Fundraising .0001 or Pre-Fundraising Essentials

 Hi there Candidates! Before we get to Fundraising 101, it's handy to have pre-fundraising, what I call Fundraising .0001. Not quite everything you need to know before you start raising money for your campaign. As you've heard me say over and over, as nauseam and etc. YOU MUST BE WILLING TO RAISE MONEY FOR YOUR CAMPAIGN! No matter what size. Even the smallest, even for dogcatcher, if a campaign for Dogcatcher was a thing, which thankfully, it is not. Or you would never feel comfortable letting Rover out of your sight, which by the way you should probably not do anyway. But that's a whole other discussion for a different Blog.

Why must you raise money you ask, when you are running for sewer board in Podunksville, Wyoming (no offense Podunksville  Wyoming, if you exist)? Why? Because even if you have 300 people in your town and you have even one opponent also running for that seat, you need to tell those 300 people why they should vote for you and not for the other guy.

Even if 200 of those people are your best friends and have already promised to vote for you. Again why? Because, those are often the very people who don't even bother to vote.

That's right, why should they vote when they know you are the best, you are their friend, the other guy is a punk and they also know the other 200 people. 

Now for a cautionary tale that actually happened. In a small town fire chief campaign, one candidate was considered a shoe-in, because he was the best qualified, the most experienced, a really nice guy and everyone loved him. He even rescued cats.

So lots of folks didn't vote. They didn't even read their ballot when it came in the mail. They knew their guy would win. Come election day, guess what? He lost, by one vote. HIS OWN VOTE! Even he was so sure he would win, he didn't bother to vote.  

So you need to reach out to every single voter in the case of this small town, or in a larger venue, every single likely voter, to remind them they need to get their butts down to the polling place, or pick up a pen and fill in that circle by their candidates' name, because elections have consequences.

And what's the best way to remind them? Sure phoning them all is great, if they pick up, if they look at their messages, if you have time and enough other volunteers to call them all the night before the election. And again in the morning.

 But you'd be surprised who has to wash their poodle, or watch their kids' bowling championship at that time. Wouldn't it be easier to mail out a little card a week or so before, one that they can hold in their hand, post on their refrigerator, take to the polling place, to remind them to vote, or if they don't know you well, tell them why you are the best for the job?

Also call them and etc. They say to stick in a voter's mind, you need to reach out and touch them at least 7 times. Make one of those mail, something you leave at their front door, as well as social media, phone calls, candidates' events at the local Elks Hall, and  more. Some of this stuff just  costs money.

Get over it, be prepared to ask people for money and you are ready for the next step: Fundraising 101.