What Nonprofits Can Learn from Political Fundraising Campaigns  

During the 2020 US presidential election, political campaigns collected over $25.3 billion ($29.8 billion after adjusting for inflation). More recently, presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ team raised more than $81 million in the 24-hour period after Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, claiming to be the largest single-day total in the country’s history. This massive influx of funds highlights the intense financial efforts and strategic planning involved in modern political campaigns. As experts in campaign fundraising, we work with leading nonprofits to stay on the cutting edge of campaign technology, borrowing techniques from leading strategies across sectors. What similarities can be drawn between nonprofit and political fundraising campaigns? In this article, we share with you some strategies from the political fundraising landscape that can be applied to your organization.  

The Structure of Fundraising Campaigns 

Your Development Team is LIKE a Political Action Committee 

Most of the funding for the 2024 election – over 65%, or nearly $5.6 billion – comes from political action committees, otherwise known as PACs. PACs are organizations that raise and spend money to support candidates and influence elections. They can represent industry groups, labor unions, or individual companies. They run advertisements on specific issues or for candidates, finance get-out-the-vote drives, do research on election issues, and more. In a way, these PACS are like a nonprofit’s development team, but on a much larger scale. However, there are some tactics we can learn from them and implement in our own fundraising efforts. 

Timeless Pillars of Philanthropic Fundraising

Every fundraising mission, including political fundraising, begins with “case, leadership, prospects, and plan.” 

• CASE. Create and communicate your case for support. Outline the need, urgency and impact of your efforts. 
• LEADERSHIP. Empower leaders for your task force/campaign committee. Execute strategic priorities. 
• PROSPECTS. Identify and segment donors – recognize opportunities, timing, request amounts and overall approach. 
• PLAN. Monitor and track activity with weekly and quarterly benchmarks, adjusting when necessary.  

Political Fundraising Pillars 

There are three key political fundraising pillars that drive PAC’s impactful efforts. These pillars focus on effective communication, engaging donors and volunteers, and utilizing diverse fundraising channels. Nonprofits can learn from these strategies to enhance their own fundraising efforts and build stronger, more engaged communities. 

• Effective Communication and Relationship Building
• Donor/Volunteer Engagement and Mobilization
• Diverse Fundraising Channels

One: Effective Communication and Relationship Building in nonprofit and POLITICAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS 

Effectively conveying mission and impact is paramount during election years to build relationships with donors and volunteers, as well as during nonprofit and political fundraising campaigns. It requires not only a clear understanding of the donor’s interests and motivations, but also an alignment of those factors with the PAC’s objectives and activities. A nonprofit could replicate this approach by fostering a culture of transparency and gratitude. This can be achieved through regular updates on how donations are being utilized, success stories that highlight the tangible outcomes of their support, and opportunities for donors and volunteers to engage directly with the organization’s mission.  

Additionally, creating tailored engagement plans that recognize and celebrate individual contributions can further strengthen these relationships, ensuring long-term commitment and support. During the last US presidential election cycle, 64% of voters reported receiving text messages and 60% reported receiving emails from political campaigns. However, an even greater percentage (78%) indicated they were reached through more traditional methods, such as printed mail or fliers. As donors and potential donors receive more political outreach during this time, nonprofits should ensure communication is as personalized as possible, updating donors on how contributions have made a difference. 

TWO: Donor/Volunteer Engagement and Mobilization 

A grassroots approach requires diligence and a strong online presence, and PACs must also rely on word-of-mouth, local events, and volunteer activities. Nevertheless, the method can be highly effective, especially for PACs that are supporting hot-button topics that constituents are passionate about. Nonprofits can replicate this by leveraging similar strategies to engage their communities. By focusing on personalized outreach, hosting community events where volunteers can be active participants, and maintaining active communication channels, nonprofits can build strong, lasting relationships with their supporters to get them involved. Additionally, utilizing social media and other digital platforms can amplify their message and mobilize a broader audience, ensuring their mission resonates with a wider group of constituents. 

THREE: Diverse Fundraising Channels

Political fundraisers often solicit contributions through direct mail campaigns, fundraising events, door-to-door solicitations, and meet-and-greets with political figures in the form of talks or dinners. For nonprofits, this could mean sending personalized letters or newsletters to potential donors, highlighting their mission, recent achievements, and how contributions make a difference. Hosting events such as charity galas, auctions, or community fairs, visiting neighborhoods to share information about the nonprofit’s work, and organizing talks or dinners with key figures in the nonprofit sector can provide additional channels to connect and build lasting relationships with supporters. 

ENGAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Beyond direct engagement, digital outreach is critical in this post-pandemic virtual world, and social media is a leading online fundraising tool. Fifty-five percent (55%) of people who engage with nonprofits on social media subsequently donate or volunteer. By creating compelling content and targeted advertisements, PACs tap into networks of potential donors who share their political views or interests, and once they have built a strong social following, they maintain their momentum in and out of campaign season, allowing for consistent fund generation.

Nonprofits can apply this method to their own organization by leveraging social media to share impactful stories, engage with their audience regularly, and create targeted campaigns that resonate with their supporters’ values and interests. This not only attracts new donors, but also retains existing ones by keeping them informed and involved in the nonprofit’s mission and activities. 

CONSIDER BRANDED MERCHANDISE

Selling branded merchandise is another way in which PACs raise funds. Items like t-shirts, hats, bumper stickers, and other memorabilia generate revenue, consolidate a brand identity, promotes the PAC’s cause, and can be a tool to recruit others to their mission and maximizes visibility. Effective merchandising relies on strong branding, so PACs often use slogans, logos, or symbols that resonate with their target audience to create a sense of identity and community among supporters. Former President Barack Obama’s slogans “Yes We Can” and “Change We Can Believe In” and Reagan’s 1984 slogan “It’s Morning Again in America” were among the most well-known, and were featured on merchandise sold across the country during their campaigns, demonstrating the power of effective branding.

Interestingly, 70% of buyers hope their political merchandise will influence others to support the same candidate and 75% view the purchase of political merchandise as a political donation. Since many buyers already perceive merchandise purchases as donations, nonprofits can capitalize on fundraising opportunities by offering their own merchandise. Additionally, merchandise can enhance engagement and loyalty while strategically spreading the organization’s core values and mission through well-designed items.  

Lessons in nonprofit and political fundraising campaigns  

In political and nonprofit fundraising, continually assessing and refining strategies is crucial for success. Below are key focus areas and essential questions to help your Development Team consider “borrowing” from the political fundraising playbook.

CASE: 

LEADERSHIP: 

1. Who are our surrogates?  
2. Are we using our surrogates effectively?
3. Who are our (local) celebrity spokespersons? 
4. When was the last time we simulated a donor interaction (parallel to “debate prep”)? 
5. Are we “staffing” our leaders appropriately?
6. Do we have a strong advance team to allow our leaders to not “sweat the small stuff”? 

PROSPECTS: 

1. Have we done the appropriate donor tracking and research?
2. When was the last time we did some polling (surveys), canvasing (one-on-one interviews), and/or focus groups? 
3. Are we empowering prospects to be volunteers, or are we attempting to gain volunteers first and prospects second?  
4. Do we track volunteers? 

PLAN: 

1. Are we benchmarking our progress?
2. Do our timelines include concentrated bursts of energy?
3. Are our events for fundraising or to build support (like a political rally)?
4. Have we considered a “town hall” event? 
5. Do we have something similar to a “convention,” or large-scale event? 
6. What is our annotated table of gifts, mirroring a “path to 270” or election plan? 
7. Have we considered recurring gifts in our plan? 
8. Have we defined our “field operation” and its components?   

Leverage Political Campaign Fundraising Tactics at Your Nonprofit  

Political fundraising offers key strategies that nonprofits can adopt to boost their efforts. By learning from PACs, nonprofits can enhance donor engagement, build strong relationships, and develop an effective online presence. By integrating these proven methods, nonprofits can drive greater impact and achieve their fundraising goals more efficiently.