Political campaigns need to raise money to succeed, which means they need to have a strong network of donors.  Fundraising events are effective because they allow campaigns to achieve two goals simultaneously.  With a single effort, a campaign can collect multiple pledges and expand its donor network and contact lists.

Social media, despite having many negative effects on democracy, is nonetheless helping campaigns expand their approach to fundraising by making it easier to reach more diverse (and more targeted) groups of potential donors.  Virtual political fundraising ideas in your campaign strategy and social media campaigns are a great way to boost your name recognition, voter outreach, and political fundraising without stressing your campaign budget.

These ideas can cast a wide net for fundraising, some of which could translate to recurring donations (and even passive donations!):

Virtual and hybrid events are an interesting and fun way for campaigns to modernize fundraising.  So, we’ve compiled 10 creative and effective virtual fundraising event ideas to get you started. Let's start with our first virtual campaign fundraising idea!

1. Host a Virtual Concert

This virtual fundraising event works as both an in-person and a remote option because you can stream a performance with or without a live audience.  The band can serve as an endorsement for your campaign and as a way to encourage contributions from potential donors who are also fans of the band.  Prepare a short speech to thank everyone for coming and give major donors a sense of personal recognition by sharing in the fun with them. Make sure to share your online donation form to ready to share with attendees, potential voters, and your existing donor base

2. Host Live Stream Events

A fun virtual fundraising idea includes using apps like Twitch, Instagram, or TikTok to reach new audiences by hosting livestream grassroots fundraising events. Members of Congress, including Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, have successfully generated a lot of buzz by live streaming and playing video games like Among Us in public.

You can also livestream speeches or in-person fundraising events to increase attendance and pledge potential.

With this method, you can either raise money through the platform with a donation page or use dedicated political fundraising platforms and fundraising tools specifically built for this kind of fundraising.

3. Plan a Virtual Pancake Breakfast

Bring the community together by inviting families to serve delicious hotcakes and sausage separately in your own homes but joining virtually. Fundraising events like these are great for involving your whole family and allowing you, as a candidate, to strengthen your bond with the community.

While somewhat unconventional, virtual fundraising events like this increase accessibility for people struggling to attend in-person events.  Setting up an order form on your campaign website or social media platforms can streamline the ordering and delivery. Recruiting local businesses or organizations to help or donate food could earn some endorsements from your community.

4. Host a Virtual Movie Night

Pick a movie that aligns with an issue related to your campaign and hold a discussion after the movie.  You can also post a poll on social media that lets attendees pick the movie and increase your opportunities for engagement and voter outreach. 

With virtual fundraising ideas like this, you have the option to host more exclusive events where people donate to attend or a more grassroots event where you make small asks at the end but expand your potential online fundraising for recurring donations.

5. Create a Spotify playlist

 Spend a little time putting together a list of songs representing your policies and setting a mood for your campaign. Cultivating and sharing a playlist can increase the rate at which potential donors follow through with their pledges.

6. Launch an NFT

NFTs can build community within your campaign by offering donors personalized recognition of their contributions.  Candidates have successfully recruited new grassroots donors to their campaigns using NFTs. Host a virtual launch party to personalize the experience and build out your grassroots community. After, you can offer access to it in your merch store or through small donations to your campaign.

7. Run Game Nights

Trivia nights, board games, and poker tournaments are all great ways to engage potential donors.  People can donate to play and you can live stream the event.  This method works with in-person games or through virtual participation.  There are tons of online games that can be played in teams.  You can organize teams and have tournaments for serious fun and serious fundraising.

8. Host a Community Class

Whether you're running for local office or Congress, this is a great fundraising idea for early in your campaign. You could organize peer fundraising campaign with a painting class using a local artist as the instructor. Attendees can donate to gain access to the class. You can learn a new skill and build a stronger connection with donors who have the potential to expand your donor networks. 

9. Host a Clean-a-thon

Recruit volunteers and host an event to gather pledges for clean-up efforts around your community.  Pledges could be based on the weight of garbage volunteers pick up from local beaches, trails, waterways, or roadsides. The pledges can serve as political contributions for your campaign, and you’ll be instrumental in improving the community before you even take office.

10. Sell Merch

 Selling branded items like t-shirts, facemasks, etc., can generate a significant number of individual contributions. Political candidates like Senator Bernie Sanders raised tens of millions of dollars in the 2020 presidential race through grassroots fundraising like selling political merchandise such as t-shirts and tote bags. While not an event, merch can come with you and is easily customizable to your events.  Plus, merch serves as a form of recognition for donors who purchase them or attend fundraising events.  This approach is a fantastic way to fuel grassroots fundraising that can create a steady source of passive funding for your campaign.

Bonus Idea: Host a Design Contest

Encourage supporters to submit designs for your merch, and sell the winning designs. Host a virtual event to announce the winner and feature notable applicants on your social media. These in-kind contributions allow your campaign to continue fundraising through merchandising, creating a more consistent inflow of funds.

Virtual Fundraising Can Be Fun!

Building a successful campaign means you’ll need to be creative and look for the fundraising strategies that will best get your message out to the voters.  In many ways you can maximize your efforts by incorporating a few virtual fundraising ideas into your approach.  Activities like live streaming a game of Uno are entertaining and engaging — especially with younger voters — but cost almost nothing to pull off.  Have fun with it!

FAQs

How are political campaigns funded?

Political campaigns are funded through their fundraising campaigns (fundraising emails, major donor call time, Peer-to-peer fundraising, etc). When first starting, many candidates wonder how to run for office with no money—or if they can run without cash. And the truth is, they can’t. Campaigns are expensive, and having the right budget is instrumental in successfully running for office. Depending on fundraising goals, campaigns sometimes seek contributions up to two years before the election cycle with fundraising consultants among their first hires. Political contributions include both cash and in-kind donations of services or goods.

Brian Forde

Brian Forde is the CEO and co-founder of Numero, a start-up building campaign fundraising software for Democratic candidates. He ran for Congress in 2018 and was one the top ten fundraisers in the country for first-time candidates. Prior to his run, Brian served as a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, was the Director of the Digital Currency Initiative at the famed MIT Media Lab, and founded one of the largest phone companies in Nicaragua after serving as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer. For his work, Brian was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Graduate of the Last Decade by the London Business School, and a 40 under 40 Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Brian lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, Alison.

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