Online Fundraising

How will future FEC regulations affect the effectiveness of online fundraising? It makes sense when it is suggested that with the increased curbing of large campaign donations, smaller ones will be made more frequently and most likely be done on the internet. So, online fundraising is not just about providing a means for supporters to donate to your campaign (i.e. providing a secure server, making the donation page attractive to the user and user-friendly) but also as a means to sustain the networks of people that will be necessary for your organization to connect in order to maintain a campaign's fluidity given the increased number of smaller donations. Republicans are succeeding at out raising the Democrats because they are doing a fine job of maintaining their networks of people who make small donations. Obviously, the internet has assisted in this endeavor, for according to Professor Cornfield in the Toronto Star in October 19, 2004, "The Democrats have been out-networked on small donations by the Republicans for 30 years." Of course the internet was not around 30 years ago, so apparently the Republicans have adapted their traditional fundraising techniques and strategies to the internet, for they are still out-raising the Dems.