Some of the benefits of online fundraising....
While I won't bore you by saying how influential the Internet can be in a political campaign, I will say that online fundraising does have a number of benefits over traditional fundraising methods. I learned most of the reasons after reading this publication produced by the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet
Their research shows that while the average mail in donation is $35, the average online donation is $100. That is nearly three times the donation level and that could surely make a difference in a campaign. In addition, a political supporter can forward an email or a web page to hundreds of their friends and acquaintances to garner support. Even if ten of those hundreds contribute this will still make a huge difference. Sure we cannot get the same kind of targeting results online as we get through direct mail but the potential to reach more people is key.
When I think of all the list servs that I am a member of I can only begin to think of the potential that I could raise. By forwarding one email to one of those list servs I could increase a campaign's bankroll substantially. By only typing in one list serv address, I could make the difference between whether a campaign is able to afford that one critical ad at the end of the campaign. Sure that may sound like a cocky statement, but with the Internet it is possible.
Their research shows that while the average mail in donation is $35, the average online donation is $100. That is nearly three times the donation level and that could surely make a difference in a campaign. In addition, a political supporter can forward an email or a web page to hundreds of their friends and acquaintances to garner support. Even if ten of those hundreds contribute this will still make a huge difference. Sure we cannot get the same kind of targeting results online as we get through direct mail but the potential to reach more people is key.
When I think of all the list servs that I am a member of I can only begin to think of the potential that I could raise. By forwarding one email to one of those list servs I could increase a campaign's bankroll substantially. By only typing in one list serv address, I could make the difference between whether a campaign is able to afford that one critical ad at the end of the campaign. Sure that may sound like a cocky statement, but with the Internet it is possible.
