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.

Why the Candidate Needs to Make Calls for Money

Dialing for Dollars they call it and that's just what it is. You dial; they give money. That's the idea anyway. Some candidates think their fundraising committee or campaign manager or random volunteers should do it, and for some things, like small donor events, reminders, follow ups and the like, that's just fine.

But if you want to land a big donation from a major donor, you, the candidate, have to pick up the pone and call. The donors expect it. They want to hear your voice on the other end of the line, not an underling's.  They want your ear to bend on the issues they care about before they untie the purse strings.

Sometimes they want to meet in person first, to size you up, to see how committed you are, to get a look at you. If so, make the time for the meeting. This is where those underlings can come in handy. They can arrange the meeting with the donor, once the initial contact has been made. Sometimes a campaign team member will have the connection to the donor and is the perfect person to introduce you. And sometimes you make a cold call and ask for a meeting.

But if you don't make the call, or take the meeting, you won't get the donation. It's as simple of that.

Donors, like voters, need to be courted. Voters get your mail, meet your volunteers at their door, hear your message on the radio or TV. Donors need to connect with you in person. Or in phone.

Make the call.