3 Ways to Eliminate the Fear of Fundraising

Imagine that you are a conservative candidate whose campaign is resonating with people. You are drawing crowds to your events, and people are getting excited about what you are saying and what you promise to do. And then, the time comes to do that thing that every candidate does, but no one wants to do. You ask them to give you money. Of course, fundraising is a vital part of any campaign. After all, campaigns don’t run themselves; they operate through the gifts of people who are committed to the candidate and their cause. Regardless of the level of office—whether the local school board or presidency of the United States—if you are a candidate, fundraising is mandatory. For those people who are thinking about running but have some apprehensions about asking people for money, here are three tips to help eliminate the fear of fundraising.

1. Start With the People Who are Already Committed

Every campaign has to start somewhere. Just like when you build your volunteer core, you begin asking for donations within your inner circle and move outwards. Have your close friends and family given yet? What about the people who initially asked you to run? If you are already a leader in your local conservative movement (which you probably are), have you approached any local conservative groups for an endorsement and asked their members for a gift? Chances are, if you are running for office, there are people who want to see you succeed. Before you spend any major efforts prospecting and approaching major donors, ask the people around you for support. If they are truly committed to your campaign, there should be no difficulty. They may even offer a gift before you ask!

2. Relationships First… Donations Later

If you are at all apprehensive about fundraising, chances are that you are trying to avoid being “one of those politicians” who asks people for money right off the bat. Knowing that those people are generally viewed negatively by the public, you want to do your best to avoid that perception. Did you know that apprehension is actually a good thing? You can actually take that fear and turn it into a foundation for your fundraising strategy. After all, if your goal is to avoid being “one of those politicians,” you can establish a culture of relationship-building, rather than money-asking, when you approach potential donors. Although you want to begin with relationship-building, if you are investing your time and energy in a relationship, you will want it to pay off in the end. Thus, you will still have to ask these people for gifts. However, if you build a relationship and convince them of your ideas and plans, you can build their interest and, hopefully, support for your campaign. Then, they will be just like the people mentioned in the first tip: supportive and ready to give!

3. Remember: It’s Not About You

Your apprehension about giving may be due to the fact that you feel uncomfortable asking people to give to your campaign. While you may have no problem asking for donations on someone’s behalf, it is completely different when you are the subject of someone’s generosity. Even though you are a candidate and you are running for office, your campaign should be about something more than you and your name. It should be about issues relevant to the people in your community. It should be about the changes that people want to see in your community. It should be about instilling conservative principles in your local leadership. If someone is going to give to your campaign, it is because they believe that you are the candidate that will bring their vision of government about. It is their way of taking action, just like running for office is yours. They may not be able to run, and they may not have the time to volunteer, but they can donate to your campaign and its success. Once you have that perspective in mind, asking for money is not at all like asking for a handout. It’s about asking people to invest in the future and well being of your local community. If this article has helped to eliminate your fears of fundraising, click here to hear our founder, Ned Ryun, explain how to perfect your fundraising pitch.