Services

Religious Outreach:

• Bridge Building:  CGS can coordinate and facilitate religious outreach meetings that have proven an effect way to build relationships with local religious leaders across the theological spectrum. 


• Grassroots Organizing:  CGS can help Democrats tap into the resources available through the religious community to turn out volunteers and provide a voice that can balance the religious right and respond to religiously-motivated attacks.


• Direct Voter Contact:  CGS can help campaigns create data lists and develop direct mail, phone bank, and canvass strategies that will target specific religious communities and/or religious voters in swing areas

Effective Communications:

• Message:  CGS can help campaigns develop message and communication strategies that will resonate with religious voters.CGS can assist in polling and focus group development to help campaigns get a better picture of voters’ specific religious demographics and test messages.


• Specialty Press:  CGS can provide lists of religious media and its audience and then assist campaigns in developing strategies for effective outreach to that media.


• Policy:   CGS can help campaigns understand how religious communities will respond to different policies and provide policy options that will appeal to the religious voters and our traditional base.

“Common Good Strategies shows Democrats with faith, heart, and soul how to profess their commitment to a nation that cares as much for neighbors as ourselves.  CGS helps good Democrats rediscover the prophetic voice they need to lead this nation in a new and better direction.”  - Mike McCurry

Company Profile

Mara Vanderslice is the founder and President of Common Good Strategies, LLC.  Mara was the Director of Religious Outreach for the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign, the first national religious outreach liaison for a Democratic presidential campaign.  Prior to her service on the Kerry campaign, Mara worked on Community and Faith Outreach for Howard Dean in the Iowa primaries. 

Mara has eight years of campaign and advocacy experience, working for organizations including, Sojourners and Call to Renewal, the Jubilee 2000 campaign for debt-relief, and the United Church of Christ.  She received her bachelor’s degree from Earlham College, in Richmond, IN, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with honors for her work in campus ministry.  A Colorado native, Mara has lived and worked in Washington, DC for more than five years.

Eric Sapp is Senior Partner at Common Good Strategies, LLC.  Prior to joining CGS, Eric worked in Rep. David Price’s D.C. office, where he handled faith and politics, budget, tax, and homeland security issues and was responsible for Orange County and Duke/Chapel Hill campus outreach during the 2004 election.  Before that, he worked as an aide to Sen. Kennedy on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.  He also served as part-time Director of Christian Education at Heritage Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, VA.

Eric graduated from Davidson College and received a Master of Divinity and a Master of Public Policy from Duke University.  While at Duke, he served for three years as youth pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Durham.  Eric has served as a policy advisor to the Presbyterian Church at the national and regional level and currently lives in Alexandria, VA with his wife and high school sweetheart, Julie. 

Email: eric@cg-strategies.com
Cell: (703) 863-6403

Past and current clients include: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Casey for Senate, Strickland for Governor, Ford for Senate, Sebelius for Governor, Michigan Democratic Party, Kansas Democratic Party, Oregon Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee, and Tim Kaine for Governor 2005.

“Many in our Party have started to talk about the importance of authentic engagement with America’s religious communities, but CGS has been putting that talk into action.  Building on the cutting-edge work done here in MI to engage Catholics in the 2004 election, CGS has helped our Party and elected officials build new relationships with faith leaders from across the state.  The work CGS is doing has the potential to significantly alter the political landscape and help our Party succeed in 2006 and beyond.” - Mark Brewer, Vice Chair, DNC; President, Association of State Democratic Chairs