Fund-raising is the most important aspect of your campaign. No matter how great your message is, it will never reach your target audience if you don’t have the money to put it in front of voters. It is true of fund-raising as most things – planning makes perfect.
The most important part of any campaign is raising the funds necessary to get your message out to the voters.
Every campaign needs a comprehensive, coordinated approach to fund-raising in order to identify, cultivate and build a profitable coalition of donors and solicit them from every angle.
Below is a summary of the six steps to follow if you want to meet your fund-raising goals.
STEP 1: Put Your Finance Plan to Paper
Some key factors to remember: gross, costs, and net revenue by streams and month. Net income is key! Remember to include all fund-raising costs; sometimes it takes money to raise money.
STEP 2: Create a Candidate-Specific Donor List
Your personal contacts are your best donor assets and creating this apparatus of support is key to success.
STEP 3: Solicit Donations from Every Angle
Establish a finance committee, host an event, and be sure to take advantage of all the advertising options at your disposal.
STEP 4: Find New Donors
Your personal network can only go so far, and prospecting new donors is important for expanding your reach.
STEP 5: Learn the Do’s and Don’ts of Asking for a Contribution
Every person you call should have a donor sheet attached to his or her name, which provides you useful information on who that person is and why they might be willing to contribute to your campaign.
STEP 6: Make it Easy for Donors to Give
Be sure to provide donors with an easy, fast, and secure way to donate to your campaign or organization.
Remember:
Fund-raising is the most important aspect of your campaign. No matter how great your message is, it will never reach your target audience if you don’t have the money to put it in front of voters. It is true of fund-raising as most things – planning makes perfect.