About us
Founded in 2022, Dirtroad Organizing is a 501(c)4 non-profit that empowers rural people to build power for a resilient, equitable, and democratic future.
We support local organizing, provide trainings, cultivate grassroots leadership, and offer resources for community change.
We combat ideological polarization and increase civic and electoral engagement for issues that are important to us through face-to-face conversations rooted in shared values, listening, respect, personal stories, democratic values, and empathy.
"Clearly, Maxmin knows how to win in rural America — and she can teach vital lessons about persuading those supposedly unreachable voters."
- Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Washington Post // January 11, 2022
"Let’s follow the example of Maine’s state Sen. Chloe Maxmin. Let’s ask for her advice. Let’s go to rural voters and show them we care. Let’s talk about the issues they care about."
- Lanny Davis, The Hill // January 13, 2022
"When I asked about her approach to politics, Maxmin told me rural communities are moral communities that respond more to personal stories and values than to specific policies. Building trusting relationships is the key. This takes time and effort and demands humility and a willingness to learn."
- Robert Reich // January 15, 2022
Our Work
In our first year, we're building the foundation for a powerful organization. Our work focuses on building community power by providing direct organizing support, trainings, coaching, and community events.
In 2022, we've partnered with Protect Our Winters to Get Out the Vote in rural counties our West. We've offered trainings and educational screenings of Rural Runners to engage many non-political communities with this work. And we're working hard behind-the-scenes to make sure that this organization can support rural organizing with all the force that it deserves.
Please reach out if you'd like to work with us! We'll also be adding more content to this website as we build our work.
Below are some of the programming and support that we can offer:
- Rural Canvassing 101.
- How to Train Volunteers for Rural Canvasses.
- Deep Canvassing: how to have real, authentic, and meaningful conversations with rural voters.
- Universe Creation.
- Media and Mail.
- Public Presence: Social Media and Signs.
- If you need training not listed here, we’ll work with you to create a training that serves your needs.
We offer 1-1 coaching for rural organizers.
Need help navigating the VAN? Creating a door-knocking universe? We can help!
- The core of rural organizing is listening. We’ve created a deep canvassing training to learn and practice this technique..
- Are you starting your own organization? Running a campaign? Leading a group? We can help you develop leadership skills such as facilitation, organization development, fundraising, and more.
Are you starting your own organization? Thinking about running a campaign? Leading a group? We can help you develop leadership skills such as facilitation, organization development, fundraising, and more.
Our Team
Hailing from rural Maine, Chloe is the youngest woman ever to serve in the Maine State Senate, at 28 years old. She was elected in 2020 after unseating a two-term Republican incumbent and (former) Senate Minority Leader. In 2018, she served in the Maine House of Representatives after becoming the first Democrat to win a rural conservative district (since redistricting) with a negative 16 point Democratic Performance Index. She also received an honors degree from Harvard College, where she co-founded Divest Harvard. Chloe is the recipient of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and the Brower Youth Award. She was also named a “Green Hero” by Rolling Stone. She was named the 2020 Legislator of the Year by the Maine Council on Aging. She is the co-author of Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends On It. She is also the Senior Director at JustME for JustUS, a Maine-based organization focus on rural youth civic engagement and climate organizing.
Canyon was born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of rural North Carolina and the North Cascades of Washington. He was the campaign manager for Chloe Maxmin’s successful 2018 and 2020 campaigns, flipping seats in the most rural county in the most rural state in the country. He was previously regional field director for Bernie Sanders 2016 in rural S.C., field director for Jane Hipps for NC Senate in rural NC, and vice chair of the NC District 11 Democrats. He earned an honors degree in social studies from Harvard College, where the bulk of his education took place outside of the classroom co- coordinating (with Chloe) Divest Harvard, a 70,000+person movement that succeeded in pressuring Harvard to divest its $53 billion endowment from fossil fuels. He is the co-author of Dirt Road Revival: How to Rebuild Rural Politics and Why Our Future Depends On It.