Are you considering fundraising initiatives for your political campaign? If yes, you should not do so without proper and thorough planning. Your planning will determine the level of success [or otherwise] you will realize from it. And there is no other way to do this than pondering the do’s and don’ts of political fundraising. This is the direction we shall be toeing in this write-up. You should spare a couple of minutes to read and digest the information shared going forward.
7 Must Do Things When It Comes to Political Fundraising
Be Specific
Your message must be sharp and straight to the point. You should send out what your audience can easily understand and relate with. You may use some stories, but it doesn’t have to be long-winding. Let them know your campaign goals and what your ask is.
It won’t be out of place to clearly state the “funds needed” and the “use of funds.” More importantly, you must provide your donors with a CTA (call-to-action) add-on or message.
Be Value-Centered
It’s hard to see an individual who doesn’t appreciate the value – a convincing one, so to say. And, you, as a political aspirant, must be value-oriented to deliver the goods to the public. Therefore, the value you bring to the table must form an integral part of the message. You can’t afford to leave this out, considering that you are looking to raise funds from people.
Begin From the Known/Close Associates
Your political fundraising campaign should start from a familiar point. You should pitch it to your close associates, family, and friends. This group of people can serve as a good morale booster that sets your campaign on the path to success. You can proceed to involve others after that – or maybe simultaneously. Social media channels, blogs, etc., should serve as valuable tools for communication in this regard.
Have A Fixed Budget
Financial planning must be an essential aspect of your political fundraising campaign. This is why you must have a fixed budget for it. You do not want to end up being wasteful with available resources while trying to raise funds.
You should get to sit with the fundraising team to understand and itemize the needs. This will avail you with the avenue to cut out unnecessary spending. More notably, a fixed budget can help ensure your fundraising drive is cost-effective.
Be Flexible
You have to be flexible about how you do your political fundraising. This flexibility can be incorporated in different ways, and you should not miss out on this. For one, with the diversity of technological tools, it may be disadvantageous to stick to just one type of strategy.
You should evaluate several fundraising tools to determine which is the best for you. You can read reviews about them and be open to new ideas that can boost your chances for success.
Leave Room for Online Donation
Thanks to online possibilities, fundraising has become easier than it used to be. Therefore, you should endeavor to jump on this and have prospective donors make donations through online channels.
The prospect of online donations somewhat creates a win-win situation for both parties. In the first place, willing donors can conveniently send in their contributions – with no hassles. On the other hand, you will be able to access the funds raised promptly.
Follow Up
It would be best if you made it a duty to follow up on your donors. Firstly, thank them for their commitment to your political campaign. You can also engage them through regular social media posts and consider recruiting them as volunteers.
A good follow-up strategy can translate into a massive support network that will propel you to victory. Many politicians have benefited from such a network to a great extent in the past – and you too can.
4 Things to Avoid for Political Fundraising
Avoid Guilt-Tripping Prospective Donors
You must avoid appealing to donors from the point of guilt. While this may work on the psyche of some people, it won’t result in any meaningful outcome as per your fundraising campaign in the long run. Going this route doesn’t only give a negative undertone to your fundraising but also your political movement.
Do Not Leave Out a Call to Action
The absence of a distinct CTA can ultimately defeat the purpose of sending a fundraising campaign message. Without it, potential donors will be clueless about what to do. If you intend to solicit funds, then you should end your message with a CTA in that line. By the way, there are instances where politicians call for volunteers through such statements.
Do Not Underestimate or Ignore Social Media
A lot of activities take place over social media spaces. These channels have become a point of convergence for many persons across different age groups. For this reason, you should never underestimate the power of social media.
Politicians who do not take social media into account do so at their peril and even miss out on a great opportunity. If there’s going to be any politician that doesn’t engage social media audience/users, it shouldn’t be you.
Avoid Being Unrealistic
Another ‘don’t’ of political fundraising campaign you avoid is being unrealistic. This is where you might have to apply the SMART goal model. You should not be unrealistic in your expectations – even as you’re optimistic about your campaign.
Viewing this from another angle, you should not go into your political fundraising campaign without proper planning. A disorganized approach to the campaign will not bring any meaningful outcome. It may even leave you frustrated in the long run.
Conclusion
Two things are apparent from what you have read in this article. The first thing is that adhering to the dos will boost the probability of having a successful political fundraising campaign while the don’ts will mar it. It is, therefore, up to you to steer your campaign on the path to success. The ball is literally in your court.
