With 2026 on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at the data you’ve been using and seeing if you’ll need it going forward. For the data and resources you want to keep, update or make new versions of them for the new cycle (i.e. if you have cycle or year specific Activist Codes, make new ones). For any data and resources you no longer need, make them inactive. This is also a great time to go through your contact records to merge duplicates.

Neglecting important data upkeep can bring on unnecessary issues down the line, like accidentally using old codes or forms instead of the updated ones. This is especially important for those working with others in the same database. Taking action now, before the start of the new year, will set you up for success with fresh, clean data.

If you’d like to learn more about merging duplicates, you can check out this Micro Training.

This Friday at 1:00 PM ET, we’re walking through upcoming changes in NGP VAN that will be releasing soon, and there’s a good chance at least one of these updates is likely to impact your work.
We’ll be covering:

 • Sneak peak at an update to the Contact Record page

 • More improvements to the new navigation and homepage experience

 • Mobilize update that helps supporters find events even faster

These feature overviews only happen once a month, so make sure to register now to stay up to date on what’s changing and how it affects you.

When I was in college, I naturally gravitated towards the LGBT+ pride organization on campus. Even though I was in the closet and in denial, I went to their meetings every week, and before long, I was on the board. Around then, we were preparing to march in our local pride parade, but the school, a catholic university, said no. We weren’t allowed to march. I thought, “How dare you? How can you repress the identities and expression of my colleagues?” They relented, but only if we didn’t say we were students at this university.

Two years later, we put together a presentation on how expressing ourselves in our queer identity tied deeply to the values of the school. We invited all the school administrators, and afterwards we got more than we asked for. They enabled us to attend a queer conference in Denver, and when we got back, they asked us to present to a larger audience on what we learned. Throughout this experience, I came out, and this was the first year the institution allowed us to march under the school’s banner.

When a candidate runs for office and upsets the status quo, I see them as the underdog. That’s why I’m so passionate about making sure our tools are useful, because I used to be the underdog, fighting against my institution. And I relish every opportunity to help those that are here because they have their own institutions to fight against, and their own battles to win.  

Som Pimson, Deputy Director, Organizing
NGP VAN Support

Did you know you can follow our status page, which lists all incidents, scheduled maintenance windows and uptime statistics for NGP VAN products? You can also subscribe to email updates and notifications for specific products.

You can check out our Status Page here.

We’ve revamped our email deliverability help docs! Check out our new resources to help you reach the inbox.

Deliverability basics: How to reach the inbox

How to: Configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for email deliverability

Troubleshooting deliverability issues

Best practices for deliverability: crafting the best content

A new NGP VAN navigation and homepage beta experience is here!

This is an early look at how we’re thinking about future navigation, and your feedback will directly shape where we go from here. It’s a work in progress, and we’re listening closely, so every comment will be reviewed by our team.

You can learn more about this update here.

We’re currently in the process of updating our entire training program to make it more accessible, helpful, and comprehensive than ever before. If you’d like to be a part of this process, we’d love to hear from you! We are currently taking feedback on the current training program, and suggestions of what our users would like to see in a training program most.

If you’d like to submit feedback or suggestions, you can fill out this form.

Thank you for reading this month's edition of the NGP VAN Organizing Training Newsletter! If you have any feedback, we'd love to hear from you.