Campaign Fundraising 06 - Wealthy, Business, & Political Donors
Reaching out to larger donors and organizations for support is different than reaching out to personal friends or supporters online. Larger donors, who are accustomed to giving, want to see a strategic plan, talk with you, and know that you can win.
Wealthy individuals, who give in political elections, don’t just want to see where you stand on the issues, but they want to see that you know what it takes to win your election and that you will stand for their interests.
Introduction
Before you can introduce yourself and the campaign, you will need a list of individuals, businesses, and political organizations who could give their support to your campaign. Find people, (referrals are great), who have a history of giving to similarly aligned candidates. Starting out, show up and make an initial connection. In time, make the ask, and have answers prepared to common questions they might ask.
Questions include:
- How are you going to win?
- Do you have a campaign plan?
- How much money have you raised?
- Why are you running?
Winning Support
Support doesn’t often come in a moment. The graph below displays the people who are most likely and least likely to give. Starting with personal connections, it becomes increasingly difficult to win support as you move to ideological people, people upset at the political status quo, and finally, wealthy people looking to expand their interests.
With more time and proving your viability as a candidate, the likelihood to win support from each of these groups expands.
The Approach
When you approach potential donors, prioritize listening rather than speaking. Your campaign is here to serve the people rather than to be served.
Have a short presentation, handout, or flyer that you can show the donor to highlight how the money will be used. It also helps to specifically show where it will be spent. In all of this, maintain professionalism in your website, the logo, the policy ideas, campaign strategies, and more. Keep it personal, tell your story, and build a relationship.
Although a phone call is great, in-person visits and personal texts also go a long way. Don’t expect an immediate response from potential donors, but be prepared to approach each person several times for a donation.
In summary, make a list of potential donors, reach out via phone, in-person, and text, and be patient and persistent as you share your plan for the district.
If you have any questions on setting up your political campaign, please let us know. To learn more and get involved by running for office, contact us at:roosevelt.tech
Aprl 29, 2024
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