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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
posted by Scott Allan | 2:27 PM | permalink
I'm sure you all got this from Mitt today. "I just want to thank you for being an early supporter of my campaign.
You recognize the importance of electing a Washington outsider with the experience, vision and values to confront our nation’s challenges, and with your help, your fellow Americans are quickly joining our effort.
With Mayor Giuliani’s disappointing finish in the Florida primary – a state where he dedicated most of his time and resources – this race has come down to a contest between me and Senator McCain.
And with victories in Nevada, Michigan, and Wyoming, and strong second-place showings in Florida, Iowa, and New Hampshire, it’s clear that I’m the only candidate with the broad-based support to unite the coalitions within the Republican Party.
You have come through time and again, and now, I must ask for your support at this exciting time. We’ve done so well in the early states, but in just one week, we will face an unprecedented challenge – 21 states will hold their nominating contests!
That’s right. I need the resources necessary to take my message to 21 states in just one week.
If you can contribute $500, $250, $100, $50, even $25 or any amount you can afford, it will be so appreciated and go a long way to clinching the nomination … and then the White House.
I have the energy and the right combination of business background and strong family values and leadership experience. It’s going to take a strong, determined approach to ensure liberal initiatives fail and conservative principles prevail, and our nation heads in a positive direction.
Can I count on you today? Any amount you can give will be so helpful.
Thank you so very much,
P.S. Please contribute $500, $250, $100, $50, even $25 or any amount you can afford. Also, you may ask your friends and family to contribute as well. There’s no better time than the present to make history and keep American moving on a path to strength and prosperity. Thanks again." I'm not all gloom and doom about Florida. I was really impressed with how much support Romney picked up in just the last week to make it that close. Sure McCain has a few more delegates at the moment, but Mitt is gaining momentum. Super Tuesday is coming and so are the Red States. Mitt hasn't had a chance to shine in truly conservative areas yet. I once again repeat my challenge. Super Tsunami Nuclear Tuesday is coming and this is where we go all in. Mitt needs our help. Again, I ask everyone to match my $25 donation and I will give another $5 for everyone that matches me up to $100. If you can do more than $25, please don't let me hold you back. Feel free to increase or match my challenge. We all know that this country needs conservative leadership, not the best friend of Bill, Hillary, and Ted Kennedy. If you believe in Mitt's leadership the time to act is now. Don't just sit back and enjoy the ride. If Mitt can donate millions of his own dollars, the least we can do is chip in $25 of our own. Let's leave it all on the field. It will take a lot of money to counter the mainstream media who are rooting for McCain, and Romney can't do it all himself!  Labels: fundraising, mitt romney
Thursday, November 15, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 8:55 PM | permalink
We've spoken on numerous occasions about the unique innovations that Romney has used to drive his campaign forward. Tonight, I spoke at the Leadership Institute's Internet Fundraising Forum... when I get back to my email I see that the Romney campaign has redefined fundraising once again. One of the fundamental principles of fundraising is trust. How do I know (as a contributor) that you're going to use the money I give you in the right way. Well... now you know. Introducing the Victory Fund. The Romney camp gives you the ability to buy an actual ad in a local early state market. (see graphic below) 
Labels: ads, fundraising, fundraising team mitt, iowa, online fundraising, south carolina, tv
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 7:12 AM | permalink
Actually, Mitt is doing just fine. Its time for US to get SCARY for MITT. Today is the last day of October. There are less than 75 days until the election. We need to keep pushing. We ask one thing today: Donate $10 for Mitt. Then pass this message on! It takes two minutes to donate... Imagine if everyone who got this message donated $10 to Mitt today. Send it far and wide! (also... see our special " NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEMOCRATS VIDEO")  Thanks for David C for this pic:  Labels: fundraising
Thursday, October 18, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 9:18 AM | permalink
Friday, October 12, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 8:20 AM | permalink
 So, the primary season is coming to a close. And then... it starts all over again! Only this time... the opponents will be clear and the focus will be forward. Time to prime ourselves on what it takes to raise money. Here's the one rule you need to know about fundraising, everything else is ancillary. It is the one guiding principle I've used to set expectations and predict success over the last three years. In short: fundraising is very hard work. But with the right model in place and the requisite sweat equity, you can accomplish amazing things. Here are some quick thoughts on what it takes to raise money. First and foremost, understand some of the underlying rules of fundraising: - "People give to people to help people"
I've been working with non-profit organizations for almost a decade. Without fail, a general clarion-call for money will fail compared to a plea for a specific cause, especially when it is linked with a picture and a story. You need to have a compelling story with a person who can conjure up a compelling reason to compel people to open their wallets.
- "People give relative to their means"
No matter what the cause, the dollar amount donations from the 35-65 crowd will far outweigh the 20-30 crowd for one simple reason: they have $ to spend. This is why online fundraising has not yet exploded on the scene. As Patrick Ruffini has noted, the Dean revolution was an email revolution not a website coup. The Facebook, blogging and Web 2.0 crowd are truly young at heart. It will be a few years before they can churn out the $$$ to make a difference in the fundraising sector.
- "Those closest must set the pace"
When Romney kicked off his exploratory committee with a national call day January 8th, the 5 Romney boys set the example for the other 400 fundraisers by sticking at their tables for the entire duration of the event. When Meg Whitman, CEO of Ebay takes 9 hours out of her day to sit down and ask her friends for money it makes an impact on everyone around her. The candidate, the board, the members, the founders must make their efforts public and powerful.
Next we need to take a look at the trends in fundraisings. I note some of the efforts that I've been involved in as quick case studies for each point: - Growing use of the Internet for fundraising.
Again, "growing" is the operative word. By most accounts donations raised via the Internet are pithy and underwhelming. Only a handful of non-profit organizations and candidates can boast more than 6 figures in online fundraising. The trend is obviously toward the Internet but it has not been the harbinger of $$$ that many expected
- Innovation and adopting new practices and models.
The key to fundraising is innovation. I wager that any one of us receives half-a-dozen letters a week soliciting for donations. Standing out above the noise is the key to successful fundraising. Take for instance Romney's "Students for Mitt" program where college students can receive 10% back on everything they raise for the campaign.
- Involve everyone in fundraising
I know some professional fundraisers who were very upset at the Romney campaign for opening the floodgates to anyone and everyone. But it's paid off. For example, as a "Patriot" level fundraiser I have the ability to create "associate fundraisers" I get credit for whatever money they bring in and they in turn get credit for being part of a successful team of advocates. Many non-profit organizations are building bonus structures for their staff based donations that they bring in.
- Contemporary corporate marketing practices
Like any aged market, the political sphere has its own consultants, approaches, and software packages. Most every political campaign uses Aristotle Publishing for voter lists and most every 501(c)4 uses Capitol Advantage for online advocacy. Romney has broke the fundraising mold by utilizing a contact management system called SalesForce.com typically utilized by large and dispersed sales and business development groups. Many non-profit organizations are using ROI models to predict success and maximize margins on the donations.
- MOST IMPORTANT: FOCUS ON DONORS
When you give $2300 dollars to a campaign you are the man (or at least you should be treated like "the man".) Next to your unpaid fundraisers, you must focus like a laser beam on your high end contributors. By creating incentives and time factors into your efforts you create an energetic need to get involved and "max out". Everytime a donation comes into the Lighted Candle Society, I personally call the contributor to thank them.
Lastly, you need to understand WHY people give: - They believe you are making a difference in a cause they care about.
- They value your work
- They see it as an investment
- They get something in return
- They feel good about themselves
- Returning a favor
- Solving a problem
- Sending a message
- Receiving quality information
- Aligning with peers
- Bringing justice to the world
If you cater your message to these efforts your fundraising effort might just work. But note this: by my calculations 60-70% of the money that Romney has raised has been at in-person events. You may have heard about the $80,000 we've raised at MyManMitt.com for the Romney campaign. I should admit here openly and honestly that $40,000 of that money came from me working the phones. Of course, the website became the fulfillment engine for those donation, but the work to get the people there was manual. But once that momentum was in place I was able to do some amazing things online. In the last two days of the quarter we raised $5000 and I didn't make a single phone call. I basically customized an email to my previous donors and asked them to make a difference. Next week I'll talk in more detail about why I think the Democrats have been so much more successful at fundraising online that the GOP. Labels: fundraising
Thursday, September 27, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 7:03 AM | permalink
The big Rally for Romney starts tonight with fundraisers all over the country. It's not too late to join up and get with the rally nearest you!. Later this morning we will be bringing down our traditional webpage for today's events to help rally the troops. If you can't be there in person consider a contribution: 10 or 25 dollars can go a long way. Click here to donate. Labels: fundraising
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 7:28 AM | permalink
Reports that Fred's money machine may not be firing on all cylinders leads me to share what I’ve learned about fundraising in the last three years: it is very hard work. But if you have the right model you can accomplish amazing things. As a comparison note that Romney raised about $3 million before lunch was over at his fundraising kickoff. The contrast is stark. Here are some quick thoughts on what it takes to raise money. First and foremost, understand some of the underlying rules of fundraising: 1. “People give to people to help people” – I’ve been working with non-profit organizations for over a decade. Without fail, a general clarion-call for money will fail compared to a plea for a specific cause, especially when it’s linked with a picture and a story. You need to have a compelling story with a person who can conjure up a compelling reason to get people to open their wallets. 2. “People give relative to their means” – No matter what the cause, the amount of donations from the 35-60 crowd will far outweigh the 20-30 crowd for one simple reason. They have $ to spend. 3. “Those closest must set the pace” – When Romney kicked off the exploratory committee with a national call day January 8th the 5 Romney boys set the example for the other 400 fundraisers by sticking at their tables for the entire duration of the event. When Meg Whitman, CEO of Ebay take 9 hours out of her day to sit at another table and ask people for money it makes an impact on everyone around her. Next we need to take a look at the trends in fundraisings: 1. Growing use of the Internet for fundraising – “Growing” is the operative word. By most accounts donations raised via the Internet is pithy and underwhelming. Only a handful of non-profit organizations have shown more than 6 figures in online fundraising. The trend is obviously with the Internet but it has not been the harbinger of $$$ that many expected. 2. Innovation and adopting new practices and models – The key to fundraising is innovation. I wager that any one of us receives half-a-dozen letters a week soliciting donations. Standout out above the noise is the key to successful fundraising. Take for instance Romney’s “Students for Mitt” program where college students can receive 10% back on everything they raise for the campaign. 3. Involve everyone in fundraising – I know some professional fundraisers who were very upset at the Romney campaign for opening the fundraising floodgates to anyone and everyone. But it’s paid off. For example, as a “Patriot” level fundraiser I have the ability to create “associate fundraisers”. I get credit for whatever money they bring in and they in turn get credit for being part of a successful team of fundraisers. 4. Contemporary corporate marketing practices – Like any aged market, the political sphere has its own consultants, approaches, and software packages. Most every political campaign uses Aristotle Publishing for voter lists and most every 501(c)4 uses Capitol Advantage for online advocacy. Romney broke the mold by utilizing a contact management system called SalesForce.com typically utilized by large and dispersed sales and business development groups. 5. MOST IMPORTANT: FOCUS ON DONORS: When you give $2300 dollars to a campaign you are the man (or at least you should be treated like “the man”.) Next to your unpaid fundraisers you must focus like a laser beam on your high end contributors. By creating incentives and time factors into your efforts you create an energetic need to get involved and “max out”. Romney has held numerous incentive-bases time-sensitive fundraising efforts to meet this challenge Lastly, you need to understand WHY people give: • Believe we are making a difference in a cause they care about. • They value your work • They see it as an investment • Get something in return • Feel good about themselves • Return a favor • Solve a problem • Send a message • Received quality information • Align with peers • Bring justice to the world If you cater your message to these efforts your fundraising effort might just work. But note this: by my calculations 60-70% of the money that Romney has raised has been at in-person events. I’ve said this before but I believe that Fred is one election too early to concentrate on the virtual handshake. Romney has attended approximately 150 in-person fundraising events since January. The average take at these events is probably $150,000+. You do the math. Better yet, Fred better do it. Labels: fred thompson, fundraising
Monday, July 30, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 2:30 PM | permalink
Mike Allen over at the Politico says that Fred's fundraising has left something to be desired by supporters: But many Republicans have turned queasy as Thompson has ousted part of his original brain trust and repeatedly delayed his official announcement, which is now planned for shortly after Labor Day, in the first two weeks of September.
Some are already saying a prospective Thompson run is a flop. “I just don’t see it anymore,” said a key Republican who had been extremely enthusiastic about a Thompson candidacy.
"That number is really underwhelming. There were indications it could be double that. They've been saying that people were waiting for Fred, and the money was going to pour in. He looks like he's already losing momentum." Allen also quotes Fred's defense: “There has been some criticism that the testing-the-waters committee is not such a testing-the-waters committee and that he’s running some sort of campaign,” said a Thompson adviser.
“He’s raising enough to test the waters, not run a full-fledged presidential campaign. He’s not a candidate.” I could be wrong for using an old adage to rebut these things, but if it looks like a duck, smells like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Also, as Jennifer Rubin notes, Romney was up to $3M between 1 and 2 pm on his first fundraising telethon day which netted $6.5M. Labels: fred thompson, fundraising
Monday, July 23, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 2:02 PM | permalink
The New York Post asks this morning: What did Fred Thompson's son, Daniel, do to earn the more than $170,000 that his firm, Daniel Thompson Associates, was paid from his father's federal political action committee, the Fred D. Thompson PAC?
The records suggest he did next to nothing. When Thompson left the Senate in 2003 he had a leftover war chest of almost $400,000 which he transfered to the Fred D. Thompson PAC. Nothing unusual here. Except for this: ...very little of these funds actually went to candidates - the bulk of the money was paid to Daniel Thompson. The Post continues: In its first election cycle, the PAC made a total of only $18,000 in contributions to federal candidates and about $8,000 in contributions to Republican committees and non-federal candidates. So, the fund spent about 7 percent of its assets on candidates and elections in its first two years - and about 25 percent on Thompson's son.
The next cycle (2005-2006), the fund gave $21,200 to federal candidates and about $27,500 to non-federal candidates and party committees - and $84,000 to Daniel Thompson's firm.
To date, the PAC has paid $176,000 to the son's firm, $46,000 for federal races, $35,000 in other political donations and $62,700 to charity. The senator's son, in other words, accounts for more than half the outlays. So what was it that D. Thompson was doing for the PAC? Let me be clear, this is not an attack on the Thompson family but I think it brings up some serious questions about Thompson's money management prowess and decisions. I should note that in previous months Romney took some grief for his savvy PAC workings. Two differences here: 1) Romney used these monies for political strategy and 2) pumping money into state and federal candidates, not his sons. (OK... that last line was a bit of an uppercut - I hope not a low blow) Ask yourself this: If this were Obama or Clinton or Dodd what would we say about it? Labels: fred thompson, fundraising
Monday, July 2, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 4:42 PM | permalink
To get an in depth look at the state of McCain's campaign right now, read this from David Freddoso at NRO. One more thought came to me as I read through Marc Ambinder's run-down of the McCain numbers: McCain's campaign finances are an indictment on his ability to run a fiscally sound government. According to Freddoso, McCain raised $11.2 million in the second quarter, but spent $14.4 million, leaving just $2 million in cash on hand. Ambinder has another amazing number: Though he wouldn't confirm it, a back of the envelope calculation suggests that McCain has spent $23M this year, more than any of his opponents. Admittedly, McCain spent much of that money on ground-game organization (which as Justin continually reminds us is vital). It's not that the objects of McCain's expenses are frivolous or unworthy, but such expenditures make McCain's professions of fiscal discipline ring notably hollow. It begs the question: How can he reign in spending for the nation if he can't even do it for his campaign? How will he make the tough choices on federal spending? Labels: fiscal discipline, fundraising, John McCain
posted by Kyle Hampton | 2:08 PM | permalink
...or should I say down. McCain raised 11.2 million for the second quarter. CNN reports: Republican John McCain reorganized his campaign Monday, cutting staff in every department as he raised just $11.2 million in the last three months and reported an abysmal $2 million cash on hand for his presidential bid.
Some 50 staffers or more are being let go, and senior aides will be subject to pay cuts as the Arizona senator bows to six months of subpar fundraising, according to officials with knowledge of the details of the shake up. I haven't heard Romney's number yet. I'll keep my fingers crossed. Labels: fundraising, John McCain
Saturday, June 23, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 3:10 PM | permalink
Jonathan Martin has a piece up about the fundraising race for the second quarter. Mostly it talks about the expectation gaming that each candidate is doing. Some (i.e. McCain) have more pressure than others to lower the bar so as to exceed expectations. Obviously each campaign is working furiously to get as much as possible. Martin had one note in particular that I found amazing: While his public schedule has been markedly light, at least compared with Romney and McCain, Giuliani has kept up the fundraising pace. His campaign declined to say how many total events they did for the quarter, but said they’ll do around 50 in June alone. Romney had 30 events scheduled for June. McCain had 35. Obviously, McCain and especially Rudy are doing their best to generate cash. I think the point of all this, for us Romney supporters, is that we need to increase our efforts to support Romney. Personally, I think Romney is the president that this country needs: smart, innovative, a strong and effective executive, personally upright, god-fearing, and most importantly has the vision and message to confront the challenges that face us now and in the future. He's really the type of man and leader that comes along only about once a generation. That he is running for president is really amazing. Thus, we should seize the chance to help in Romney's efforts to lead this wonderful country. There are several ways to donate. Here at MMM or over at the official campaign website. Help make the second quarter as successful as the first quarter! Labels: fundraising, Jonathan Martin, Politico
Friday, April 20, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 7:58 AM | permalink
 WOW! Evidently, you feel the momentum too! Since the $23 Million announcement... MMM readers have contributed THOUSANDS of dollars to the Mitt Romney campaign through this site. We still have a goal of $50,000. Obviously, we can go WELL beyond that goal. Let's make it happen! Here's what you can do: - Make a donation! Even the smallest amount can help!
- Become a fundraiser yourself!
Labels: fundraising
Thursday, April 19, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 3:10 PM | permalink
Cross-posted at Race42008.com by HeavyM. There’s been several dozen articles in local media outlets in the past three or four days regarding the candidates’ fundraising totals - because the FEC reports released on Sunday broke the money down by state. So instead of having to read from the local NH paper that Romney raised the most in that state or the local NV paper that Rudy raised the most there, I have sorted through the FEC reports and compiled all the data for you. I know, you can thank me later. I’ll put the early primary states above the fold, and if you’re really nerdy, like I am, you can find much more information below the fold. If a candidate’s name isn’t listed, they didn’t raise anything from that particular state. And remember, these numbers may or may not tell us anything - they do not reflect the current state of the race; they are simply one ingredient with which to gauge the support of the candidates in various states. (If you want numbers from other specific states than these 5, let me know and I’ll put them in the comments section.) Iowa Romney outraised all other candidates combined in this state: Romney - $40,750 McCain - $8,767 Giuliani - $8,550 T Thompson - $4,800 Brownback - $3,900 Hunter - $2,100 Paul - $450 Tancredo - $215 Nevada Giuliani outraised all other candidates combined in NV: Giuliani - $526,375 Romney - $397,235 McCain - $99,500 Paul - $5,500 Tancredo - $5,050 Brownback - $3,000 T Thompson - $1,000 Hunter - $600 Huckabee - $500 New Hampshire Romney again outraised all other candidates combined in NH: Romney - $126,450 Paul - $16,950 McCain - $13,732 Giuliani - $13,300 Hunter - $12,900 Tancredo - $6,700 T Thompson - $2,300 Brownback - $1,950 Huckabee - $1,375 Gilmore - $1,000 South Carolina Romney - $174,525 McCain - $127,565 Giuliani - $120,650 Hunter - $18,000 Brownback - $7,612 Paul - $2,083 Huckabee - $1,350 Tancredo - $850 Florida A close one in the Sunshine State: Romney - $1,007,080 McCain - $999,456 Giuliani - $822,950 Paul - $39,915 Brownback - $35,194 Tancredo - $8,965 Hunter - $8,850 T Thompson - $7,600 Huckabee - $5,400 Top Fundraiser in Each State Brownback raised the most in Kansas, as did Huckabee in Arkansas. McCain was the top money man in 7 states (AZ, DC, IL, MS, NC, ND, and VA). Giuliani was tops in 11 states (DE, HI, IN, MN, NJ, NV, NY, OK, PA, TX, and WV). Romney took the other 30 states. Top States By Percentage of Total Money Raised Romney CA - 17.37% UT - 13.94% MA - 11.72% TX - 5.37% NY - 5.34% McCain CA - 15.37% NY - 11.74% AZ - 11.46% TX - 9.15% FL - 9.08% Giuliani NY - 22.32% CA - 18.00% TX - 16.16% NJ - 6.87% FL - 6.06% Brownback KS - 18.53% CA - 10.26% PA - 7.26% NY - 7.22% FL - 7.00% Random Facts Only Romney, McCain, and Giuliani raised money from all 50 states plus DC. Brownback came closest to them with 46. Gilmore wins the award for least number of states with only 14. Ron Paul surprised with money from 44 states. Of the 30 states Romney topped in total dollars, he raised more than all the rest of the candidates combined in 21 of them: CO, GA, IA, ID, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MO, NH, NM, OH, OR, RI, SD, TN, UT, VT, WA, and WY. Giuliani managed to do the same in 6 of his 11 states: IN, NJ, NV, NY, OK, and WV. McCain did so in 2 of his 7: AZ and MS. The highest percentage of money from one state award goes to Tommy Thompson, who raised 70% of his funds from WI. Gilmore was next with 61% of his money coming from VA, and Huckabee raised over 52% of his from Arkansas. Labels: fundraising
Monday, April 16, 2007
posted by Ben Wren | 8:20 AM | permalink
The Des Moines Register has an interesting article on the state of the Race in Iowa. The article states: The race for the 2008 caucuses is fluid, with Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, having laid the most groundwork, followed closely by Arizona Sen. John McCain. Republican officials in Iowa's most populous counties give the nod to Romney when asked who has the advantage when it comes to on the ground organization: "There really isn't a frontrunner in Iowa right now," former state GOP Chairman Mike Mahaffey said. "The polls say it's Rudy Giuliani. But organizationally, I'd have to say Romney and McCain are doing more of the hard slogging." Another believes: Pottawattamie County Republican Chairman David Overholtzer said Romney has also been to western and southwest Iowa more often than his fellow candidates, which could give him a leg up in that GOP-rich part of Iowa."If you were taking a snapshot right now, Governor Romney has got the most momentum in southwest Iowa," Overholtzer said.
Chairman Steve Schmitt from the Waterloo area said: "I still say Romney's got more what I would call momentum up here," Schmitt said. Why is this important? Despite the polls saying Giuliani is winning in Iowa the key test at this point is organization. Romney and McCain have invested heavily in their staff organizations. This partly accounts for Romney's burn rate which left him essentially tied with Giuliani on the cash on hand number. Getting staff, headquarters, and equipment has many one time costs that are incurred by the campaign. Having run a grassroots headquarters in 2006 for Senator Santorum this is an apparent fact for me. The things that have to be bought include copy machines, cell phones, hookup fees for the calling plans for the cell phones, printers, paper, fax machines, office supplies, security deposits on the property they are renting, hookup fees for the services the headquarters requires, tables, furniture, any equipment the staff requires, and materials for grand openings. Then you take all of these expenses and multiply them by how many headquarters are set up around the country in IA, NH, SC, MI and Boston. These are all one time costs that have been incurred by the Romney Campaign and not by the Giuliani campaign. It has been noticeably lacking in the coverage of Romney's cash on hand numbers and should be considered when analyzing the numbers. Labels: cash on hand, fundraising, iowa, Romney
Friday, April 13, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 3:59 PM | permalink
Noted on the HotlineTotal receipts in the first quarter: Total receipts were $23,434,634.25, all for the Primary. The $23.4 million figure is comprised of not only contributions and the governor's loan, but several other items: Net contributions $20,737,149.05 Loan from Gov. Romney $2,350,000.00 Refunded contributions $245,539.18 Vendor refunds $99,420.01 Interest income $2,426.01 Other refunds $100.00 Number of donations and contributors: 36,538 donations, 32,074 unique donors Top 10 states for donations: In order: California, Utah, Massachusetts, Texas, Michigan, New York, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, Connecticut Breakdown of itemized (over $200) vs. un-itemized (under $200) contributions: 38%, or 12,236 donors, were itemized (over $200); 62%, or 19,838, were un-itemized (under $200) Internet Contributions: Over $7.2 million was raised online ($7,206,216.59). This breaks down into: $3,365,625.59 in pure and simple website fundraising, and $3,840,591.00 raised through Quick ComMitt, our online fundraising pledge entry tool Disbursements Cash on hand: 11,863,652.79 Investment rate: Our investment rate was 49.37%. Total receipts were $23,434,634.25. Total disbursed was $11,570,981.46, leaving $11,863,652.79 cash on hand. Labels: campaign, funding, fundraising
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 11:42 AM | permalink
Steve Kornacki, an organizer for Unity08 (a group that advocates a bipartisan Presidential ticket in 2008) rehashes the same hit material on Mitt Romney that we’ve all heard before: “But Mr. Romney’s political and financial positioning at this early stage actually invites a parallel to Phil Gramm and his lavishly funded—and epically catastrophic—quest for the G.O.P. nomination in 1996.”
“And it’s only a matter of time before Mr. Romney, who is blessed with a more agreeable personality than Mr. Gramm, sees his early appeal to conservative donors undercut by YouTube”
“But in this era of viral video, how can Mr. Romney claim the “conservative’s conservative” mantle when he’s left such a vivid, meandering trail?” You know, same old stuff. But the line that stood out to me was earlier in the piece: “There is reason to believe that Mr. Obama’s exalted standing could be of the lasting variety, since his financial support indicates an enviable mix of grass-roots fervor and professional muscle.
But Mr. Romney’s view from the top may be very short-lived indeed.” Somehow this is Kornacki’s astute analysis: Obama’s numbers mean something while Romney’s don’t. Then comes the tie in with Phil Gramm. There is no explanation as to why Romney’s numbers are meaningless besides the strained attempt to parallel the Gramm campaign. I mean no disrespect to Senator Obama, who in fact does have very enviable numbers both on the total amount raised and the number of donors. However, the attempt to paint Romney as a Gramm reincarnate is misguided to say the least. Did they both have successful fundraising? Yes. Are they both conservative? Yes. But the same comparison could be made to a number of candidates, past and present. Thus, if these were the only two criteria to compare one unfavorably to Phil Gramm, then Kornacki has unnaturally narrowed the field. Kornacki also glosses over the differences between Romney and Gramm, even the ones exposed in his own piece: “Mr. Gramm, who was fond of noting that he’d flunked the third, seventh, and ninth grades…” Does this sound like Romney? Or maybe this is Romney: “The reasons were myriad: over-inflated expectations, strategic miscalculations, prolonged blundering on a politically sensitive topic in New Hampshire, and an obscene “burn rate” of campaign cash with no discernible benefits in return.” None of these descriptors that Kornacki uses to describe Gramm match Romney. Indeed, in reading the article, it becomes painfully apparent that Kornacki is projecting. He wants Romney to be Gramm and so tries to parallel Gramm’s failed presidential bid. But wanting it to be so does not make it so. If Kornacki were more honest with himself he might see more parallels between a current candidate for president that raised the most cash, is a second term senator, faces inflated expectation, prolonged blundering on the most politically sensitive topic of the day (Iraq), and panders to the senator’s base: Hillary Clinton. Labels: fundraising, New York Observer, Phil Gramm, Steve Kornacki
Friday, April 6, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 11:57 AM | permalink
CNS cites several noted political scientists, including Larry Sabato, saying that Romney's money is not just Mormon money.Labels: fundraising
Thursday, April 5, 2007
posted by Kyle Hampton | 11:38 AM | permalink
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
posted by Justin Hart | 8:54 AM | permalink
Hugh Hewitt notes a change in the McCain approach to fundraising: Drawing on some of the successful fundraising techniques of President Bush’s two campaigns for the White House, the McCain campaign now plans to mirror the Bush-Cheney campaign’s Pioneers, Rangers and Mavericks with the McCain 50s, McCain 100s, McCain 200s and other elite designations for top fundraisers who agree to raise $50,000, $100,000, $200,000 or more. I guess he looked at Romney's $20+ million and said... wow, that worked... I should try that. Come on in John... the waters fine! You see Romney realized the value of this approach sometime last year. In January, Spencer Zwick, Ben Ginsberg, and the finance team put in place 3 fundraising levels: Founder, Statesman and Patriot. Each level corresponds to a committment of fundraising before the year is out. There were other bonuses for fulfilling your promise within the first 30 days (a ski trip with the Governor). On top of that Team Romney put in place incentives to match your lifestyle: Let me give you an analogy: I have a very good friend in the midst of a start-up. His product is a unique remote control with 5 "On" buttons. When you press the button for "Family" it sorts through all of the shows that are playing on your cable or satellite box and filters the choices for you that your family will like. When you press the button for "With the spouse" it does likewise. When you press the button for "Just Me" it grabs the latest sports team you like to watch and so on. Team Romney has brought the best of the business world to campaign fundraising: know your customer and cater to them. By creating a myriad of well-honed programs for the specific incentives and needs of a specific audience, Romney can maximize his fundraising effort. Which is exactly how he raised the $23 million. One example: last Monday Team Romney sent out an email to people who subscribe to MittLink: Today, as an extra special reward for your efforts, you can earn two tickets to the NCAA College Basketball Final Four. Just earn the most points using MittLink from today, Tuesday, March 27th through 11:59 p.m. EST, Thursday, March 29th, and the tickets are yours! You earn points on MittLink by inviting people to join the network or fulfilling donations through the system. You can redeem the points for Mitt Gear. This is all part of the extreme and innovative way that Team Romney has literally re-invented fundraising. Labels: fundraising, McCain
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