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 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