Political Fundraising

Types of Political Fundraisers

Direct Sales Fundraiser

Your political fundraising party orders an inventory of fundraising products to be sold by your volunteers. The product is provided to your volunteers who sell the product, deliver it, and collect payment, usually in one trip. Examples fundraising products are lollipops, beef jerky, or discount cards.

Brochure Fundraiser

Also called pre-sales, order takers, or catalog sales. Your political fundraiser volunteers are each provided a fundraising brochure to show potential supporters and an order form. If your group is selling a single item, volunteers may also have a fundraising sample to show. Supporters select products from the brochure and records the order on the order form. Once your members are done, all order forms are tallied and sent to us and we will ship the products to the contact person for your fundraiser group. Your members and volunteers then deliver the products to your supporters. Depending on your choice, your group can collect funds from their supporters when the order is collected or upon product delivery.

Online Fundraiser

Online fundraising is generally handled in one of two ways. Firstly, the fundraising company your political fundraising party is working with will create a personalized website for your group. You encourage supporters to purchase products or donate online and your group receives a monthly check for funds raised. Your online fundraiser could be for a specific time frame or, depending on the program, may be ongoing throughout the year.

Special Event Fundraiser

Special event fundraising varies significantly. Your political candidate or party may work with a fundraising company that conducts the entire event or they may sell the material, supplies and/or script for your group to produce the event yourselves. Regardless, your group will most likely at a minimum be responsible for securing the facilities, advertising, and selling tickets for the fundraiser. Another alternative is a complete do-it-yourself fundraiser that your group comprises from scratch. You normally think of dinners, plays, car washes, raffles, and auctions in this category but there are lots more to consider.

Your Political Fundraiser & The Fundraising Company

1. The best way to ensure a happy relationship and prevent problems is to make sure that your political candidate or party and the company you choose as a fund raising partner have a clear understanding of each other’s expectations. Verify financial and product information with the company prior to entering into any agreement or purchasing any products for your fundraiser.

2. If you experience a problem during your political fundraiser, discuss it with the company quickly. Most will do their best to reach an accommodation so that you have a win-win situation wherein you both make money. The fund raising companies want you to be happy about your association with them so that you will patronize them again and recommend them to other organizations for their fundraisers.

3. The more your political candidate or party is able to do on your own and without any special requirements, the more fund-raising profit you should expect. If your group requests extra prizes or unusual considerations, you must be prepared to sacrifice some profit.