The 2026-2027 DECA Chapter Campaigns are here to help your chapter to be the NEXT BIG THING! Participating in the chapter campaigns encourages DECA members to engage with their community and grow membership.
Each campaign has its own criteria and requirements outlined in the Chapter Campaign Guidebook. This is a great tool for planning campaign activities for the school year. The campaigns feature five categories, which include the Membership, Promotional, Community Service, Innovations + Entrepreneurship and Advocacy campaigns.
NEW for 2026-2027: Chapters must use Adobe Express as part of their Chapter Campaign submissions.
- Promotional Campaign: Adobe Express must be used for at least one outreach activity. Ideas to try: a flyer or social media graphic announcing the outreach activity, an Instagram Story or Reel promoting your DECA chapter, or a digital invitation to an outreach chapter.
- Community Service Campaign: Adobe Express must be used for the chapter’s form of publicity or promotion. Ideas to try: a flyer or social media post promoting your community service activity, a thank-you graphic for volunteers and community partners, or a short recap video highlighting your project's impact.
- Chapters will be required to upload a screenshot showing the required item(s) they created in Adobe Express when submitting the campaign.
- Adobe Express for Education is free for all DECA chapters, so there’s no cost barrier to meeting this requirement. Advisors with questions about accessing Adobe Express for Education in their classroom can reach out to education@deca.org.
Need ideas? Check out DECA’s Brand Resource Center for easy-to-remix templates in Adobe Express.
Campaign Tips and Strategies
Below are some tips and tricks to help you and your chapter strategically tackle the chapter campaigns.
- Review requirements and deadlines. Make sure to review the Chapter Campaign Guidebook carefully, as each campaign has its own deadlines and requirements. For instance, the Membership, Promotional, Community Service and Innovations + Entrepreneurship campaigns are due on December 1, 2026, but the Advocacy campaign is due on March 1, 2027.
- Get creative. The guidebook comes equipped with suggestions on how to incorporate chapter campaigns into your classroom and chapter. Review DECA's suggested ideas and decide which ones seem most feasible. But don't stop there – think outside of the box and brainstorm your own, unique ideas! Be sure to check out the Brand Resource Center for templates and ideas to use for your promotional and outreach materials.
- Create an action plan. One of the guidebook's greatest assets is the planning worksheet that follows each campaign's description. This allows teams to visually plan out their target activities, jot down ideas and collaborate with others. Utilize this feature to come up with the best approach for your chapter campaigns!
- Submit your campaigns. The chapter campaign portal will open in September for advisors to submit for the Promotional, Community Service and Innovations + Entrepreneurship Campaign submissions. For the Membership Campaign, advisors need to be sure to submit their chapter’s membership by December 1, 2026. The Advocacy Campaign will open in the campaign portal on February 1, 2027, and close on March 1, 2027.
What happens once the campaigns are completed?
- Chapters can earn Achievement Level by meeting all the requirements in any ONE of the DECA Month Chapter Campaigns (Promotional, Community Service or Innovations + Entrepreneurship) and receive a pennant and certificate.
- Or, chapters can earn the Thrive Level by meeting all the requirements in any TWO of the DECA Month Chapter Campaigns and receive a pennant, plaque, flag and two (2) allocations to attend the Thrive Academy at ICDC.
- Additionally, for the Membership Campaign, chapters can earn Achievement Level by meeting the requirements in any ONE of the categories (students, alumni or professionals) of the Membership Campaign and receive a pennant and certificate. Or, chapters can earn the Thrive Level by meeting the requirements in any TWO categories and receive a pennant, plaque, flag and two (2) allocations to attend the Thrive Academy at ICDC.
- Chapter campaign items will not be shipped internationally.
As you begin to map out your campaign strategies, don't forget to use this year's campaign guidebook as a tool and resource!
If you have any questions during the process, reach out to education@deca.org.
