How much is enough?
It’s the eternal question in politics. “How much money do I need to raise to run successfully for office?”
Fundraising takes work. It takes preparation. Most importantly, it takes a candidate willing to pick up the phone and make hundreds of calls to ask other people for money. You, the candidate, need to be prepared to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Virtually any experienced fundraiser will only be as effective as the candidate he is working with.
Your role in the fundraising process is crucial. You, the candidate, have to work and work hard to raise that money. You will be an active participant every step of the way. To be successful, you cannot expect that the fundraiser will do all the work for you.
A lot of candidates don’t necessarily enjoy the process, but fundraising is actually a rewarding experience if you consider it from a positive perspective. Fundraising allows you to hone your communication skills. You are running to be an effective public servant, and you have ideas and goals on how to make your city/county/state/congressional district/nation better for all of us. Keep that in mind as you make fundraising calls. You are making your case for why someone should give their hard-earned cash to your campaign.
Also- and this is important - for every contact you make, you are spreading your message. When working with an effective fundraiser, you will be contacting people who are politically aware and involved in the process. Typically, they will know others who may want to support you. You may wind up with several new donors on the basis of one phone call.
Often, candidates think that as soon as they announce, the heavens will part and money will rain from the sky. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way.
You may be saying to yourself: what about Hillary and Obama and Mitt? They’re raising millions, no sweat!
They may make it look easy – but in reality, they have a sophisticated network of fundraisers working overtime. And they, too, are not above having to pick up the phone on a regular basis to ask for donations.
To be truly prepared for the process, you should have a fundraiser who helps you by prepping call lists, taking the time to sit with you and work on your pitch, helping you organize fundraising events and direct-mail pieces, keeping your operation organized, etc. The fundraiser will be your point person and will keep you focused.
Typically, a fundraiser will seek a fee upfront for the initial legwork he or she will be doing on your behalf, followed by a percentage off the top for all fundraising he or she had a hand in.
Your role in the fundraising process is crucial. You, the candidate, have to work and work hard to raise that money. You will be an active participant every step of the way. To be successful, you cannot expect that the fundraiser will do all the work for you.
You have to be wiling to be upfront and unafraid to ask the question: will you donate today to my campaign?
You’ll never know until you ask, and the worst response they can offer is ‘no.’
There are some ways to prepare yourself. Practice by asking your friends, family, business associates, etc. for donations to your campaign. After all, these people know you best, and if they’re not willing to give you the money, why should a total stranger? Your personal rolodex should be used to at least get the ball rolling.
Also be prepared to give your fundraiser a contact list – again, friends, business associates, interested community members, etc. These are the people who will be able and willing to support you throughout the process. Sit down and make out that list – including phone numbers, addresses and e-mails.
Many of you reading this will stop right there and say, well, I can do that. It sounds easy. Who needs a fundraiser? I’ll call a few people I know and all the money I need will be raised.
First of all, you need to make the time. That alone will be a Herculean challenge for any busy candidate.
You also need the resources. Who do you call beyond that personal rolodex? How do you write a fundraising letter? Who do you send it to? How do you plan and execute a successful fundraising event? What is your message?
To circle back to the question I posed at the outset. How much is enough? The short, crass answer: there is no such thing as ‘enough.’ Keep on raising money until you are utterly sick and tired of the process, then pick up the phone to raise some more.
I realize this sounds harsh. I’m using a bit of tough love here. If you are not prepared to ask people for money on an ongoing basis, including people you have never met before and in some cases may never have heard of you, then you’d better be prepared to open your personal checkbook.
Obviously, I offer a broad overview - circumstances vary. However, the universal truth is that running for office and winning takes resources. You need an effective fundraising battle plan, a message that works, and an organization that helps you every step of the way.
And, again: a professional fundraiser will only be as effective as the candidate he is working with.
This article was written by Chris, one of our campaign managers available on an hourly basis. If you are interested in speaking to Chris, please contact us.