Home » Politics & Society » Women in Politics » How to Draw a Generous Crowd!

How to Draw a Generous Crowd!

© Hunter

Fundraising events can bring in campaign contributions if you know how to draw a generous crowd.

You as a candidate know that money is essential to run a campaign, but do you know the best ways to go about getting it? Despite the new hi-tech methods of fundraising such as targeted direct mailings, fundraising events are still a basic staple. If your campaign can't afford to hire a professional to coordinate your event, there are a few things you need to know to do it yourself.

The most common mistake is spending all your time worrying about what you are going to eat, instead of worrying about how you are going to raise the money. It is a mistake to lose sight of the reason for holding the event. You certainly don't want to spend all the money you are trying to raise on holding the event. One thing you can do is to try to get the services and products you need donated to you. People are sometimes more generous with in-kind contributions than with cash. You also need to realize that most people will not volunteer these donations. You will have to ask.

In setting up the event, you should try to plan something that is a little unique. People enjoy something different and will be more apt to attend. Be sure to get started six to eight weeks in advance and coordinate the date of the event with your party headquarters so you don't find your event conflicting with someone else's. A serious conflict like this can be the death of your fundraiser.

Recruit an event chairperson to have control and responsibility over the event. Be sure to choose carefully to be sure they are people that will get the job done. The candidate should remember to call the chairperson and each member of the committee one week before the event to thank them for their work. This also serves to put the pressure on.

Next thing to do is to set a fundraising goal and ticket price. You must plan your event around your monetary objective and do everything possible to keep the costs down. You need to sell a lot more $25 tickets than you would $100 ones. If you don't know very many people that can afford the higher priced tickets, perhaps a less expensive event is a better way. One thing to remember is that it is always better to ask for too much money and receive a small donation than to ask for less money than someone is willing to give.

The copyright of the article How to Draw a Generous Crowd! in Women in Politics is owned by Hunter. Permission to republish How to Draw a Generous Crowd! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.