Let's get this guy elected.
September 8, 2013 10:00 AM Subscribe
I'm coordinating fundraising house parties for one of my friends, who is running for state representative in our district. We are up against a machine candidate who is prepared to outspend us by a considerable margin, so these parties are crucial for the campaign. Our per-party goal is $300, but of course I am hoping they will be able to do much better than that. How do I help our gracious hosts throw a terrific event and raise maximum donations at these parties?
I've never coordinated these before and have only hosted one myself, so I don't have a lot of experience in this. My goal is to support the party hosts as strongly as possible ahead of their events so they do as well as possible. I'm doing this on a volunteer basis and have about 5-7 hours a week to give to it - campaign staff will be attending each event to keep things moving on site, my role is really more helping our hosts get ready for these events ahead of time.
Some questions I'd love feedback on:
I've already prepared a general how-to doc that is shared with all the hosts, that outlines how the party works, what the expectations are of them as hosts, etc. Any specific ideas you could suggest to include in this?
I've also created a sample email invite that helps the hosts articulate a warm invitation to party guests as well as serving as a vehicle for them to begin talking about why they are supporting our candidate. Do you have any great examples of a invite like this that I could look at to improve the one I wrote?
Have you been to any especially fabulous house party fundraisers for a political candidate? What made them so special? Did they encourage you to write a check in support of the candidate? If you were inspired to write a larger check than you had anticipated, was there something in particular that did that?
Anything else I should be considering?
I've never coordinated these before and have only hosted one myself, so I don't have a lot of experience in this. My goal is to support the party hosts as strongly as possible ahead of their events so they do as well as possible. I'm doing this on a volunteer basis and have about 5-7 hours a week to give to it - campaign staff will be attending each event to keep things moving on site, my role is really more helping our hosts get ready for these events ahead of time.
Some questions I'd love feedback on:
I've already prepared a general how-to doc that is shared with all the hosts, that outlines how the party works, what the expectations are of them as hosts, etc. Any specific ideas you could suggest to include in this?
I've also created a sample email invite that helps the hosts articulate a warm invitation to party guests as well as serving as a vehicle for them to begin talking about why they are supporting our candidate. Do you have any great examples of a invite like this that I could look at to improve the one I wrote?
Have you been to any especially fabulous house party fundraisers for a political candidate? What made them so special? Did they encourage you to write a check in support of the candidate? If you were inspired to write a larger check than you had anticipated, was there something in particular that did that?
Anything else I should be considering?
After you tell people where their money is going, you ask for a specific amount. "We're hoping that you each are willing to donate $100 towards [INSERT NAME HERE]'s campaign. How much can I put you down for?"
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:22 AM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:22 AM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Will the candidate be attending these parties? S/he is really the "closer," so you all will want to work with him/her to make sure s/he's an effective fundraiser.
For your part, make sure that you're personally calling all hosts when they sign up to talk them through it, answer any questions they have, etc. I have worked on many campaigns, and you'd be surprised at how few people will actually read the materials you painstakingly put together! Also, a personal call is great because it makes the host more likely to actually do the event - once they know it's important enough to the campaign to warrant attention, and once they know they have some support.
Also, you'll get more mileage from focusing on attendance than hoping for a few big donations, because you're more likely to get 4 $50 donations than one $200 donation to an unknown candidate. So one good idea is to work with hosts to come up with a list of people to call to invite, and periodically check in with them about how the invites are going. Email invites are good, but you'll get most solid RSVPs through calls.
posted by lunasol at 10:34 AM on September 8, 2013
For your part, make sure that you're personally calling all hosts when they sign up to talk them through it, answer any questions they have, etc. I have worked on many campaigns, and you'd be surprised at how few people will actually read the materials you painstakingly put together! Also, a personal call is great because it makes the host more likely to actually do the event - once they know it's important enough to the campaign to warrant attention, and once they know they have some support.
Also, you'll get more mileage from focusing on attendance than hoping for a few big donations, because you're more likely to get 4 $50 donations than one $200 donation to an unknown candidate. So one good idea is to work with hosts to come up with a list of people to call to invite, and periodically check in with them about how the invites are going. Email invites are good, but you'll get most solid RSVPs through calls.
posted by lunasol at 10:34 AM on September 8, 2013
How do I help our gracious hosts throw a terrific event and raise maximum donations at these parties?
Treat these two as separate, linked, and equally important goals. Other folks have given some good suggestions for the second part. For the first, isolate the people willing to support your cause/candidate who can't afford to give money, and find out what they can contribute. Food, music, door prizes, a show? Yes, be prepared to tell donors how their money will be spent, but also make them feel like they got something for their money that very night.
Of course, make sure you comply with your local election laws. This isn't legal advice, jut a suggested direction for brainstorming.
posted by cribcage at 10:43 AM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Treat these two as separate, linked, and equally important goals. Other folks have given some good suggestions for the second part. For the first, isolate the people willing to support your cause/candidate who can't afford to give money, and find out what they can contribute. Food, music, door prizes, a show? Yes, be prepared to tell donors how their money will be spent, but also make them feel like they got something for their money that very night.
Of course, make sure you comply with your local election laws. This isn't legal advice, jut a suggested direction for brainstorming.
posted by cribcage at 10:43 AM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's like any sales pitch. You bring the candidate in to CLOSE. The candidate isn't doing the warm up. Campaign staffers, the hosts and the candidates spouse are doing the presell.
Have the hosts prep some info on each attendee: key issues, party, family stuff that might be relevant. Prep the candidate on attendees and have someone assigned to remind the candidate of key things during the party. At a small event, he can tailor topics to the individual.
Get info into people's hands before the event. People don't usually contribute on first contact. Get potential donors a candidate bio and issues sheet before the event. Get everyone a donation card before the event and remind people to bring their checkbooks. You want to close the donation at the party, not send them home to donate on the website. If you need to spend an hour post-party following up with each potential donor, then that's a huge time suck.
Is this a November 2013 election? If so, you're building your war chest late. Communicate that message carefully. People don't like to toss money into a candidate with no chance.
posted by 26.2 at 11:41 AM on September 8, 2013
Have the hosts prep some info on each attendee: key issues, party, family stuff that might be relevant. Prep the candidate on attendees and have someone assigned to remind the candidate of key things during the party. At a small event, he can tailor topics to the individual.
Get info into people's hands before the event. People don't usually contribute on first contact. Get potential donors a candidate bio and issues sheet before the event. Get everyone a donation card before the event and remind people to bring their checkbooks. You want to close the donation at the party, not send them home to donate on the website. If you need to spend an hour post-party following up with each potential donor, then that's a huge time suck.
Is this a November 2013 election? If so, you're building your war chest late. Communicate that message carefully. People don't like to toss money into a candidate with no chance.
posted by 26.2 at 11:41 AM on September 8, 2013
Response by poster: Yes, the candidate is attending every event. He ran in this race against this same opponent last time, and I hosted a party for him then so I can say that his presentation is very good. He already has some name recognition from the last campaign in 2012 & the community work he's been doing in our district since then.
The election isn't until March 2014 so we do still have time to pull this together. The announcement was a week ago and the public kick off event is this Thursday, so I am preparing a palm card about house parties to distribute at that event, and plan to spend all my time there networking and finding other folks to host parties for us.
Appreciate all your excellent suggestions on everything else. I have spent my morning calling all the hosts, followed up with an email that reiterates everything we just talked about, and they are responding really well to the conversations. I want to get them jazzed and excited about their events so they communicate their enthusiasm to their guests - hopefully, it's working.
posted by deliciae at 11:52 AM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
The election isn't until March 2014 so we do still have time to pull this together. The announcement was a week ago and the public kick off event is this Thursday, so I am preparing a palm card about house parties to distribute at that event, and plan to spend all my time there networking and finding other folks to host parties for us.
Appreciate all your excellent suggestions on everything else. I have spent my morning calling all the hosts, followed up with an email that reiterates everything we just talked about, and they are responding really well to the conversations. I want to get them jazzed and excited about their events so they communicate their enthusiasm to their guests - hopefully, it's working.
posted by deliciae at 11:52 AM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
The biggest failing in fundraising is not asking for serious contributions. A house party that raises $300 is simply not worth doing -- the candidate would be better off spending that time going door to door and talking to senior citizens.
The overwhelming majority of funds that a well-funded campaign raises in traditional fundraising come in donations of over $100 each. (If the campaign is high-profile enough to have a significant non-traditional base of online, low-touch contributors, the average will be lower -- but it's a very rare legislative campaign that anyone will care enough about to log on and PayPal $20.)
A middle class person who meets a state legislative candidate in person in a fairly intimate setting should be asked for $250, and you should expect to average at least $100 per person. Well-off people should be asked for $500 each. A house party with 15 people should have a quota of at least $1000, and the host should be fully signed on to achieving it.
posted by MattD at 12:05 PM on September 8, 2013 [6 favorites]
The overwhelming majority of funds that a well-funded campaign raises in traditional fundraising come in donations of over $100 each. (If the campaign is high-profile enough to have a significant non-traditional base of online, low-touch contributors, the average will be lower -- but it's a very rare legislative campaign that anyone will care enough about to log on and PayPal $20.)
A middle class person who meets a state legislative candidate in person in a fairly intimate setting should be asked for $250, and you should expect to average at least $100 per person. Well-off people should be asked for $500 each. A house party with 15 people should have a quota of at least $1000, and the host should be fully signed on to achieving it.
posted by MattD at 12:05 PM on September 8, 2013 [6 favorites]
Your candidate should not waste their time on a $300 house party. That is time they could be spending working the phones fundraising. You need to make the ask amount specific to the host. A blue collar, non-union house party raises a different amount than the teacher house party, and different from the rich magnate house party. You formulate an ask and you make the host responsible for it.
I would have an initial meeting with them where they have to bring a list of invitees with their contact info. The host will make the calls and send the emails, not you. Why? Because you do not at all want the appeal based on how good your candidate is. No one cares. The appeal is based on the personal relationship between the host and the invitee. It is their friends, family and neighbors, after all, that are attending and writing the checks. Make it clear to the host that raising this money is their responsibility and they have to do it with this list. If they wont raise money but are willing to just play host, they need to find a cosponsor who is willing to do the heavy lifting.
Check in with the host a few times a week seeing where they are in reaching this goal. If you don't hound them they will put it off and your event will fall short.
The candidate wont be at the house party. They will be rushed in in the last 60-90 minutes to make a speech about why they are running and why they should give. They thank everyone, the host takes them around and then rushed out. House parties just do not have the same dollar per hour yield phone calls have.
I have done a hundred of these things and am happy to help if you want to memail me.
posted by munchingzombie at 1:11 PM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would have an initial meeting with them where they have to bring a list of invitees with their contact info. The host will make the calls and send the emails, not you. Why? Because you do not at all want the appeal based on how good your candidate is. No one cares. The appeal is based on the personal relationship between the host and the invitee. It is their friends, family and neighbors, after all, that are attending and writing the checks. Make it clear to the host that raising this money is their responsibility and they have to do it with this list. If they wont raise money but are willing to just play host, they need to find a cosponsor who is willing to do the heavy lifting.
Check in with the host a few times a week seeing where they are in reaching this goal. If you don't hound them they will put it off and your event will fall short.
The candidate wont be at the house party. They will be rushed in in the last 60-90 minutes to make a speech about why they are running and why they should give. They thank everyone, the host takes them around and then rushed out. House parties just do not have the same dollar per hour yield phone calls have.
I have done a hundred of these things and am happy to help if you want to memail me.
posted by munchingzombie at 1:11 PM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
I forgot to add, these are great places to recruit people for phone banking, canvassing and other volunteer opportunities. It is also a great place to find hosts for future house parties.
On your sign up sheet get their complete contact info including phone and email as well as putting check boxes for what they would be willing to do. Follow up within a few weeks for anything, even if you have to make up a task you need a volunteer for.
posted by munchingzombie at 2:03 PM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
On your sign up sheet get their complete contact info including phone and email as well as putting check boxes for what they would be willing to do. Follow up within a few weeks for anything, even if you have to make up a task you need a volunteer for.
posted by munchingzombie at 2:03 PM on September 8, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Truly not meaning to threadsit but wanted to share this: Following all your feedback that the minimum was too low, I reached out to campaign staff who told me that there had been a miscommunication - it was not meant to be $300 per party, but $300 in monthly donations per party, and $2000 or so per party. PHEW, and you were all right!
Thanks again for all your great thoughts and ideas - it has all been hugely helpful today, and I'm hoping there will be even more good information for me to use and help get my guy over the finish line this time. He was only 125 votes behind the machine candidate last time, which no one ever thought he would get to, so we're really hopeful he can do it this time.
posted by deliciae at 8:15 PM on September 8, 2013
Thanks again for all your great thoughts and ideas - it has all been hugely helpful today, and I'm hoping there will be even more good information for me to use and help get my guy over the finish line this time. He was only 125 votes behind the machine candidate last time, which no one ever thought he would get to, so we're really hopeful he can do it this time.
posted by deliciae at 8:15 PM on September 8, 2013
Response by poster: Just realized I never came back to update - but in March, he won the primary, and he'll be running unopposed in the general this fall. So - we did it! :) Thanks for all the good ideas.
posted by deliciae at 5:17 PM on July 15, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by deliciae at 5:17 PM on July 15, 2014 [2 favorites]
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posted by Etrigan at 10:04 AM on September 8, 2013 [3 favorites]