballot measure support services offer school districts expert guidance and resources to inform and engage their communities throughout the process.
Please fill out the form below, and a Donovan Group partner will contact you within 24 hours to answer any questions and provide additional information about this service.
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What Every Ballot Measure Campaign Needs
Regardless of the type of measure or the size of your district, successful ballot measure communication shares a few common elements.
A clear, honest message.
Voters respond to transparency. The most effective campaigns don’t oversell; they explain what the district needs, why it matters, and what it will mean for students and the community. That message has to be developed carefully and held consistently across every channel and every conversation.
A plan that reaches the right audiences.
Not every voter consumes information the same way. A campaign that relies on a single channel—a mailer, a website, a Facebook post—leaves significant portions of the community uninformed. Effective campaigns are multi-platform and sequenced deliberately, so the message builds over time.Not every voter consumes information the same way. A campaign that relies on a single channel—a mailer, a website, a Facebook post—leaves significant portions of the community uninformed. Effective campaigns are multi-platform and sequenced deliberately, so the message builds over time.
Coordination across everyone carrying the message.
Board members, administrators, staff, and community advocates all play a role in a ballot measure campaign. When those voices are aligned and working from the same messaging framework, the campaign is stronger. When they’re not, the gaps show.
Time.
Campaigns that start late need to recover before they can make inroads with communities. The planning, messaging development, and community engagement that make a campaign effective take time to do well, and the community needs time to hear the message more than once before they vote.
A Word on Legal Boundaries
School districts operate under strict legal guidelines about the use of public funds in ballot measure campaigns. Our work is always designed with those boundaries in mind—focused on factual, informational communication that keeps your district on solid legal ground while still building genuine community understanding and support.
Ballot Measure Campaign Support
Our ballot measure support services offer school districts expert guidance and resources to inform and engage their communities throughout the process.
Please fill out the form below, and a Donovan Group partner will contact you within 24 hours to answer any questions and provide additional information about this service.