Fundraising - Don't be Shy

Feeling a little leery about asking people for money for your campaign? Now is not the time for shyness. Be bold. Channel your inner pushy telemarketer.  Now is the time to pick up the phone and call your friends, family, including old Aunt Minnie from Fresno and put the bite on them.  In a nice way of course.  They are your best bets for early money that will make the campaign grow. They are there for you and they want you to win.  They want to be able to say, "I knew her when..."  It's an opportunity for them and for the campaign coffers.

Got a day job? Great, then you have coworkers, suppliers, vendors, customers. Be professional, but let them know you are running, hand them that all important remit envelope when you sneak in a spiel over lunch or when schmoozing that business deal.

Got friends in Public office? Get their lists. I cannot emphasize this enough, especially if they are endorsing your campaign.  They want you to win. They have raised money in the past for their own campaigns and they can help you now, with a data base of names and contact information, maybe even make an introduction or two to their highest powered donors.  Don't be shy about asking. People who gave before are the most likely to give again.

Attend church or synagogue?  Belong to clubs and organizations?  Have kids in school?  More potential donors. And don't forget the neighbors. Not only good places to display your window signs, but good people to ask for campaigns donations, even small ones. They all add up.

If you've been endorsed by unions or other endorsing entities, ask their leadership for donations personally.  See if they will provide a list of members or send a letter on your behalf.

If letters are sent, do follow up with a personal phone call, especially for higher donors.  Volunteers can help with smaller donors.

But follow up is key. And as the candidate, you are in the best position. To make the "pitch."  Remember, it's not yourself you are selling, it's all the good you will do in office that will benefit the community and the donor, even indirectly, that motivates the giver.

Now here's a delicious Money Pie to get your campaign fundraising juices flowing.

When the Candidate asks

If you are running for election, you are the best person to ask people for money for your campaign. In fact, people expect it. They want to hear from you directly, at least at first. Someone else can do follow up and close the deal, if you'd laid a firm foundation. But you will be amazed at the difference an "ask" from the candidate can make to the bottom line.

Just the other day I got a personal call from our insurance Commissioner, Dave Jones, asking if I'd sponsor an even he was having for his re-election campaign. I am a seasoned campaigner and immune to being barraged by candidates and their surrogates. But this time, because he is someone I admire, and because he asked personally, I said "yes," sent him a check, and then never went to the event.

If one of his staff or a volunteer had called, I'd probably have said no, I can't afford it, I have too many other causes to support. It is just harder to say no to the candidate. And guess what, it's flattering too, to know they care enough to make a personal call, and know something about the person they are calling.Try it; you'll like it!