Fundraising & Budgeting

Lisa’s Bio

• Designing Databases since 1989. • Designing Websites since 1994. • Worked with NASA at Kennedy Space Center, the US Air

Force, and in the manufacturing and utilities sectors. • Educated at Georgia Tech

– Majored in Computer Science – Minored in Nuclear Engineering

• Started ParaProductions Database & Website Design in 1997. Went full time in 2003.

• Founded DemCAMP in 2010 after partnering with Salsa Labs.

Your Campaign Budget

• Staff

• Overhead

• Field

• Research

• Media

• Mail

• Phones

• Subcontractors – Website Design, Message Consultant, etc.

Percentage to Spend

• Direct Voter Contact 60 – 75%

• Research 2 – 5%

• Fundraising 10 – 12%

• Communications 10 – 15%

• Administrative 10 – 15%

Direct Voter Contact

• TV, Radio, & Newspaper Advertising • Field

– Literature – Direct Mail – GOTV Telephone – GOTV Mail – Canvas Expense – Lawn Signs – T-Shirts, Bumper Stickers, Buttons

• Field Staff

Research

• Polling

• District Newspaper Subscriptions

• Focus Groups

• Staff Time

• Database Subscriptions – Lexus Nexus, etc.

• Payments to Experts, Investigators, or Consultants.

Fundraising Costs

• Event Costs

– Location

– Food and Beverage

– Decorations

– Get all of these donated!

• Printing – Flyers, Invitations

• Postage

Communications Costs

• Website Development & Management

• Internet Costs

• Communications Staff

• Cost of producing and disseminating media.

Administrative

• Campaign Office – Rent

– Phones

– Computers

– Desks, Tables, Chairs

– Printer

– Copier

– Postage – does not include field or fundraising postage.

Administrative (cont.)

• Travel – Gas Reimbursement

– Meals

– Car Rental

• Personnel Salaries & Contracts – Campaign Manager

– Finance Director

– Communications Director

– Consultants

Unanticipated Costs

Include a reserve fund of

5% of entire budget.

Sample Budget

Candidate Budget Staff Overhead Field Research Media Mail Phones Unant Costs TotalItem $23,000 12,650$ 2,700$ 11,500$ 63,000$ 103,000$ 20,500$ -$ 236,350$

9.7% 5.4% 1.1% 4.9% 26.7% 43.6% 8.7% 0.0% 100.0%

Staff April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov TotalCampaign Manager 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 20,000Assistants 1,000 1,000 1,000 3,000Total 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 23,000

Overhead April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov TotalTravel 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 50 1,100Rent 0 0 0 150 150 150 150 100 700Rentals 0 0 0 100 100 100 100 100 500Phones 150 150 150 150 150 500 500 200 1,950Supplies 100 100 100 100 100 150 150 100 900Fundraising costs 750 750 1,500 1,500 750 1,500 750 7,500Total 1,150 1,150 1,900 2,150 1,400 2,550 1,800 550 12,650

Field April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov TotalVoter File 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Walk Lists 100 100 200Yard Signs 1,500 1,000 2,500Total 0 0 1,600 0 0 1,100 0 0 2,700

Research April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov TotalOp. Res. Books 3,000 0Benchmark 8,500 3,000Track 6,000 8,500Total 0 0 11,500 0 0 0 6,000 0 11,500

Media April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov TotalRadio Buys 0 0 0 0 0 3,000 3,000 6,000Radio Prod 0 0 0 0 0 750 750 1,500TV Buys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50,000 50,000TV Prod 0 0 0 0 0 0 5,500 0 5,500Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 9,250 53,750 63,000

Mail April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov TotalPhotos 0 0 0 500 0 0 0 0 500Professional 0 0 0 0 0 30,000 60,000 10,000 100,000Internal 0 0 0 0 0 750 750 1,000 2,500Total 0 0 0 500 0 30,750 60,750 11,000 103,000

Phones April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov TotalVoter ID 7,000 3,000 0 10,000Persuasion 5,000 5,000GOTV 5,500 5,500Total 0 0 0 7,000 0 0 8,000 5,500 20,500

Unanticipated Costs April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Total 0

00

Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Fundraising

How Much to Raise

Look at the total expenditures of similar winning campaigns from

your area in the past and add 10%.

How to find out how much other campaigns spent

• Supervisor of Elections

– Volusia County - http://volusia.org/elections/

• Florida Division of Elections

– http://election.dos.state.fl.us/

• Federal Elections Commission (FEC)

– http://www.fec.gov/

• OpenSecrets.org

Donor Types

Start at the Inner Circle and work your way out

Donor Types

• Candidate

– You need your own surplus to run.

– If you are broke, don’t run.

– The higher the office the more you will need to raise and the more surplus you will need.

– Consider starting at a lower office if you have never won before.

– If you lose, you may end up owing money.

Relational Donors

• Family

• Friends

• Trusted Colleagues

• People you went to school with

• Pull out your Contact List / Rolodex.

• They give because they have a relationship to you.

• They fund your startup costs.

Ideological Donors

• Passionate people give to passionate candidates

• People who belong to the same issues group as you.

• People who are committed to causes you believe in.

Aversion Donors

• They give because the opponent has adversely affected the donor’s interests.

• They want to get rid of the other candidate.

• This donor wants to know that the candidate understands the risks of losing and that you provide an alternative hope.

Access Donors

• Donors who participate to advance institutional or economic interests.

– Business Associations

– Labor Unions

– Special Interest Groups

• They usually give later in the cycle

• Challengers are less likely to receive support from this circle.

Fundraising Tactics

• Start Early – as soon as you decide to run and have filed, you need to allocate 75% of your campaign time to fundraising.

• It is always easier to ask high and work down. The best indicator of giving potential is past performance.

Fundraising Tactics

Source: Democracy For America

Face to Face

• Good for high dollar donors.

• Must be done by the candidate.

• Gives candidate a chance to solicit highest possible amount.

Candidate Call Time

• Prepare the list carefully. Use of campaign software may be helpful here.

• Staff the candidate – this will make sure the candidate gets through the calls and does not get distracted.

• Role-play

• Set goals and benchmarks

• Call Time Sheet

Events and House Parties

• Form a host committee. Let them do all the work and put up all the money.

• The candidate should not put up a dime.

• Hosts will set donation commitment as they know what the guests can afford.

Direct Mail

• This also helps with name recognition.

• Contributions mailing lists are highly targeted

• Re-solicit when the target pays off.

• The more personal the mailing, the more likely to receive a response. Handwritten envelopes get the most attention.

Solicitation Phone Bank

• Again the list is highly targeted.

• Volunteers or staff are given list, call scripts, and phones.

• Do not do phone banks or call time on Sundays – People hate to be interrupted while watching football!

Internet and Email Fundraising • This is the least successful way to raise funds, but if you

do it right, you can raise a few dollars.

• Use an email program – shows professionalism, saves time, let’s you track who opens, and what links they view. – Campaign Database Program: Salsa, NGP, etc.

– General Email Program: Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, etc.

• Subject and content must be interesting.

• Only send to people who have said you can send to them. Otherwise you may get marked as a spammer.

The Ask

• The Five C’s – A Step by Step of the Ask – Connect – research the donor before you call

– Context – Motivate the donor with the specifics of the race.

– Commit – Get a specific pledge from the donor, preferably today.

– Catapult – Thank the donor at every step

– Confirm – Follow up

• Treat the donor like a shareholder in the campaign.

Fundraising Resources

• Previous Campaigns – ask if you can have their donor list.

• Other Candidates running – ask to share donor lists.

• People in Office – ask them to do Call Time with you with their donor list to introduce you.

Fundraising Resources

• Supervisor of Elections – Volusia County - http://volusia.org/elections/

• Florida Division of Elections – http://election.dos.state.fl.us/

• Federal Elections Commission (FEC) – http://www.fec.gov/

• OpenSecrets.org

• News Meat – http://www.newsmeat.com/

Fundraising & Budgeting Thank You for Attending!