According to a recent Axios* article, Democratic campaigns and PACs have a problem with bad data in their text programs. With 66% of polled Republican donors saying they receive fundraising texts from Democratic campaigns & PACs - we have to ask ourselves why are we using bad data? And where is that data coming from? As fundraisers, we think there are multiple contributing factors. But one of these problems is particularly easy to solve. Time after time, we see new candidates looking for a “good list” to start their fundraising efforts, which means they are looking at someone else’s data.

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Yikes. Why is this a problem? A donor is a donor, right? Wrong. If I ran for office, I bet a double max that my Republican Uncle would donate to my campaign because he loves me, and has confidence in my ability to run a campaign and be a compassionate leader. I’d also bet that many folks I’ve worked with before or go to church with would do the same. They’d give to me because of our relationship, and not because of my political affiliation. So, let’s dig a little deeper into the reasons why this common tactic is likely contributing to bad data.

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Why are newer candidates starting fundraising campaigns by looking for lists? Because the proper tools for building a grassroots campaign (starting with the candidate’s contacts) haven’t been iterated on in a long time. Particularly in deep red states, institutional knowledge of fundraising best practices is rapidly dwindling. The lure of mass communications is almost irresistible in a battle concerning numbers. But if it’s poorly deployed, it’s a waste of time at best. At worst, it wastes existing resources while showing some cracks in the infrastructure. And, even if some opposite-party contacts made their way onto your list, the Democratic donors on that same list are now officially exhausted by the volume of solicitations they receive. We don’t want to wear these donors out!So, what’s a new candidate to do? Start from the beginning. Look at your phone. Look at your social media. Look around you at the people you see and talk to every day. Those are your first donors!

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Think it feels awkward to make those asks? It’s just a muscle you’ve gotta flex. Get the reps in, and you’ll get stronger and better at it. And, remember you are not just asking people for money, but you are inviting people to be a part of your campaign. You are letting them know they are needed. Then, what? Fundraising teams. Or councils, or committees, or besties. Whatever you’d like to call them, you should! But please, new candidates, hear this:  NO ONE does this alone. At least not successfully. Raising funds for a campaign is tough, especially your first time out of the gate. But please, please, please resist the urge to call someone else’s old donors,  to use an old list someone shared with you. In down-ballot races especially, it’s just bad practice for many reasons.

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We built GoodChange because new candidates need tools to make these operations more fun and engaging. Equipping new teams with things like our leaderboards gives them a simple and fun way to bring in as many people as possible without adding tons of administrative work to the team. And frankly, as a fundraising strategy, they should be considered step 1. Finally - die-hard donors, volunteers, activists, and campaign professionals are a rare  breed with exceptional energy. With these folks, pairing fighting for a cause with good old-fashioned friendly competition is a recipe for success. Which means more money. Which means more voter contact. Which means more WINNING!

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Visit us at www.goodchange.app/contact if you’d like help building out a grassroots campaign  - we’d sure love to help you!

PSSSSST: Hey, big campaigns who have been at this for a long time! Please keep your ground game strong and keep cultivating your universe! The down-ballot candidates continue to need you, and this kind of engagement makes your hometown (or state) donors feel appreciated and seen. We’ll get your leaderboard campaigns up and running too!

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**https://medium.com/@john_13136/summer-2024-donor-survey-e82c7e782700