All About the Benjamins (and the Andrews)

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Another election year is officially here, and so is another avalanche of colossal numbers. It’s easy to get the impression that out there, somewhere, is a stadium full of high rollers with pockets so deep as to require special equipment. And, while it’s true that there are definitely some whales in the sea, there are so many more fish as to make the whales seem almost nonexistent. In a nutshell, wake up, Ahab, maybe it’s time to go fishing.

The methods of luring in the big donors are well established. Plop some well-garnished lamb chops on a $1,000 plate, break out the funny speech, put on your honest face, and spend the night talking yourself up at every table. The process is obviously more complex, but, typically, the big donors are already players in the game. Appealing to them is an art form, but they show up with purchase intent, and they always show up.

Micro donations are very different. The $10 donor doesn’t expect a seat at the table, or a plate, or even the free crackers that arrive before the salad. They just want to participate. They can’t offer your campaign the capacity of a new outreach effort or a series of ad buys, but they can offer your campaign something just as important – loyalty. The $10 donor doesn’t often make donations. When they do, it’s because they believe. And, even if they only offer a small amount, they now have skin in the game, and that’s worth its weight in garnished lamb chops.

Raise the Money understands the importance of all donations, big and small. It is for this reason that RTM allows donations as low as $1, even though these donations cost RTM more to process than the donation is worth. The reason is simple … real support is more than just money. A dollar is always worth a dollar. A motivated supporter is worth a vote.