Even years after digital campaigning has become mainstream, we still hear about some pushback that local candidates get for wanting to fundraise online. The argument is often made by a team member believing that the costs to fundraise online are too high.
In other words, because an online fundraising method incurs fees, then it should be avoided.
By that logic, you shouldn’t solicit donations by mail, either. After all, stamps and envelopes cost money.
And don’t take credit cards, either – they charge a fee off the top!
Forget holding a campaign events. That can cost plenty of money up front, without even a guarantee of covering expenses.
And who wouldn’t rather take the time to write a check and mail it over making a quick online donation?
When it comes down to it, a person’s negativity to fundraising through alternate ways is usually due to fear. They are afraid that it’s too complicated to take money through online sources.
They couldn’t be more wrong. It’s easier than ever for political campaigns to raise money online. It’s the first place many candidates turn to when they are just starting out.
Why online fundraising in important to political campaigns
Online fundraising services are a great way to raise money for your cause. The best of these services offer intuitive interfaces that make creating and managing events, donations, and pledges a breeze. To start, you’ll need to pick an online donation service. When you sign up, you’ll need to provide information about your organization and bank account information to accept deposits.
It usually takes a few days for your information to be verified. Once that’s done, you’ll be able to get started. It’s pretty simple to incorporate a donation form into a website. For example, with our own campaign website platform, online fundraising systems are easy to set up as an embedded form or a direct link from your website. We are always glad to help our clients with integration.
Sure, taking money online costs a bit in transaction fees, which range around 4%, plus .30 or so per transaction. But those fees come from money that your campaign probably would not have raised otherwise through email and social media. Not only that, but digital donation platforms make reporting compliance a LOT easier than dealing with loose checks.
So, the next time someone in your campaign goes negative about online fundraising, tell them that they have nothing to fear – and everything to gain – by taking donations over the web. It’s easier than you think!
Online Candidate websites can be integrated with Raise the Money, Anedot, ActBlue, and other online fundraising services. Learn more about our affordable political website packages.
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Tags: paypal, political donations
