A new way to engage donors
If not information, then what else might work?
tldr: For years, I’ve wanted to find 100 new volunteer fundraisers and pair them 1:1 with 100 downballot candidates. To try it out will need some help.
A perennial challenge for political donors is knowing whether their funds make a difference.
Most efforts at fixing that have gone big, with some form of “Billionaire donors have a donor advisor, and now you can too; we will interview all the experts, or crunch all the data, and make you a list of donations that are most effective.” Some of these efforts have been successful, and some not as much. But for years, I’ve yearned to explore the opposite approach.
The opposite approach would be to recruit volunteers who could raise a few thousand dollars each, and pair each one with a single downballot candidate (state legislature or below) running in a swing state or district.1 This concept has stuck with me for several reasons:
1. It hits the two biggest obstacles.
The most common obstacles I hear when recruiting relational fundraisers are: (a) “I don’t know what to raise for,” and (b) “I don’t have wealthy friends.”23 This concept overcomes both of those.
2. It might be uniquely motivating.
This project is built on two true facts, both of which might be powerful motivators for volunteers:
For anyone who can raise at least ~$250/hour, fundraising is the most effective way to volunteer.
A few thousand dollars can make a difference in a downballot race.
3. It’s uniquely educational.
A relationship with a downballot candidate is a fantastic way for someone to learn about elections and political work.
4. It’s lightweight.
The 100 candidates are a built-in team to engage the volunteers over time. In contrast, even the best funding memo requires humans to provide ongoing updates and emotional connection. That’s why (great) organizations like Mind the Gap and Movement Voter Project require both paid and volunteer fundraisers.
5. It has lasting effects.
This project supports the pipeline of candidates and volunteers for future elections.
Let’s make it happen
I can put some money behind this experiment, but need a few other things:
An individual to drive it (either independently or within a relevant organization)
Partners to help recruit the 100 volunteer fundraisers
A great name for it
If you can help with any of those, or if you might want to be a volunteer fundraiser yourself, send me an email.
This is much like Sister District’s successful model, but 1:1 (instead of chapters) and for fundraising only.
Once people try fundraising, most end up saying “I can’t believe how much I raised.” Also, I have a great story about how nobody feels they have a wealthy network, even those who do.
Donor Organizer Hub has some good responses to these objections.
this seems quite similar to Giving Circles at the States Project
https://statesproject.org/get-involved/giving-circles/
I am a relatively new comer to the political scene. I was the Chair of the Eugene McCarthy Campaign on the USF Campus in 1968, then nothing until the Boudin Recall. At age 77, I did canvassing work (google says I put in 27 miles in SF), then I volunteered with the Matt Dorsey Campaign last Fall, putting in 250+ hours over the last 12 weeks before Election Day. My subject matter expertise is Organizational Governance and Leadership. I retired from the US Army as a Division Commander and Brigadier General, and the Managing Partner at the oldest Accounting/Consulting Firm in San Francisco. Over the last six months, I have formed the Catholic Alumni Action Community PAC and raised $1.3 million. I don't know how to select those political organizations that need money to advance an agenda to help moderate Democrat candidates win elections for the DCCC, Superior Court Judges #1 and #11, Board of Education, Mayor, and Board of Supervisors. I have looked at 990's but they are way out of date (2021), I have looked at endorsements, and affiliations, but realize this does not tell the whole story. I have identified Neighbors for a Better SF, because they were the force behind the Boudin Recall. And I observed their field ops and it was first rate with Jay Cheng running the analytics. He is now the Executive Director, and very competent, in my view. Others are not great, again, in my view. Connect SF, Grow SF, Stop Crime SF are definitely second team compared to Neighbors. Together SF Action has its moments, but their execution can be shaky. Leadership there is woefully lacking...Lead from the front, and lead by joining your team/troopers in the trenches. And most important, thank them and appreciation them for their volunteer time. For us seniors, that is our most valuable asset. I found in all of the political organizations, that they have no gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of volunteers. It is Shameful!