Fundraising For Your Political Campaign

How to Raise Money for Political Office
The Original Guide to Winning Elections Through Aggressive, Organized Fundraising
Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012
Introductions
Brandon Lewis
Political Fundraising Consultant/Finance Staff Member for U.S. Senator Bob Corker, U.S. Congressman Scott DesJarlais, State Senate, State House, and Local Races. Author of How to Raise Money for Political Office; The Original Guide to Winning Elections Through Aggressive, Organized Fundraising. Founder/Owner of www.MyCampaignTreasurer.com, an online fundraising software program designed specifically for state and local races. Former Major Gift Officer for Baylor School and Program Coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
www.MyCampaignTreasurer.com
Why I m Passionate About Political Fundraising

I see a tremendous unmet need in state and local races. Most candidates lack the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to out-raise their opponents three to one. I have experienced the advantages of the wellfunded campaign war chest. I have watched the best candidate running lose because of an underfunded campaign.
A Note About This Presentation

This presentation was developed specifically to highlight and follow the text: How to Raise Money for Political Office: The Original Guide to Winning Elections Through Aggressive, Organized Fundraising
Part I
Your Fundraising Basics
Why is Fundraising Important?

Voters are drowning in information and communication, but their political beliefs are likely shallow. Most voters will give your race very little consideration; It s simply not that important to them. Purchasing TV, Radio, Internet, Outdoor, and other advertising is expensive not to mention staff and campaign overhead. Campaigns are ran in a more professional manner than ever before and voters expectations are higher.

You can t spin or fake fundraising; it s the only tangible measure of a campaign s vitality early in the process. Success begets success, and allows you to build momentum. Cash on hand can cover a multitude of campaign deficiencies. It generates positive press and political gossip.

The primary objectives of a political campaign are to
Create a positive feeling in the minds of voters about your candidacy. Create a negative feeling in the minds of voters about your competitors candidacy.
The ultimate physical objective is to make more people pull a lever for you than the other fellow.
Why is Fundraising Important? All Things Equal, 20% Advantage, Positive/Negative Campaigning
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 3 3 2 6 5 5 4 3 3 Candidate A Canddiate B 5 5

6 5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 1 0.75 2 1.5 3 2.25 3 Candidate A Canddiate B 4 3.75
Candidate A: 2 to 1 Finance Advantage Candidate B: 50% More Effective, All Positive

5.5 5 4.5
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How Much is Enough?

What are you trying to accomplish?
Identify your total voter universe. Further identify your target voter universe for direct contact expenditures. Determine how many times through what mediums you will need to contact your target. Voter universe to receive more votes than your opposition. Begin at election day and work backward. Take into account staff, consultants, overhead, etc.
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How Much is Enough?

Entire Voting Universe
Voting Universe for Your Party/Candidacy
Not Targeted
TV, Radio, Outdoor, Internet
Consistent/Reliable Voting Universe for Your Candidacy
TV, Radio, Outdoor, Internet Direct Mail, Phone Banking, Canvassing, Voter Registration, GOTV Efforts
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How Much is Enough?

Your campaign budget does not exist in a vacuum, but rather must be developed in comparison to the competition s cash on hand filing numbers and other substitute candidates. The more crowded the ballot, the more you will likely have to raise. Review historical best performers for your race, but do not use that as your sole guide. Do not let experts or novices determine your budget without your critical review. Make certain to expend the lion s share of your resources on voter contact.
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August Traditional Voter Contact TV Radio Direct Mail Door to Door Phone Bank Yard Signs/4x8's Technology Fundraising Software Website Facebook Email Twitter Campaign Staff/Consulting Smith (Campaign Mgr.) Jones (Finance Director) Fundraising Consulting General Consulting Overhead Rent Utilities Office Phones Other Printing Lapel/Bumper Stickers Volunteer Food Office Supplies $1,500 $1,500 $250 $150 $625 $148 $78 $3,500 $4,500 $2,500 $2,500 $125 $1,000 $1,200 $130 $300 $9,586 $6,542 $9,812 $2,500 $2,500 $8,000
September
October
Totals
$10,200 $8,435 $9,812 $2,500 $500 $0
$19,876 $12,398 $19,624 $4,500 $500 $0
$39,662 $27,375 $39,248 $9,500 $3,500 $8,000
$125 $1,000 $1,200 $130 $300
$125 $1,000 $1,200 $130 $300
$375 $3,000 $3,600 $390 $900
$3,500 $4,500 $2,500 $2,500
$3,500 $4,500 $2,500 $2,500
$10,500 $13,500 $7,500 $7,500
$625 $148 $78
$625 $148 $78
$1,875 $444 $234
$250 $0 $250 $150
$250 $0 $250 $150
$2,000 $1,500 $750 $450
Expenditure Totals
$58,946
$48,703
$74,154
$181,803
Fundraising Budget
$100,000
$50,000
$50,000
$200,000
Cash On Hand
$41,054
$42,351
$18,197
$0
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Developing Your Personal Narrative

Your personal narrative is the story about you and your candidacy that will be the framework up which all campaign communication rests. Stories are better than facts, figures, and bullet points for connecting with donors and voters alike. Your narrative may have many stories woven within it. Don t be overwhelmed by messaging or developing your personal narrative. You already know the story, just use good, common sense. You will use your personal narrative in letters, stump speeches, press releases, phone calls, visits, online, etc.
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There are five questions on every donor and voter s mind. Answer these and you re on your way. Who are you?
Where are you from? (Where did you grow up, how long have you been in the area?) What are your experiences? (What does your civic and professional background look like? What are our similarities? (Are you like me? Can I begin to trust you?)
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Why are you running?
What are your motives and are they genuine?
Have a solid answer for this no waffling. Your answer can t be wholly selfish, but rather should be about service to those you hope to represent. Donors are the savviest group of individuals you ll encounter, and they can sense a disingenuous answer.
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What do you believe?
What is your platform, what are your issues?
Choose 3-5 issues that are the most important to your constituents and that matter to you personally. Develop a sufficient depth of knowledge in these areas.
Do your values/issues/platform items intersect with mine?

Donors and voters want to know that you share the same values
Do your beliefs forward my personal agenda?

Sometimes, there are industry or issue specific items that have a direct impact on someone s vocation, lifestyle, or political passions listen to uncover landmines. Be prepared to ask what they think and say, I don t know if you are completely unaware.
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What makes you different than the competition?
Where are you better?
Experience, accomplishments, platform, appeal.
Where is he or she worse?

Performance in office, accomplishments, background. Background research and polling are great tools. On going negative.
Know the consequences and weight the advantages. Fact check your claims. Keep it above board and out of the personal realm.
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Can you win this election?
Who supports you?
Donors have a lot at stake and need reassurance. Donors lend you their reputation and capital. Public officials, organizations, politicos, financiers, opinion leaders, PACs, and spheres of influence.
How can you strategically win?

Ability to raise money or bank account. Staff, consultants, advisors, high profile volunteers. Grassroots, political, communication, and GOTV plans. District makeup and winds of political change.
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What can I do to help?
Give or raise money. Volunteer
Door to door Phone calls Opinion letters Social media Talk radio Come to an event Send a petition
Use a system to capture their information and follow up on their enthusiasm.

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Four Basic Fundraising Toolkit: People

Your Fundraising Team
Without counsel purposes are disappointed; but in a multitude of counselors they are established.
Full-Time Political Fundraising Consultant

Avoid mistakes. Keep from reinventing the wheel. Set budgets, milestones, and create a plan. Resources Lists, software, other consultants. Get them early you ll spend a lot of time together.
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Alternatives to Full-Time Fundraising Consultants
Pair a consultant with a day-to-day finance coordinator (make sure they can execute a plan). Read, research, and learn from successful candidates.
With enough resources, you can hire campaign managers, speechwriters, pollsters, media producers, and advisors.
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Your Finance Chairman
Most important person after candidate and finance director. Must commit time and treasurer. Experience is a plus. Must be well respected and in Tier One donors peer group. Co-Chairs are an option Well known + willing to work hard.
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Your Finance Committee
Tier One and Tier Two Donors. Must give time and money to the campaign. Must solicit others to give time and money. Wealthy, well respected, influential. Ask them to raise a specific amount $2,500, $5,000, $10,000, $100,000. Train them if necessary.
What a Finance Committee is Not

Well-meaning politicos, political volunteers, party planners, poor folks birds of a feather flock together.
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Four Basic Fundraising Toolkit: Tangibles

Overview principles
Bootstrap, bootstrap, bootstrap save your money for voter contact. Beg, borrow, steal, and look for bargains. This list progresses from must have, should have, and then to nice to have items. You do not have to have all these items at once or at the beginning. But, by the time your campaign reaches initial maturity you will likely need them all to be efficient and effective.
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Campaign Fundraising Software
Be more efficient, effective, and organized. Stay out of Excel hell. Not having it is like scheduling appointments without a calendar.
Must Haves
Simple, easy, affordable. Import and export simply, track donations, expenditures, notes, and tasks. Export for disclosure and mail, contain the proper fields, run simple reports. We ll review a system later in the program.
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Indispensable Start Up Documents
Logo
Professional pay someone to do it. Simple name recognition, branding, limited colors. Meaningful slogans should resonate and be understood. Consistent it takes a long to build a brand impression, so stick with your logo throughout the campaign.
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Candidate/Campaign Photographs
Hire a professional photographer or friend with skill. Dress in solid colors in a professional manner. Look natural and at ease. Choose settings that resonate with the electorate
Business, agriculture, education, leadership, meeting with people, compassion, - what does your photo relay to the viewer?
Stick with a few photos as you build the brand.

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Letterhead Lots of white space and professionally done. Envelopes - #10 for your outer envelope and #9 for your inner envelope.
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Donor Cards/Forms
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Event Shells
Pre-printed invitation shells that your campaign can print in house on the fly as event details change.
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Candidate Fact Sheet
Short summation of the candidate s personal narrative. One page and to the point.
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Campaign Website
It legitimizes your campaign. It answers questions donors are unwilling to ask but want to know. It can tell a story with pictures, words, and video that makes an emotional connection. You can take contributions online.
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Campaign Website Basic Composition
Home page with graphics, pictures, and usually a welcome video. Background page with biographical information about the candidate. Platform page with the candidate s stance on key issues. Photo/video gallery with media from events or of the candidate. Social media links to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Volunteer sign-up form. Contribution page.
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Creating Your Website for Maximum Contributions
Keep the content fresh and changing. Highlight a Contribute Now button prominently on each page. Create an engaging, simple, secure landing page for contributions. Promote your contributions page with emails, social media, and printed materials.
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Advantages for Online Contributions
It postpones the pain of giving for donors. It can help you meet filing deadline goals. It can press the point with a forever pledger .
Make sure you shop the card processors for the best rate and have security in place
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Yard signs, bumper stickers, banners, and lapel nametags in limited quantity in the beginning. A devoted, distraction-free environment Campaign phone Campaign computer Printers B&W and Color Office Furniture Organizational Supplies Whiteboards
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Part II
Your Fundraising Prospects
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Categorizing Donors by Frequency

Universal Donors They give very frequently, and may have a proclivity to give to one region or system of government. Intermittent Donors - They may give heavily for a while, disengage, then reengage at a later date. Unique Donors They are unique to a particular election, cause, or candidate. PACs/Political Groups Give based on their interests and capacity at the time. May wax and wane with influence.
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Categorizing Donors by Capacity

Tier One. Can give/raise substantial amounts. May be known and well respected financially/politically. Tier Two. Can give nominally or moderately, but raise substantially. Tier Three. Can give substantially. Tier Four. Can give/raise moderately. Tier Five. Can give moderately. Tier Six. Can give nominally.
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Additional Items to Consider When Categorizing Donors

Likelihood of giving How long will it take to get a contribution? Accessibility How difficult is it to contact or gain an audience with this individual? Gestation Period How long will I have to work on building a relationship before this person will make a donation or ask others to do so?
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Where Are The Donors?

Personal Contacts
These donors represent the most readily available resources for your campaign. Friends, family, business relationships, acquaintances. Look in your phone, contact software, organizational directories where you participate, Facebook account, civic clubs, fraternity, sorority, college, high school, chamber of commerce, etc.
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Prior political donor list
FEC, state, and local disclosures (online/in print).
Target specific areas. Select those who give to similar candidates. Aggregate your data and remove duplicates.
Make sure you follow applicable laws.
Membership Directories
Collect lists that should be inclined to be potential donors to your campaign. Have a knowledgeable person filter them for you.
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Field/Event Entries
Make sure you collect participant/attendee data as you campaign Enter all data into your campaign fundraising software or system Build your list organically and continually
The Multiplier Effect

Personal relationship web diagram Who do you know who?
Get the name, get another, get the contact info, ask to use their name.
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Why Donors Give

They give because their friends give; it s a primary social outlet. They have a particular political interest. They want access to the candidate. They have a general allegiance to the party or platform of an organization. Someone simply asked.
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Cultivating Your Prospects

Start with the biggest historical donors first.
They are proven and on the competition s list. They take a while to woo.
Start Early
You beat your opponent to the punch. You increase the likelihood and the amount of the donation or participation.
Build goodwill by not asking for a dime.

Come to them for advice and guidance.
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Cultivating Your Projects

Meet in Small Groups
Ask for small, informal meet and greets.
Win them over, neutralize them, or write them off your list. Give them the inside scoop.
Unreported poles, articles, strategy, press releases, endorsements.
Listen, Listen, Listen!

80% of your time listening, 20% talking. When they ask you a question, you ask them what they think. It s hard to listen your way into trouble.
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Part III
Your Fundraising Action Plan
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Informal Personal and Group Visits

Meetings at offices, businesses, and manufacturers. Meetings with trade organizations, associations, and civic groups. Have an agenda prepared. Ask for money or have someone do it for you. Bring forms and capture participant information.
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How Much Should I Ask For?

Your objective is to seek the maximum amount possible from each donor. Always ask for more than you think the donor is capable to give.
You can go down, but not up. You stand to lose out if you under ask. People are not offended at a higher ask, but may be if you try to ask them to immediately increase their contribution. Ask others in their peer group what they can give.
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The Anatomy of the Ask

How Should I Go About Asking For a Contribution? Spend 70-80% of your time listening. Determine Your Objective.
Introduce yourself. Further a relationship. Ask for a donation.
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Step One: State Your Purpose
You re there to get to know them. You admire their work. You need their advice.
Step Two: Ask Some Prepared Questions

How did you come into your line of work? Tell me about your job/business. What issues that are related to the office I m seeking concern you the most? Where are the areas of greatest potential improvement? What are you looking for in a candidate?
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Step Three: Tell Your Personal Narrative
Tailor the points to your donor s interests. Shorten or lengthen it as appropriate.
Step Four: Make Your Ask

Building a relationship.
Can I count on your support? Can I count on your for advice and counsel as this effort moves forward?
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Step Four: Make Your Ask Asking for a contribution.
I would like to ask you and your wife to consider (choose one): Contributing the maximum contribution of $5,000 per couple for the primary cycle. Serving on our finance committee and raising/contributing $20,000 in our upcoming fundraiser at John Smith s house. Attending our upcoming fundraiser. It s $1,000 per couple. Getting a small group of individuals together at your home/office (choose one) for a small meet and greet/fundraiser (choose one) in the next three weeks.
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Step Four: Make Your Ask Asking for a contribution Mining for Donors
Can you think of any other people like you who I need to talk to about supporting my campaign financially/with advice/politically (choose one)? After you get a few names, ask: Can you think of any others? Once you have the names, ask: Do you have a good phone number and/or e-mail address for these contacts? And finally: Is it alright if I use your name as an introduction?
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Dialing for Dollars

Calls from the candidate are the second most powerful form of communication from the campaign. You can reach more people in less time. They are personal. They can produce remarkable results. They can be made in almost any environment and require little planning or coordination.
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Dialing for Dollars

Tools You ll Need
Legal pad and pen collect important data. Database/software system this eliminates redundancy of data entry and saves time. Follow-up delivery mechanisms and documents.
Candidate fact sheet or website link. Various contribution forms. Use email and mail.
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Dialing for Dollars

Tools You ll Need
Insider information unreleased polling information, strategy documents, articles, etc. Finance committee documents lists of donors to call, forms for prospect submission, etc. Prepared call lists.
Name, phone numbers, email, address, notes, previous giving, and any other pertinent information.
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Dialing for Dollars

Your Call Environment
Call Reluctance The feeling of dread that accompanies contemplating making a phone call for the purpose of asking for money. Remove all distractions. Get in a quiet place. Make sure your surrounds are clean and organized. Ask not to be disturbed. Set aside a sacred time for calling donors.
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Dialing for Dollars

The Million Dollar Money Machine Your Car
Your car limits what you can do, but provides an optimum opportunity for making calls. Get a driver if possible. Make sure your cell phone works throughout the district, consider an alternate provider for your driver . Call lists. Follow up documents take care of it on the spot. Thank you notes and correspondence.
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Political Fundraising Events

About 60-70% of Your Money Will Likely Come From Fundraising Events. If the President of the United States has to do them, you do too. Political fundraising events are necessary, and a very profitable use of your time.
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Why Political Fundraising Events Work
Politics is personal. Politics is social. Events are traditional. Events manufacture deadlines and create a sense of urgency. Events target communities of influence. Events are natural and enjoyable.
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General Guidelines Before You Start
Cultivate relationships before you begin the process. Start with your larger ticket events first. Keep logistics simple and expenses low. Only mail to targeted, filtered lists. Realize that you, the campaign staff or candidate, must do the heavy lifting. Make sure you are ready before you begin. Not all fundraisers have to be formal or mailed.
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Step One: Identify a Target Market Associated Documents/Systems: Campaign Database Software, Excel Database for Upload of Potential Donors Timeline: Two to three months out
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Step One: Identify a Target Market
Start where you are strongest.
Close to home. With people you know. Organizations where your influence is strong.
Assemble and import your Excel lists to your campaign fundraising software application. Build your list organically by asking Who do you know who of your likeliest supporters.
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Step Two: Schedule a Meeting or Make Phone Calls to Meet with Leaders or Influencers Associated Documents/Systems: Campaign Database Software, Document #8: Host SignUp Sheet for General Area, Document #9: Candidate Call Sheet Timeline: Two and a half to two months out
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Call Sheet Example: www.MyCampaignTreasurer.com
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Step Two: Schedule a Meeting or Make Phone Calls to Meet with Leaders or Influencers
Make calls and informal visits to warm people up to the idea of serving on a host committee. Schedule informal group meetings. Ask them to help set the ticket price and to commit to raising a certain amount of money. Capture your largest donors on the host committee and don t leave money on the table.
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Step 3: Find a Location, Set a Date, and Consider Guests of Honor Associated Documents: Campaign Calendar Timeline: Four to six weeks out
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Step 3: Find a Location, Set a Date, and Consider Guests of Honor
Make sure you have secured enough hosts to appear legitimate this will change with the area and group you focus upon. Tally your hard (money from host committee members) and soft commitments (amounts host committee members will raise).
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Select a Location and Time.
Homes work best well known, large enough. Tuesday and Thursday nights are prime, but not required. Lunches and breakfasts can work well. Keep it to about 1.5 hours, longer is not better. Keep the costs low and set expectations with the event hosts, and don t let them rule your calendar. Fill the room overcrowded beats empty.
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Guest of Honor
Someone who is above in stature in government, reputation, fame, a specific industry, etc. They can help you get press, encourage attendance, and add a special something to an event. They likely cannot raise you one dime directly. Seek them out early.
Fundraising trumps politicking, coordinate your schedule accordingly.

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Step 4: Building a Host Committee Associated Documents: Target Data Base, Candidate Call Sheets, Document #10: ThreeTiered Event Fact Sheet with Guest of Honor, Document #11: Host Recruitment Sheet for Three-Tiered Event, Document #12: Event Tracking Sheet Timeline: Four to six weeks out
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Document #10: Three-Tiered Event Fact Sheet with Guest of Honor
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Document #11: Host Recruitment Sheet for Three-Tiered Event
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Document #12: Event Tracking Sheet
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Step 4: Building a Host Committee
Why building your host committee is so important
Let s run through some scenarios
As you gather hosts, have them fill out the right documents and enter them into your event tracking sheet. Help them recruit hosts by sending a paired down version of your target for the event in Excel. Have the candidate call folks that have been warmed up, and check the historic giving of all individuals to make sure no one has slipped through the cracks Call, call, and call again one call won t get it.
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Step 5: Develop and Mail Your Invitation Associated Documents: Target Database, Document #4: A2 Pledge Reply Card, Document #13: 7 x 10 Fold Over Three-Tier Print Invite, Document #14: Patron and Host Packet Letter on Recruitment, and Outer, Inner, and Large Carrier Envelopes Timeline: Three to four weeks out
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Step 5: Develop and Mail Your Invitation
Your mailing date is an event in itself and creates a sense of urgency for host committee members and the campaign. Have three people double check the invitation. Add people to the very last moment. Insert your reply device and envelope. Print more invitations than you plan to hand out or send out as you add last-minute invitees. Add invitees to the database as you go along. Double check all merge files before you hit print.
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Step 5: Develop and Mail Your Invitation
Mail a packet of unaddressed invitations to the host committee members along with an encouraging letter. Use real stamps when possible vs. metered mail and make sure the postage is accurate. Schedule a stuffing party with food and lots of appreciation for their efforts. Do not let unappreciative staff near your volunteers. Note returns and try to correct contact information. Prepare your email invitations and web postings for your campaign site and social media sites.
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Step 6: Build Attendance Associated Documents: Target Database, Event Tracking Sheet, Candidate Call Sheets, Online and E-mail Invitations Timeline: Three weeks through day of event
Let the invitations get to the recipients. Pick out the best invitees for candidate calls and/or host committee members. Send another email reminder 2 days prior to the event. Follow up on host committee attendance and progress this can be the staff or the candidate. At a minimum have the staff or volunteers call all invitees once with a general invitation message.
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Step 7: Day Before the Event Planning Associated Documents: Document #15: Name Tag Example, Document #16: Event Timeline, Document #12: Event Tracking Sheet
Compose an event timeline for the candidate, staff members, and event hosts email and bring the paper to the event. Check in on the event hosts for logistics making sure you have adequate room to work the door.
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Step 8: Day of Event Associated Documents: Document #12: Event Tracking Sheet, Document #15: Name Tag Example Preparations at Campaign HQ and The Event
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Step 8: Day of Event
Update and double check accuracy of your event tracking sheet. Alphabetize, merge, and print your name tags. Foil star hosts and guests of honor, black dot attendees who haven t paid. Did you mail in your check or give it to a host? The candidate doesn t wear a nametag, but the spouse of the candidate does. Let non-pays walk by, but send a pledge card for payment.
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Step 8: Day of Event Put together an event box containing: your agenda, nametags, a few blank copies of invitations so the candidate can review the names, extra pins, contribution cards, paper clips, a large envelope for collecting contributions, permanent markers for handwriting nametags, foil stars, scissors, clear plastic tape, a legal pad, and perhaps your tables and tablecloths if none are provided. Also pack campaign paraphernalia such as bumper stickers, banners, lapel pins, and yard signs.
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Step 9: Repeat the process for the next event. Multiple Event Management
Every campaign will have multiple events: 2 to 3, 6 to 12, 24-48, ??? The larger the campaign, the more events you ll have to manage. Some will be formal, and others informal. Organize your events with a color-coded whiteboard or software program. Code your campaign events by financial, political, candidate personal, legal deadlines, etc.
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Multiple Event Management
Start from election day and work backward. Plot milestones, invitation mail dates, and other deadlines on the calendar. Make a separate paper and electronic file for each event and categorize them by county, area, or however else works for your campaign. Keep event files in front of you while they are in progress, and organize them by date or importance. Develop a finance budget.
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Multiple Event Management
Put a checklist in each campaign fundraising event folder, or create a way to check the steps off in a software program. Subjugate low-earning potential events to highearning potential events when expending the candidate and campaign s time and resources.
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Trail Money
As you travel throughout the district, you will receive random contributions not assigned to any particular income source code, and meet many people along your way. Collect business cards and contact info like mad, and create a operational procedure for entering in all that data. Carry contribution cards with you, so you have a way to answer What can we do to help? This will not be a large portion of your revenue by any means, but some elections are won by very narrow margins.
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Direct Mail
There are countless books devoted to direct mail, so we ll only be hitting the high points. Larger campaigns will mail more often and have a higher response rate among tier five and tier six donors. Direct mail is rarely a game changer Don t reinvent the wheel.
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Direct Mail
Steal from the best by doing the following:
Take $100 dollars and donate $20 each to:
Your local U.S. Congressman or Senator. Your national political party. Your governor. The President of the United States. Your state political party. Maybe even through in a few extra bucks and give to the dark side.
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Direct Mail
Note how the incoming solicitations are written. Observe spacing, choice of words, punctuation, underlining, italics, bold print. Listen for common themes, direct package schemes, and teasers. Use their consultants for your race.
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Direct Mail
Tracking Performance
Print source codes on your reply device that segment lists so you can tell the good performers from the bad. Remove low-performing lists from your database. If you purchase a mailing list, consider sampling it first for performance. Mail serves the additional purpose of getting votes and priming some donors for direct asks. If they are breaking even, and not taking up too much of the campaign s time, I d keep mailing.
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Direct Mail
Sequencing Your Letters
Do not send out any letters until after you have picked your low-hanging, tier-one and tier-two fruit with phone calls and events. Start with a long, introductory letter to begin that fully tells your personal narrative. Move on to topical letters on the three-five elements of your platform that coincide with donor interests. Keep contrast pieces truthful and focused on issues; be aware of the consequences. Document your sources and look for third party sources of information in your letters.
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Direct Mail
Events That Prompt Writing a Letter
Your initial campaign announcement Naming a campaign chairman or finance chairman. Endorsements from key individuals or organizations. Polling numbers. Opponent s quotes, votes, or actions. Positive articles from respected media outlets. Winning the primary
You ll have three distinct audiences.
Making it to a run-off.
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Direct Mail
General Comments on Direct Mail Interaction
Your mail has a lot of competition. People sort through, categorize, and then process their mail. Your outer envelope can make or break your solicitation teasers and presentation count. They may read it right away, or incubate it. If they open it, here s what happens next
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Direct Mail
General Comments on Direct Mail Interaction
They look at who it s addressed to and perhaps the letterhead logo. Read the first sentence, scan the page noting bold, underlined, or highlighted items. They flip it over, look at the signature block, and maybe read the post-script. The aforementioned happens in about 4-10 seconds. You need lots of white space, plain, emotional language, and short, easy-to-read paragraphs. Mail is expensive; don t send a poorly-conceived, sloppily written letter.
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Direct Mail
An Example Letter to Talk and Walk Through.
You are writing for results, not a Pulitzer. Grammar is important but not tantamount. Letters must evoke an emotional response. This example package is pretty plain vanilla. We ll get the basics right first.
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Direct Mail
Other Items That Can Spice Up Your Direct Mail Package
Secondary endorsement letters. Bumper stickers. Buckslips. Surveys. Event tickets. Commemorative and useful items. Ask yourself, will this improve the redemption rate of my mailing, or accomplish another goal efficiently.
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Using Technology to Raise Money

We ve all heard about Ron Paul, Barack Obama, John McCain, and the Red Cross.
The larger your campaign, the more efficient and effective your use of technology for solicitation can be. Learn from the best.
Send $20 to 5 political organizations or candidates who do online solicitation right. Copy their approach where appropriate or affordable.
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Website
Highlight a Contribute Now, Donate Now, or other button or prompt on every page of the website. Make sure you have a credit card processor that is appropriate for your campaign. Your website must be dynamic, constantly changing, and engaging to really work for fundraising. Create pages for event reservations. Ask for people to sign up for a newsletter so you can capture emails.
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Email
Email has largely been the source of the money bomb. An email is just a shortened version of a letter revised to work better on your computer. It uses graphics, links, pictures, video, and other interactive elements. It offers the additional functionality of being able to be forwarded, shared, and produce other interactions. It is much less expensive than direct mail, and you can respond quicker to changes in the environment.
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Email
Professional vs. personal. Relevance and timing Send content that donors/voters want to hear about 66-75% of the time, and fundraising correspondence the remainder to build a relationship and increase open rates. Topics should be timely and interesting. Content Mix up the information and messages. Frequency Set up a time table and stick to it to prevent becoming spam mish. Build your email list constantly at every opportunity and remove those who do not wish to receive correspondence.
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Fundraising with Social Media

Because the landscape is constantly changing, we re going to focus on fundamental principles. Step One Choose the Networks to Engage
It is better to be in a few networks and have a strong presence, than to be in many networks and have a weak presence or participation. Keep the content appropriate and above board. Social mediums can be used for good and for ill. People have shallow beliefs and gotcha quotes rule the day.
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Step Two Identify Your Target Market
Who, exactly, are you trying to reach?
Clue it s not every potential voter.
The campaign that tries to be everything to everyone will be nothing to nobody. What online person are you trying to create?
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Step Three Attracting Your Target Market
Build dynamic, content rich, engaging content and ask for participation. Ask all of your friends, family, associates, and acquaintances to join, like, or follow your efforts. Include your social medium contact information where appropriate in print, radio, TV, and website. Advertise within the social network.
Pay per impression like billboards with a message. Pay per click like radio with a call to action.
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Step Four Choosing a Software Application to Receive Donations
You can simply direct people to your website. A better option is to select a software application that s imbedded in the social medium and keep your followers or friends in a familiar environment. Many applications let your followers solicit their friends on your behalf within that medium. Weigh the cost in time/money/resources vs. the return from the options you choose.
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Fundraising with Text Messages

Tales of Success: American Red Cross and Barack Obama Larger, more publicized campaigns fair better. Texting Donations
$25 maximum, and they are processed for you.
Texting Pledges
Unlimited amount, you must have the infrastructure in place to process the pledges.
Start up fees are in the hundreds with ongoing support fees, and per transaction costs.
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Part IV
Your Fundraising Finale
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Sticking to the Basics

There are two things that help a person lose weight: Diet and Exercise. You may diet and exercise in many ways. Diet: High Protein, Calorie Counting, High Fiber, Low Fat, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. Exercise: Yoga, Pilates, Running, Weightlifting, jogging, walking, cross-training, cycling, etc. There is an entire industry built in the United States that essentially sells the notion that you can be in great physical shape while ignoring (discipline) diet and (effort) exercise. And while people may be excited to skip out on the discipline and the effort, what they are hoping what they ve purchased is the result weight loss. I m afraid that there are a lot of disappointed Americans.
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Sticking to the Basics

To raise a substantial amount of money for your campaign, you must obey these three tenants: 1. Devote the majority of the candidate and finance committee s time spent on campaign activities to cultivating and/or soliciting donors. 2. Create measurable daily, weekly, and monthly goals for calls, visits, and events for the candidate that correspond with the campaign s fundraising goals. 3. Place events, mailings, e-mails, call days, and visit days on the calendar representing a certain amount of the revenue needed in order to create artificial deadlines to ensure success.
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Sticking to the Basics: Tenant 1

1. Devote the majority of the candidate and finance committee s time spent on campaign activities to cultivating and/or soliciting donors. Let s consider an 18th century military analogy where you re battling your enemy for four days (4 quarters).
Candidate: 32 pounder, commanding view, easily maneuvered, and continually able to fire. Finance Chairman: 12 pounder, commanding view, decently maneuverable, fires 1/3 to as much as the candidate. Finance Committee Members: 3 pounders, limited line of sight, often hard to maneuver, fire infrequently. Donors: Riflemen, some fire often, some fire and retreat, they are sporadic at best.
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So, given what we ve discussed about capacity and firepower, your job should be to set your campaign operations up in such a way that your artillery are never hindered from firing a shot. Keep the ammunition flowing and focus on the pieces that can do the most damage. Fundraising events = major actions; candidate calls = significant actions; letters, emails, and other activities would be skirmishes (but they can add up over time). Winner takes all in this analogy. Do not be timid.
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2. Create measurable daily, weekly, and monthly goals for calls, visits, and events for the candidate that correspond with the campaign s fundraising goals. You can t set goals like $2000/day or $5000 per week. You can only control the campaign s discrete actions, not the outcomes. If you put in the activity, the outcomes will follow.
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In the month of May, your campaign hopes to raise $25,000 as one month in the quarterly budget.
Major Fundraiser: $12,000 Lesser Fundraiser: $7,500 Candidate Visits: $2,500 Direct Mail: $2,000 Email: $1,000 Total: $25,000
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Major Fundraiser: $12,000
75% of funds to be pledged by host committee before the first invitation is mailed. Hosts are $1,000 per couple and guests $250 We get our lists together with Tier One donors being the first focus, we know that there are three couples who ll host the bat for $3,000. The remainder we will have to call off of a list we ve compiled based on historical giving.
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Major Fundraiser: $12,000
There are 40 people on the list. We make 40 calls, get 12 people live (30%), and leave 28 messages. Of the 12 we speak with, about 30% will agree to hosting, so we ve raised another $3,600. Of the 28 messages we ve left, about 20% return our call, and 30% agree to host, equaling $1,680. In a day or so, we ll call the people who haven t returned our call, get about 5 on the line, and 30% will commit, netting another $1,650. Now we re sitting on $9,930 in pledges, exceeding our 75% goal of host committee commitments. At this point, we ve made 82 phone calls, will make up the difference with ticket sales.
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Lesser Fundraiser: $7,500
This could be an intimate dinner of three couples at the Finance Chairman s home for $2,500 per couple. This could be a $500 per couple host committee event and a $100 per person ticket price. You may have to make as few as 6 calls in the first example or over 100 in the second. Choose your approach wisely.
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Candidate Visits: $2,500
Identify 10-12 potential donors, maybe they re outside of the area of your major fundraiser. Call to seek their counsel. About 60% will likely see you. Let s say 50% of them agree to give an average of $1,000. You ve raised $3,300.
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Mail Piece: $2,500
Let s say you mail 1,500 contacts. Your list is compiled of many personal contacts and your closest associates. We ll assume a 10% redemption rate because of the makeup. Average contribution amount is $35.00 You ve raised $5,250 in receipts, but the mailing cost 1.25 per piece. Your net gain is $3,375.
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Email Campaign: $1,000
Let s say you email 2,500 people you ve compiled organically and through personal contacts. Another 1000 are given to you from another campaign. 2% respond and the average gift is $25. You ve raised $1,750.
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Month of May Total, Assuming Events Come in Right on Budget:
Major Fundraiser: $12,000 Lesser Fundraiser: $7,500 Candidate Visits: $3,300 Direct Mail: $3,375 Email: $1,750 Total: $27,925
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3. Place events, mailings, e-mails, call days, and visit days on the calendar representing a certain amount of the revenue needed in order to create artificial deadlines to ensure success. Doing this tricks you into being proactive, and avoiding procrastination. Post these in your campaign office to generate accountability. Once you ve declared your objectives and set the calendar, you ll either create a consistent flow of revenue or a consistent flow of guilt.
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Keeping it Legal
Make sure you know the laws that affect your election from the nation, state, and locality.
Amount of Giving How much is too much? Types of Gifts Cash, in kind, services? Disclosure What must be known and to whom? Expenditures You can t spend it on just anything, so keep all expenditures above reproach. Hard Deadlines You must report on time. Contributions from the Candidate
Self-funding looks weak initially, but can help at the end. Max out to your own campaign at the very outset.
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Keeping it Legal
It s All Public Knowledge
Be careful what you spend, and who you accept contributions from. You must report it if it hits your bank account.
Use a software program like www.MyCampaignTreasurer.com to keep things simple and organized for you.
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What if You Win?

Visualizing Your Success is Important. If it s a primary or you go into a run off, you have three letters and pitches to make to your donor universe. 1) Your donors 2) Non donors 3) Opponent s donors. The fundraising gets easier, but it still ain t easy. PAC s, political parties, and fence sitters are all ready to contribute. Dance with the ones that brought you, and institute a donor stewardship program that starts immediately and focuses attention on donors in a way that corresponds with giving. If you do this, you ll have a well oiled machine instead of a tired jalopy for your next campaign. Start building relationships for your next campaign shortly after you win, but wait a while to pour it on heavy.
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Call to Action
1. Sign up for your free trail at www.MyCampaignTreasurer.com
A carpenter without a hammer, isn t a carpenter.
2. This presentation will likely make little sense out of context in 3 weeks or 3 months.
Buy How to Raise Money for Political Office on your way out the door.
3. If you need initial consulting help, please contact us and we ll help you. 4. If you know of someone running for office who could benefit from our products or services, please refer us to them.
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Conclusion
There are very few secrets to fundraising success. Work hard, organize, be aggressive. Sweat the details and leave nothing to chance. If you put the work in, the profits will come out on the other side. Good luck, and good campaigning!
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Question & Answers
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THANK YOU!
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Fundraising For Your Political Campaign

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Fundraising For Your Political Campaign

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How to Raise Money for Political Office

The Original Guide to Winning Elections Through Aggressive, Organized Fundraising

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Why I m Passionate About Political Fundraising

A Note About This Presentation

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Why is Fundraising Important?

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Why is Fundraising Important?

Why is Fundraising Important?

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Why is Fundraising Important?

Candidate A: 2 to 1 Finance Advantage Candidate B: 50% More Effective, All Positive

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

How Much is Enough?

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

How Much is Enough?

TV, Radio, Outdoor, Internet

Consistent/Reliable Voting Universe for Your Candidacy

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

How Much is Enough?

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

$10,200 $8,435 $9,812 $2,500 $500 $0

$19,876 $12,398 $19,624 $4,500 $500 $0

$39,662 $27,375 $39,248 $9,500 $3,500 $8,000

$125 $1,000 $1,200 $130 $300

$125 $1,000 $1,200 $130 $300

$375 $3,000 $3,600 $390 $900

$3,500 $4,500 $2,500 $2,500

$3,500 $4,500 $2,500 $2,500

$10,500 $13,500 $7,500 $7,500

$625 $148 $78

$625 $148 $78

$1,875 $444 $234

$250 $0 $250 $150

$250 $0 $250 $150

$2,000 $1,500 $750 $450

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Developing Your Personal Narrative

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Developing Your Personal Narrative

Developing Your Personal Narrative

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Developing Your Personal Narrative

Do your values/issues/platform items intersect with mine?

Do your beliefs forward my personal agenda?

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Developing Your Personal Narrative

Where is he or she worse?

Developing Your Personal Narrative

How can you strategically win?

Developing Your Personal Narrative

Use a system to capture their information and follow up on their enthusiasm.

Four Basic Fundraising Toolkit: People

Full-Time Political Fundraising Consultant

Four Basic Fundraising Toolkit: People

Four Basic Fundraising Toolkit: People

Four Basic Fundraising Toolkit: People

What a Finance Committee is Not

Copyright Marlborough House Publishing 2012

Four Basic Fundraising Toolkit: Tangibles

Four Basic Fundraising Toolkit: Tangibles