National Democratic Training Committee

What National Democratic Training Committee does

The National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC), operating under the consumer-facing brand Traindems, is a U.S. nonprofit political organization founded circa 2015 and headquartered in Chicago. It provides free online campaign training to Democratic candidates, campaign staff, and volunteers across all 50 states, covering campaign fundamentals such as financial compliance, fundraising, voter outreach, and campaign strategy. The core product is a self-serve learning platform hosting 100+ on-demand courses developed by named campaign practitioners, supplemented by virtual live programs, downloadable resources (templates, SWOT/SMARTIE/MOCHAS frameworks, outreach guides), and editorial articles on how to run for office at various levels.

The underlying technology is a conventional online learning management system delivered exclusively at traindems.org, with self-serve registration, an on-demand course catalog, and gated content. NDTC has no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed AI or data capabilities. Distribution and content reach are built through a partner ecosystem anchored by a flagship partnership with the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and extended through state Democratic parties (Georgia Democrats, Illinois Democratic County Chairmen's Association), labor unions (SEIU, AFSCME), and progressive organizations (Latino Victory). Marketing is content-led, leveraging a Substack newsletter ('Expert Insights'), a weekly email newsletter ('TL;DR'), blog articles, and organic social.

The business model is donation-funded rather than commercial: NDTC operates as a 501(c)(4)-type political organization and collects contributions through ActBlue at preset levels of $5, $10, $25, $50, and $500, with all training content provided free to learners. There are no paid tiers, seat licenses, or subscription fees. The organization employs 11-50 people, is privately held as a nonprofit, and is led by founder and CEO Kelly Dietrich. No revenue figures, funding rounds, or institutional grants are disclosed.

Name

National Democratic Training Committee

Legal name

National Democratic Training Committee

Website

https://traindemocrats.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) is a Chicago-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit that provides free online campaign training to Democratic candidates, campaign staff, and volunteers across all 50 states via 100+ on-demand courses, virtual live programs, and downloadable resources, funded by ActBlue donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Campaign Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)

Keywords

• Political campaign training
• Online learning platform
• Campaign management courses
• Democratic Party education
• Civic engagement training

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Political Donations: The organization is funded through political donations from supporters. The website displays ActBlue donation options at various levels ($5, $10, $25, $50, $500) and frames itself as a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. All training programs are provided free to learners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NDTC provides free online training programs for Democratic candidates, campaign staff, and volunteers. Its core offering is a digital learning platform with on-demand video courses, virtual live training programs, and downloadable resources covering campaign management, fundraising, communications, voter outreach, and compliance. Training is delivered at no cost to learners and supported by political donations.

Product overview

The National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC) operates a unified training platform offering free online campaign education to Democrats. The core offerings include 100+ On Demand Courses covering campaign fundamentals (compliance, fundraising, voter outreach) and Virtual Live Programs for real-time instruction. Supporting these are downloadable Resources (templates, guides) and Articles providing campaign guidance. The portfolio is designed for candidates, campaign staff, and volunteers at all levels of government, from city council to national elections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• On-Demand Courses A library of 100+ self-paced online video courses covering all aspects of running a Democratic campaign, including fundraising, communications, voter outreach, digital strategy, data, field organizing, and compliance. Free to access for Democratic candidates, campaign staff, and volunteers.
• Virtual Live Programs Live, instructor-led online training sessions offered virtually to Democratic candidates, staff, and volunteers. Programs cover timely campaign topics and complement the on-demand course catalog.
• Compliance Fundamentals Course A standalone course on campaign finance and election law compliance fundamentals for Democratic candidates and treasurers.
• Campaign Resource Library (downloadable templates and playbooks) A collection of downloadable templates, playbooks, and guides — including items such as a Quarterly Priorities Template and Local Outreach Strategies — that candidates and campaign staff can use to plan and execute campaigns.
• Articles and Guides Written educational content covering campaign tactics, strategy, and best practices for Democratic candidates and campaign operatives, distributed via the website and Substack newsletter.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ on-demand courses available
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Democratic National Committee (DNC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partnership with the DNC to train Democratic candidates and build party infrastructure. The DNC logo appears prominently on the NDTC website as a key partner. The partnership supports NDTC's mission to strengthen the Democratic party's candidate bench nationwide.
• Georgia DemocratscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState party partnership to train Georgia Democrats running for office at all levels. Part of broader effort to build progressive candidates in battleground states.
• Latino VictorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Latino Victory to recruit and train Latino Democratic candidates for elected office. Supports diversity and representation in the candidate pipeline.
• Illinois Democratic County Chairmen's Association (IDCCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Illinois county Democratic leaders to provide training resources to local party organizations and candidates across Illinois.
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SEIU to train union members interested in running for office or working on political campaigns. Combines labor organizing expertise with campaign training.
• AFSCMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with AFSCME to provide campaign training to union members and support progressive candidates. Leverages AFSCME's political infrastructure and member network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/traindems
• Facebookfacebook.com/traindems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/traindems

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Democratic Training Committee