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A few insights on political fundraising… | Dimension Strategies
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By Amy Sanchez Raaz
Partner, Dimension Strategies

The first time I heard the saying that “money is the mother’s milk of politics” was in my Campaigns and Elections course in college. The saying, coined by Speaker Jesse Unruh of the California Assembly in the 1960s, hit the nail on the head and things haven’t changed much since, with the exception that the price tag keeps going up. You can’t win or run a strong campaign without money.
The initial inclination as a candidate is to avoid fundraising or to put it last on the list of campaign’s “to do’s”. It’s easy to ignore because it is downright hard and nobody wants to do it. Don’t make that mistake! You have to know that you can’t do much with your campaign if you can’t pay for things. From campaign managers to mail pieces you need to be able to fund these important components. Candidates tend to be in a hurry to hire their campaign manager and buy a gazillion lawn signs and tee shirts. Nope. No offences to managers or lawn signs, but you need to hire the person who can help you put money in the bank. Otherwise, how will you pay for that manager and those signs with your name on them?

Dimension Strategies can help you plan out your fundraising strategy:

  • Whose lists do I use to make calls? HINT: Your own! Friends and family first give you practice and
    likely success.
  • What do I do with call time? HINT: Plan for it! (One candidate hated it so much, she left the
    building by crawling out a window – don’t be that candidate!)
  • What works better at raising funds for staff and yard signs – mail, events or call time? HINT: You
    guessed it – call time!

Don’t get us wrong, there is absolutely a place for events and other methods to raise money, but don’t avoid call time or put it off because at the end of the day, you know you want those lawn signs.

If you would like to learn more about how we can help you on your campaign, get to know us more here.