Fundraising ABC's Or The Right Ingredients to Start Your Campaign

Fundraising Recipe for All: Part 1

The Mise en Place

 If you've made a recipe, you know there's a formula. So much of this, a cup of that, a pinch of the other. Stir, bake, voila, it's a cake! 

So it goes with campaigning. Ingredients are Fundraising, Messaging, Website, Walkpieces, walkers, phoners, signs, mail, mail and more mail.

Also, for a fancier cake, to please refined palates, TV, polling, research, and of course more money.

There is no such thing as too much money in most campaign, like there is in most recipes. However, there is such a thing as too little. Plan now, get all your ingredients in place - a budget is crucial - and start raising the dough.

You campaign cake doesn't have to be the richest, sweetest, fluffiest, most decorated confection. But it does have to have many of the common ingredients mentioned above, and money, like flour, is the one you start with. And you don't want to run out of. You can substitute honey for sugar, leave out the eggs, forget about yeast. But you need something to create a batter. In campaigning money is that something.

Why Bake a Sweeter Cake?

Why, you might ask, if I have social media, free, volunteers galore, free, emails, very free, house parties (should be free) and forums.

You need voters, masses of voters. And unfortunately, most voters who actually go out and vote, aren't going to be at forums or house parties, won't read your facebook page or emails. They've got a glut of them.

You need mail, good looking eye-candy mail. Well produced and mailed from the post office which is where most of all this money goes. 

You need to pay someone to create the mail and the signs, a professional with the right skills. And you may need to pay one or two other people to help you strategize, keep track of events and questionnaires coming in and important dates for fundraising and other campaign essentials.

You need money even if your campaign is small, downticket and mostly volunteer driven. So stop complaining and start asking.

Example of Yeasty Bread and of Bread Fallen Flat

We just saw this play out in a race most people aren't even aware of and can't vote in, but which affects them nonetheless: The race for delegates to the Democratic National Committee (Yes, the Reps have one too, but just to be clear, we are talking to and about Democrats, maybe greens and independents, Reps, you may leave now, you have plenty of outlets. Progressives only please). This group meets frequently, has huge influence over the policies of the Party and if we control the legislature, and better yet, have a President, the policies of the country. They also have a great deal to do with who runs for Senate and House, who gets the money. It's all about the moola, see?

We just had that election in California. We saw a lot of slick mailers, more than I have ever seen before sent out to voting delegates of the California State Party Executive Board. Because I am one, I get the mail.

Some were from individual candidates, some from slates of candidates. None of them had to reveal their sources of funding, so that left a lot of us scratching our heads. Even good candidates we like sent this mail, they sent reams of it. Someone with deep pockets was footing the bill.

Some of the good candidates we like sent no mail. They sent a few emails, some texts and at the end when it was close to time to vote, phone calls. Why, you might wonder, didn't  those people with the slick mailers have to disclose who paid? Why indeed. It's a crazy rule of the Party (Parties remember, are private, not public, entities, so when you run to be elected to the Party from within the party, those funds used do not have to be reported for this activity because it's internal member to member communication). 

I rooted out some of the candidates and asked. One was honest enough to say he self funded. I immediately asked how he felt about funding other candidates. The right ones, he said. Good, I've got his number.

So two of my favorite progressives, one a stalwart environmental/climate justice activist, the other an anti--poverty/affordable housing activist, lost, even though they had both been elected delegates for years. I was shocked. So were they, visibly when we met up later. Being on the right side and working with integrity isn't enough. People have to see you, touch you and do it over and over. You have to (virtually) get into bed with them.

Pop it in the Oven

All this is by way to say, raising money is crucial to any campaign, even the smallest. Unless your district is small enough you can print out flyers on your laptop and walk them to every home, make handmade signs with cardstock and magic marker (and if you do this, please, please put a readable disclaimer on the flyers and the signs that says "made in house" and has your contact info and website, preferably the name of your whole campaign and fppc number, on it), talk to every single voter two to three times, make follow up calls, have friends to check if they voted, make reminder calls, and even drive them to the polls on election day if need be, AND your opponents are repulsive slime-worms with halitosis and less money than you, you need cash. Print, mail, signs, handouts, if you want them to be memorable, must be done professionally. If you want union support, you must get them printed at a union shop, often more costly than the copy shop down the street, but worth it.

Next time: tips on where to go for $$ and how to make the ask. Hint: Start remembering relatives'  birthdays now. And ask for their favorite and most beloved family recipes. They'll remember you too.

Never too Early to Start Your Run for 2024

Reprint alert, updated for 2024. Read on:

 That's right. It's never too early to start thinking about 2024. City Council race coming up? School Board? Certainly Assembly, County Supervisor, and Congress. 

You may want to launch your campaign for water board, sewer board or Community Services District. Find out now what seats are coming up and when you find the one that seems right for you, get the answers to these questions before you make a final decision:

1. Is the incumbent likely to run? You may not know yet, because they may not have decided, but at least know who the incumbent is, what their track record is and what has been written about them and their votes on the board. This information can help you decide if it's worth challenging the incumbent. If they are not doing a good job, or you have some better ideas and  will to take on the challenge, don't let the fact that someone else is sitting there now stop you.

2. When is the election? In March, when the California primaries take place or in November, along with the General election? Or both. Is there a primary to whittle down the field to the top two? This is important because it will make a difference in your fundraising and endorsement seeking schedule. If it's in March, filing is in the fall. You need to be cognizant of the holiday season and plan accordingly.

3. How much does this race normally cost? If you're running against the incumbent, it will probably cost you more, to get yourself known and up to speed, and get your message out to the voters on why they should fire the incumbent and hire you, instead. You can get the information on past election costs either at Cal-Access the State site with campaign disclosures or at the City or County where the election takes place. Sometimes you have to go physically into the office of the Board to get hard copies of the disclosure statements.

Now that you're armed with some basic information about the race, make sure you are up to speed on the decisions made by this board, the scope of the duties and how you can contribute to the quality of the work done.

Whatever you run for, the most important question is one to ask yourself: Do I have the "Fire in the belly" for this job?

If the answer is Yes, go for it. Just do your homework, make sure you can raise the funds and get the support needed and you are off and running.

 

Ageism and Dianne Feinstein

 

Ageism- the Last Frontier

 I get it. No one wants to be old. No one wants to admit they will get old which means that much closer to death. Easier to see the old - an ever changing target- as the Other, like blacks, Latinx, lgbtq+, women, or others with easily definable traits, that are not your traits.

 But everyone gets old and, as they say, it’s better than the alternative, unless for some inexplicable reason you desire to die young. And people age in different ways. True, some experience physical or cognitive problems. Others remain fit, active, creative and contributing to community well into their 90s and beyond. My friend, poet Priscilla Long, has written about it in Dancing with the Muse in Old Age, in which she interviews creative people of various “old” ages from 75 to over 100.

 Another friend, Howard Schoof, ran for and won a community college seat at 65 and served for years. Then started a jazz club, wine making, taught a popular wine appreciation class and took up painting which he was very good a, until the day he died, at 93 peacefully in his sleep, as “with it” as ever. My first poetry teacher, Edith Jenkins, published a book with City Lights in her 80’s, held workshops until she was 90. Died in her bath at home, after dinner out with her family.

 When ageism is paired with sexism the results can be toxic. And not to get into a political discussion, but again as “they “ say, all politics in personal, I agree that Dianne Feinstein appears to have significant cognitive problems and probably should not be serving as a U.S. Senator,  but we can’t ignore the very real issues of the loss of seniority on the Judiciary Committee should she give up her seat early. I also note that several prominent male senators served well into their 90s. Some showing the same cognitive issues as she. None of them were called out and their resignation demanded. 

 Calling out people’s age rather than their ability to do the work, enthusiasm for the job, policy decisions, and so forth, just exacerbates the negative way people view aging in this society. A recent article in the Marin IJ focusing on Barbara Lees age highlights this problem. It quotes a 76 year old woman who says she aligns with Barbara s policies, but worries about her age that she’s be in her 80’s when her term is over. I wonder, does this woman believe she herself is facing imminent dementia? And doesn’t this add to the myth that old age means decline in all ways and therefore, should not be allowed? Obviously that is not the answer, any more than not allowing BIPOC people, gays or those with physical disabilities not to serve, should be tolerated.

 We are all aging, and as we do we all face the final “ism” that is still permitted to exist: Ageism. It is going to happen to you. The whitest, richest, most successful of us all, will face it.  Maybe the powerful can cushion it with money or by surrounding themselves with yes-men. But they can’t stop the oncoming reality of old age. It doesn’t have to be a career stopper.   

 Even in supposedly helpful ways, society contributes to ageism. “Senior day” at the supermarket. Discounts for movies, plays and concerts. (And yes, because of the high cost of everything these days, I admit I do take advantage of some of them). But I’d prefer they do fixed-income days. Reserve the discounts for those who really need it?. Why single out old people? It’s easy and makes you feel good. When really it’s condescending and patronizing. Let me help you. You’re old. I’m not. The ads for “A Place for Mom.” When did Mom suddenly need to go to a “place?” It’s chilling. It is otherism.

 Of course, we must make way for younger people, in politics, as in all things. But it isn’t a case of us or them. We are all on the same continuum. Let’s help, as older people (don’t get me started on the word “senior”) by mentoring, teaching, setting a good examples Getting old should not mean getting pushed to the curb or having to go to a Place. 

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.

Committees, What Are They Good For?

No, I won't say, like the song  - "Absolutely nothing!" because they are good for a lot. They can help keep you focused. Help you find elements of your message, inform you of ongoing or new developments you might have missed and of course, volunteering for all those pesky little campaign tasks no one should have to do alone.

But they also can be distracting, discouraging and, sometimes, downright dangerous.

Often, when candidates tell me they don't need my services, or they "are going in a different direction," that's code for "I have a campaign committee. why should I spend money on a paid consultant?" 

Let's go over some of the dos and don't of the Campaign Committee.

Campaign committees are good for: 

1. Providing local on-the-ground insight. Members of your committee, if chosen wisely, can keep you apprised of what's going on in various parts of your district, or with various constituencies. They can keep you up to date on issues, breaking and otherwise, that are on people's minds. All this helps you craft a message for the voters. (We also call these folks your Kitchen Cabinet. They are the cream of the crop and you keep them close.)

2. Cheering you up when times get tough. They'll stand by you through thick and thin. They'll give you good news from farflung parts of the district. If they're true friends and advisors, they'll bring you the bad news too, like when the local grocery clerks are extolling the virtues of your opponent.

3. Grunt work. These are your volunteer leaders. They can be the backbone of your field campaign. Willing to walk precincts in the rain; to encourage others to join in; they'll sit with cell phones glued to their ears for hours making those calls to undecided voters. They'll hold house parties for you and get their friends and neighbors to attend, to donate and even to hold their own events.

They will lick stamps and stuff envelopes, when a quick fundraising letter needs to go out. They'll forward emails and get all their friends to "like" your Facebook page.

3. The cream of the crop will become field coordinators, phone bank operators, finance committee chairs. Every member of the committee should donate whatever they can to the campaign war chest.

Now for what they are not good for, in fact, may be toxic for:

1. Writing the campaign plan. Yes, everyone has good ideas, and no one's ideas should be completely ignored out of hand, but this is not where your plan is created or your strategy worked out. This is a leaderless group who needs to take direction, not try to give it.

2. Crafting the campaign message, or worse, the actual campaign materials you will leave at voters' doors and mail to their homes. Your committee is likely to have English majors, maybe even ad execs. You'll have artists and everyone will have a cousin, sister, uncle or good friend, who's a brilliant designer. While all that may be true, and sometimes good ideas arise from brainstorming sessions around the coffee table, those are the jobs of your consultant and the professionals they hire who understand campaigns and the special way messages must be crafted and targeted to get the most bang for your precious campaign buck.

3. Second guessing. Don't let the committee second guess your consultant. Pick one or two trusted sets of eyes to review the pieces for spelling errors or factual inaccuracies. But if you let 12 people have a say in everything, you'll  have twelve opinions. Let them know you value their input, but make sure the lines of authority are clear. And remember, you are the boss. You can fire volunteers, even though you don't pay them and they have the best intentions. Some people are natural downers and must be gently sent on their way or channeled into a more productive role.

I've see all of these and more pitfalls on campaigns. If candidates whom I interview go "in a different direction," I wish them well. Occasionally, they win their race in spite of it all. More often though, I hear from them months or years later (often when they've decided to take another crack at running) "Well, you were right. My committee really didn't know what they were doing. Are you available to help me this time around?"

I never gloat.

 (Reprinted from 2018 Blog post. Good advice is timeless)

Dianne Feinstein, Is It About Her Age?

We all know Senator Dianne Feinstein (or Di Fi as we in the know call her) is in her late eighties. Speculation swirls about a cognitive decline. Calls for her to resign are loud and come from many in her own, our own Democratic Party. Should she quit, when she just has a year to go? That's the question.

In her case, I don't think it's all about the age, but it may be factors like cognitive decline if that's true. However, many older people, including Senators, have lived well into their 90's serving and being productive and creative members of whatever group they belonged to. My friends Howard, Eugenia, Edith all died in their mid 90's, still feeling well, creating art and publishing poetry, with some physical issues, but sharp as they ever were, ready for fun, work or whatever was called for. I still have lunches with wine with my beautiful 96 year old poet friend Treva.

But in this case, missing her work on the Judicial Committee for so long means delaying appointments of judges while we still can. No one knows what the next election will bring. Also, crucially, delaying key subpoenas in the Trump investigation, which will not happen if the Reps get their hands on the Senate or the Presidency.

So in her case, I don't think it's all about the age. Ageism is a thing affecting all of us, every single one. As we age, we enter the time of being discriminated against, even if we are not in any of the other protected groups. It's why women dye their hair, not vanity. Time to celebrate age and hire for age, not in spite of it, as long as the person is sharp, hard working and willing. Studies show our brains grow the more we use them.

Some people, alas, have problems. Is Di Fi one? I'm not sure. But if she resigns, it's prime time for Newsom to appoint a Black woman to that spot. It should be Barbara Lee. Will he do it? Stay tuned.

Money: It's STILL the Mother's Milk of Politics

Jesse Unruh, at one time called the Big Daddy'' of the California Legislature, once said "Money is the mother's milk of politics." That adage is still true today, more than half a century after the politically powerful Speaker of the California State Assembly uttered it. Why? Because much as candidates don't want to think they need it, much as they hate raising money, they need it and they must raise it in order to get their message out to the voters. If you don't have any money, you can't hope to reach the people that need to know who you are, what you stand for, and why they should vote for you and not the other guy.

To reach those voters, even the most modest campaign need to have something to put into voters' hands, and to do that, they need to have a printer to print their message and before that, someone with graphic design skills to create the piece they want to get out and before that a list of the voters they need to reach and before that a message that differentiates them from the field and states their particular message clearly and succinctly.

Let's break that down. 

The List

You need a good list, not just the list of all registered voters, but the list of frequent voters, that is people who are likely to vote in this election. These lists can be purchased from the list vendor, such as Political Data Intelligence.  This vendor can find just the right list for your needs. It's worth the cost, by m ailing to only your voters, you save money in the end. 

The Message

To craft a short bulled message, it helps to have a message consultant, someone to help you hone your issues into bite sized pieces. You can't write essays for the voters (although plenty of candidates want to). You have to give them something they can digest in a short period of time, maybe even as quickly as they head from the mailbox to the recycling bin. Your message consultant can help you take your issues and break them down into sound bites, or bulleted points that the voter can digest and understand easily.

Graphics

You have to make it look nice, so, someone with graphic design skills, preferably with experience doing campaigns, which are very different than advertising say, who knows how to take that message and make it pop on the page, along with your picture and a good logo and color scheme. his person will also work with your message consultant to create a webpage for you. in fact, the webpage usually comes first with a logo, branding, the right color scheme and a short "tagline" you can use throughout the campaign.

A Printer

You need a printer, not your home printer, to print a high quality piece that you and volunteers can carry around to homes, and to print the mail and get it to the mailhouse to go out to voters. You need to find a local union print shop, one that you can rely on for all your needs and will be responsive when you call, who understands the needs of campaigns. Why a union print shop? Because as you go forward assuming you are a Democratic candidate, you will be seeking endorsements from unions and from the Democratic Party. even in a non-partisan election, these things matter and the people who make the endorsements care that you support union labor.

There is so much more that you need to win your campaign and all these things cost money. even if you have an army of volunteer to go door to door, you need a quality professionally produced piece for them to hand out. People power is great. But a grassroots campaign doesn't mean a sloppy or an underfunded campaign. You're not rich? You don't hobnob with the powerful and influential? That's ok. We will give you some tips for successful fundraising as we go forward.