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Fundraising. Bree Raum. Getting Started – pick your people. Treasurer File Compliance Forms Personal liability Accounting/thank yous (quick turn-around) Personality traits – organized, has the time Finance Director Fundraisers Solicitation mailings Call sheets for candidate
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Fundraising Bree Raum
Getting Started – pick your people • Treasurer • File Compliance Forms • Personal liability • Accounting/thank yous (quick turn-around) • Personality traits – organized, has the time • Finance Director • Fundraisers • Solicitation mailings • Call sheets for candidate • Personality traits – organized, outgoing, not scared of candidate/ Paid a %? • Candidate – always look over reports, know who is giving you money, and make staff aware of who you do not want to accept money from. • Database • Excel/Access/Campaign software system
Campaign Finance Laws • Federal law • Contribution limit $2300 for primary and general • No company money, just Company PAC money • Report name, address, occupation, employer for contributions over $200 • State of Virginia Campaign Finance Law (or lack thereof) • NO CONTRIBUTION LIMITS!!! • Can accept contributions from individuals, PACs and COMPANIES! • Report name, address, occupation, employer, city and state of employers for contributions over $100 • No Anonymous contributions – no passing around the hat • TIP: ALWAYS COLLECT THE NECESSARY INFORMATION EVEN IF YOU EXPECT SMALL CONTRIBUTIONS. - AGGREGATE.
Reporting • Reports due 8 times a year during the election cycle. • Put these dates on calendar • Reports – all contributions, including in-kind contributions, and all expenditures during a certain period of time. • Snapshot of the financial status of your campaign • Posted on the web for everyone to see. They will see who you accepted $ from and what you are spending $ on.
Fundraising Rules to live by • Make it as easy as possible for a person to give you money. • If you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it. • The worst thing anyone can say when you ask them for money is “No.” • People always want something for their money.
Finance Plan – Getting started • How much $ do you need? • How many fundraisers, mailings, calls do you need? • Fundraising geared toward different groups? • Put your people in categories • Create a calendar! Put in other events. List the person responsible. • Fundraising list • Who are you targeting? Where is the list coming from? • Who already gives? • Check out federal donors at FEC.gov (those that give over $200 to federal candidates) • Check out state donors at Virginia State Board of elections sbe.virginia.gov (those that gave over $100 to state candidates) • Check out local donors at county electoral board website.
Finance Plan - Fundraisers • Fundraisers • Sparklies? / Event programming • Profit & loss budget • Entrance fee (contribution) • sponsorship benefits • list out what big donors receive • Venue • How much does it cost? • Is this a desirable and accessible location for the greatest number of people?
Finance Plan - Mailings • Mailings – The Internet is your friend! • Postage is expensive, already sending mailings for fundraisers • Email out solicitation if your website has a merchant account (can accept contributions) – ActBlue.com • Follow-up with call
Finance Plan - Calls • Calls • Dedicate a certain number of hours a week to calling. Put it on the calendar. • Candidate needs to make the call! Not you. • Be able to make the case of why you need this money – “$1,000 will buy me X number of yard signs” (people want something for their money) • Call sheets • a sheet for each person • take detailed notes, put information in database • Does this contribution get them into a fundraising event?
PACs – Political Action Committees • PACs are pooled personal money • PACs represent issues • target $ based on where candidate is on issues. • PACs have giving policies, so write them down • do they give during primaries? • do they give at the state level? Federal level? • do they give to incumbent challengers? • do they give out of cycle? • Do they have a lobbyist? • PACs can be annual source of money