Political Fundraising Ideas & Tips: Candidates And Campaigns

Without political fundraising there would be no money for advertising or other expenses, which are necessary to ensure a win. Common ways of advertising include television, radio, magazine and newspaper articles, which can all be quite costly. While gathering the money for all of these expenses it is possible to also gather supporters, hitting two birds with one stone.

Political Fundraising Tips

• Political fundraising is necessary to a great campaign and should be done more than a few hours a week.

• Hiring a professional is a good idea; they have worked many more campaigns than a normal contestant, and know what to expect and what works or does not. It may seem silly to spend money to make money, but in the end a hired professional political fundraiser will save money.

• Make a personal contribution towards your efforts and goals. If you cannot count on yourself in your campaigning efforts than will you be able to count on others?

• The most effective political fundraising technique is candidate campaigning . If a donor is asked for money and has questions, who better to answer them? The more information a possible donor has the more likely they are to donate a substantial amount.

• Talk, in person, with family members. Remember to have an explanation ready as to why you are choosing to run and your goals. Family will most undoubtedly support you.

• Contact acquaintances (e.g. work colleagues, old high school or college friends, or members from groups that you belong to) with a phone call or letter. Again, this should be personal because the more involved a person feels the more likely they are to donate and continue your fundraising themselves.

• Find the local party's organization that you belong to; they may be able to supply monetary donations or help with political fundraising ideas.

• If you have previously campaigned, re-contact all the individuals and businesses that supported you before. They will be very likely to support you again.

• Discover former candidates or office-holders that share your beliefs; they might allow you to use their list of people who have donated to their cause in the past and who are likely to support yours.

• State and National campaigns may be eligible for PAC money.

Five Don'ts of Political Fundraising

• Don't have only big or small events. It is absurd to bank on all your fundraising needs from one big event. Events should be varied and eclectic.

• Do not have a political fundraising event on a Friday night. You will get a far larger turn out if held on any other day.

• Don't have staff or volunteers make calls when you are expecting a large amount of money out of them. These should be made by the candidate, themselves, to seem more personal.

• Don't forget to follow up. As talked about above, supporters will come back to you, if contacted again. Although it is necessary to find new supporters, it is much easier to also rely on old ones.

• Do not violate the law. Each state, city, or county may have their own rules and regulations as to how much a donor can give, in what way a donor can give, or how it is collected.

Hess, Carol. Fundraising Tips. Political Resources. 10 October 2006. politicalresources.com/Library/Fund-Tips.htm

Local Victory. 2001. 10 October 2006. www.localvictory.com/Newsletters/september262001.h tml

McDevitt, Bob. Fundraising: Quick Tips for Candidates. Campaigns & Elections. September 1996. 10 October 2006. politicalresources.com/Library/Fund-QuTips.htm