Fundraising and Budgeting for Political Campaigns
Kevin WinchellPolitics 101 Conference – 2014
Stetson University
What comes first: Budgeting Plan or Fundraising Plan?
Budgeting
Budget Plan
Fundraising Plan
Budgeting
Budget Plan
Fundraising Plan
Feedback Loop
Budgeting
Budget Plan
Reference Similar
Elections
Get Quotes
from Vendors
Adjust to Campaign Strategy
Budgeting
Budget Plan
Reference Similar
Elections
Get Quotes
from Vendors
Adjust to Campaign Strategy
How much did candidates spend last time in this race?
How much did the winner spend? How many dollars per vote?
What are bulk rates for signs, mailers, etc.?
Do I have any friends who can get me discounts?
Are we focusing more on doors or mailers? On radio or internet?
Are we microtargeting voters, or are we trying to turn out entire neighborhoods?
Budgeting
$$$A concrete number!
Reference Similar
Elections
Get Quotes
from Vendors
Adjust to Campaign Strategy
How much did candidates spend last time in this race?
How much did the winner spend? How many dollars per vote?
What are bulk rates for signs, mailers, etc.?
Do I have any friends who can get me discounts?
Are we focusing more on doors or mailers? On radio or internet?
Are we microtargeting voters, or are we trying to turn out entire neighborhoods?
Budgeting
Sample Budget Plan:County Council, School Board or Large-City Mayor Race in Volusia
(~30,000 voters)
Fundraising
What is the number one reason why campaigns don’t raise enough money?
(Hint: Michael Jordan and Ruby Paine)
FundraisingTypes of Donors:
Self/Family
Friends
Allies
Access
Enemy-of-Enemy
FundraisingTypes of Donors:
Self/Family
Friends
Allies
Access
Enemy-of-Enemy
Relationships $$$
FundraisingTypes of Donors:
Self/Family
Friends
Allies
Access
Enemy-of-Enemy
What message works best for each type of
donor?
FundraisingFundraising Tactics:• Online (website, social media, email)• Events (house parties, dinners, business-
sponsored, recreational activities)• Direct (mailers/letters, phone)• Merchandise (buttons, stickers, yard
signs, t-shirts)• Promotions (dinner w/ candidate, appear
at rally, featured on video)
Fundraising
Who You Gonna Call?
1. “List of 100”2. Volunteers3. Super-Donors 4. Super-Voters
80%
15%
5%
Fund Sources
Fundraising
Sample Fundraising Plan:County Council, School Board or Large-City Mayor Race in Volusia
(~30,000 voters)
Where do you get the data?For outreach:• Voter registration file from Supervisor of Elections (name,
demographics, address, contact info, election voting history)• Party proprietary databases (for additional party-gathered
information about voters, including survey responses)• Your own outreach (results from your canvassing, phone calls,
and mail responses)• Data mining companies (for consumer behavior)
For contributions:• City Clerks (municipal races) – may be online or in person• Supervisor of Elections (county races) – online• Florida Department of Elections (state races) – online• Federal Elections Commission (federal races) – online
How data helps your voter outreach: Prioritizing
Strongly Supports You Undecided Strongly Opposes
You
Always Votes #1 - volunteers & donors #3 - persuadables don't even think
about it
Sometimes Votes #2 - low-hanging fruit #4 - resource-intensive
don't even think about it
Never Votes #5 - only if resources permit
#6 - only if resources permit
don't even think about it
Has contributed to identical campaigns
Has contributed to similar campaigns
Has contributed to very different
campaigns
Contributes very frequently
#1 – If you build it, they will come #2 - persuadables don't even think
about it
Contributes sometimes #3 - low-hanging fruit #4 - resource-
intensivedon't even think
about it
Contributes rarely #5 - only if resources permit
#6 - only if resources permit
don't even think about it
How this helps your fundraising: Donor Profiles
Makes large contributions
Makes medium contributions
Makes small contributions
Contributes very frequently
elite fundraisers promising access to prominent politicos
house parties promising friends and
some access
$5 or $10 per month automatic donations
w/ incentives
Contributes sometimes
elite fundraisers and one-to-one meetings
for persuasion
house parties and one-to-one meetings
for persuasionmerchandising/swag
sales
Contributes rarely only if resources permit
only if resources permit
don't even think about it
How this helps your fundraising: Give donors what they expect/want
Makes large contributions
Makes medium contributions
Makes small contributions
Contributes very frequently
elite fundraisers promising access to prominent politicos
house parties promising friends and
some access
$5 or $10 per month automatic donations
w/ incentives
Contributes sometimes
elite fundraisers and one-to-one meetings
for persuasion
house parties and one-to-one meetings
for persuasionmerchandising/swag
sales
Contributes rarely only if resources permit
only if resources permit
don't even think about it
Tip: Combine contribution history data with information about preferences and passion areas in order to weave a custom message in to your solicitation – it will make it more likely to succeed!
How this helps your fundraising: Give donors what they expect/want
What skills do you need?
Spreadsheets (or, even better, databases)
Mail merges (for customized mailers/scripts)
Script writing (for calling and canvassing)
How can you take this to the next level?
Utilize polling to gauge favorability of ideas before you market them
Pay for more data (lists, subscriptions, memberships, etc.)
Put your message in to a “narrative” – voters respond better to stories
Questions?
Fundraising and Budgeting for Political Campaigns
Kevin WinchellPolitics 101 Conference – 2014
Stetson University
Thanks!