My name is Louis Elrod. I’m the Political Director at Better Georgia, and since 2008 I have managed campaigns at the local and state level, helping candidates and organizations win progressive victories in a red state. Activists like me have helped a lot of people run for office, and we know there’s a huge amount of information that first-time candidates need to learn quickly. That’s why we put together this six-episode podcast featuring interviews and advice from the best campaign professionals we could find. Stepping up to run is a major undertaking, but we hope that Better Georgia’s Candidate School can make it just a bit easier.
This is Lesson 3: Raising Money. Listen in to learn the most effective methods of fundraising, the amounts you need to raise, and what fundraising firms can and can’t do for your campaign.
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There is no way to sugarcoat it: money is the lifeblood of a campaign.” – Louis Elrod
Show Notes:
- Why fundraising for your campaign is the highest priority
- What fundraising goals a first time candidate should have
- What the influx of candidates in every office race has done for fundraising
- Keisha’s recommendation on how much to raise for a given level of office
- The importance of call time, even in the digital age
- When is a good time to throw a fundraising party
- What can go right and what can go wrong on the night of a fundraiser, and how to prepare for the worst
- What fundraising firms can and can’t do for your campaign
- The most important preparations you can do before raising money
- How candidates build “the list”
- How many events you should hold as a new candidate
- Why you can’t trust your gut when fundraising for the first time
- Louis’s homework for beginning your journey into fundraising
Don’t get disappointed by the disappointments; what I mean by that is that sometimes, a lot of the people that you think are going to be 100{21a0f2e682527d5e15328a793158bcc0a9b8955c1b60e5cb556db3e7991c3fc5} with you are not really with you.” – Keisha Carter Brown
Listen to the other episodes of Candidate School:
- Candidate School Lesson 1: Making Your Decision
- Candidate School Lesson 2: Setting Up Your Campaign
- Candidate School Lesson 4: Field
- Candidate School Lesson 5: Communications
- Candidate School Lesson 6: Hiring Staff
Links Mentioned:
- Connect with Keisha Carter Brown:
Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Website
There is no bigger fundraiser on your team than you as a candidate.” – Keisha Carter Brown