Let’s be real here – you may be looking at the spending threshold and thinking, “That’s nothing. I can get there myself.”
You might be tempted to self-fund most of your campaign.
Stop right there.
Fundraising can be intimidating. Asking the people that you know for money can be heavy. But don’t go into debt to run for office. While the spending limit can look intimidating, remember: just because that’s the limit doesn’t mean that’s what you have to spend.
Fundraising Ideas
- A donation page on your website
- Crowdfunding
- Silent auctions
- Phone calls or text giving
- BBQ
- Meet the Candidate event
- Wine & Cheese
- Follow-up phone calls from in-person vote canvasses
- Beer tasting night at a local taphouse
- E-mail marketing campaign
- Social media campaigns
- Virtual viewing party
So sit down and make a list of what you will need to run this campaign. Know that the list will be different depending on which office you’re running for (obviously, you won’t need to spend the same on gas to cover canvassing ground if you’re a mayor vs. if you’re running for council). Understand that your must-have list for what you need to run for office may be different than someone else’s (two candidates may disagree on whether or not they need lawn signs, for example). Consider how long the campaign period is and what your goals are. Also, ensure that you look into the municipal election rebates that may be available to you, depending on where you live, so that you can access those funds and don’t need to worry about fundraising.
And then start crunching numbers.
That is what you’ll want to aim for in fundraising. And there are plenty of ways that you can get there.
A mix of a couple of these events will help you reach your goal more quickly. Remember when deciding on your event fundraising goals that you’ll need to be realistic about what each can bring.
