Facebook: A Fundraising Tool? Yes!

In every American Majority training that I’ve conducted a frequent topic of discussion centers around one of the most undesirable yet critically important activities, political fundraising.

Candidates will ask, “so how do I effectively raise money…what are the secrets to being a good fundraiser?”  Well, there are no “sure bets.”  Each candidate and campaign is unique and what might work for one won’t necessary work for the next.  And most importantly (I can’t emphasize this enough) there are NO secrets to fundraising.

You simply can’t wave a magic wand to fill your campaign coffers.  There isn’t a concrete, fail-proof step-by-step method that every campaign can implement to raise a targeted amount of dollars.  If one did exist, well, among other things, I wouldn’t be wasting my time and yours by writing this post.

However, having said that, there certainly are tools and strategies available that candidates/campaigns need to consider using in order to successfully raise the necessary funds for their race.  In today’s post I’m going to touch on using social media, specifically a Facebook application called BlueSwarm, as a way to assist you in raising dollars for your campaign or candidate.

BlueSwarm is a tool available on Facebook that allows you and your Facebook friends/fans to raise money for your candidate of choice.   Several entities from universities and non-profits to political candidates and organizations such as Marco Rubio, Rob Portman and the Democratic Governors Association are using this application to raise substantial sums online through their network of Facebook friends/fans.

What is so great about BlueSwarm is that it creates opportunities for “average citizens” to raise meaningful dollars for candidates, an activity that in the past was primarily reserved for just large donors.  Furthermore, by enabling “average citizens” to participate in fundraising, you have opened the door for campaigns of any size to use this resource.  You don’t have to be a campaign that is national in scope, candidates running for school board, city council and county commissioner can and should consider giving this method a try.

Empowering individuals and volunteers is far too often underestimated, yet one of the most powerful and rewarding strategies available to any campaign.  BlueSwarm or other related applications might not be for everyone, but it definitely offers potential to motivate individuals in large numbers.

So candidates/campaigns, why not give it a shot?  There are few certainties when it comes to fundraising strategies, but what I can promise you is that if you don’t try something, it certainly won’t work…