Raising money is one of the most important — and most dreaded — parts of running for office. But there’s nothing mysterious about it. In this video, political consultant Jay Townsend walks through seven time-tested methods candidates use to fund their campaigns, from building your contact list to hosting events to reaching donors you’ve never met. Stick around to the end: there’s a free resource that can help you identify new donors for your campaign.
Before you ask anyone for money, you need to know who you know. This sounds obvious, but most candidates drastically underestimate the size of their network.
Start with the people closest to you — family, relatives, close friends, neighbors, coworkers, fellow churchgoers. Write them down. Then go deeper. Check your Facebook friends, your LinkedIn connections, your Instagram followers. Pull out your high school and college yearbooks. Go through every job you’ve ever held, every volunteer organization you’ve been part of, every civic group, every dinner party, every neighborhood gathering.
And don’t overlook the most obvious place of all: the contact list in your phone.
The goal of this exercise isn’t to ask everyone for money. It’s to rekindle your memory of people you know that you have forgotten you know.
Once you have your list, you have to actually ask. This is where many candidates freeze — and it’s a problem.
Here’s a story that illustrates why. A man once called me about running for mayor of a city. He had ideas. He had ambition. But when the conversation turned to fundraising, he said: “I am not going to ask my family or my friends because I don’t want to waste their money.”
That was the end of the conversation, and our relationship.
If you’re not willing to ask the people nearest to you to help you advance your cause, it’s a sign that you don’t really have one, or a sign that you don’t believe in the cause you profess to have. Fundraising is hard. Asking feels uncomfortable. But it is not optional. Some people will say no — so what? Get over it and move to the next name on your list.
Your personal network can only take you so far. The next step is extending your reach through the people who already support you.
The principle is simple: ask your supporters to connect you to their friends and people they know. One candidate I worked with had a donor who gave generously. Rather than simply saying thank you, the candidate asked: “Do you think you might be able to introduce me to a few of your friends who’d be interested in joining our cause?”
The donor wasn’t comfortable making calls or hosting a party. But he agreed to write a letter and say nice things about the candidate I was working with. I drafted it, the donor approved it, and sent it to twenty people. It raised $10,000.
That’s the model. You don’t need to know every donor personally — you just need to be willing to ask your initial donors who they know.
Digital fundraising tools are available to any campaign, and they are not expensive.
What drives online giving? Fear, anger, passion, and a compelling story about what’s at stake. The most effective messages — whether by email, text, or social media — tell a clear story, identify a cause, and make the reader feel that their contribution genuinely matters.
Facebook advertising is inexpensive and can be highly targeted. Email is easy to send and easy to forward. Text messages get read — even unsolicited ones. Every one of these channels gives you a way to reach donors at near-zero cost. And don’t underestimate the power of asking your supporters to share your fundraising message with their own networks. An email that gets forwarded once is powerful.
There’s a generation of voters who don’t use donation platforms, don’t have email, and may not touch social media. They do, however, get mail.
The Baby Boom generation is the wealthiest in American history — with a collective net worth estimated at roughly $60 trillion. Many of them are generous givers. And direct mail reaches them in a way that digital channels simply don’t.
A well-written fundraising letter — one page or two or more, explaining clearly why you’re running and what you’ll do — sent to friends or to people who have given to political campaigns before, will raise money. Don’t dismiss it as old-fashioned. For the right audience, it remains one of the most effective tools in your arsenal.
Cocktail Parties
The most common campaign fundraising event. Guests pay a modest admission fee and spend a couple of hours with you over food and drinks. The key: have a host who invites their own friends — not yours. The host’s network is the entire point. If a potential host says “give me your friends and I’ll invite them,” politely decline. That’s not how it works.
Dinner Parties
More exclusive and higher-dollar — typically used in governor or Senate-level races. A host brings ten people into a room, each paying $1,000 or more for an evening with you. The return isn’t just the ticket revenue: every person at that table is a potential connection to more donors. One U.S. Senate candidate I worked with raised $10,000 at a single dinner — and turned those relationships into $100,000 more over the course of the campaign.
Celebrity and Large Events
If you know a musician, an athlete, or a well-known community figure, get them involved. A recognizable name draws a crowd. If you don’t have a celebrity connection, create your own draw: a themed event, a live band, a community gathering where people pay for a good time and leave having supported your campaign.
Q: How do I ask someone for money without feeling embarrassed?
A: The discomfort is real, but it’s a mindset issue. Reframe it: you’re not asking for money for yourself — you’re giving someone the opportunity to invest in a cause you believe in. Most people who say no aren’t rejecting you; they just have other priorities right now. Move to the next name on your list.
Q: How much should I ask for?
A: Tailor the ask to the person. For close friends or family, be specific: “Would you be able to contribute $250?” A vague ask begets a vague response. For events, set a clear admission price in advance. For letters and emails, give multiple giving levels so people can self-select what feels right.
Q: What’s the best way to follow up after asking?
A: A personal thank-you — by phone or handwritten note — goes a long way and makes future asks easier. For people who said no or didn’t respond, a brief follow-up after a few weeks is appropriate. Don’t badger anyone, but don’t assume that a ‘no’ or “I’ll have to think about it” is forever.
Q: Do small donations actually matter?
A: Absolutely. Small donors are the foundation of any grassroots campaign. Beyond the money, a large number of individual donors signals community support — which matters to larger donors, to the press, and to voters. Small donors who feel invested in your campaign also tend to become volunteers, advocates, and connectors to other donors.
Q: When should I start fundraising?
A: As early as possible. Campaigns that wait until the final months to raise money spend too much time chasing dollars when they should be spending time with voters. Build your donor list, make your first asks, and establish a fundraising rhythm at the get go. Many candidates start fundraising before they announce their candidacy.
Jay Townsend has spent more than 40 years advising candidates at every level of American politics. Below the video you’ll find a link to a full playlist on identifying donors you don’t yet know — watch it. For more campaign strategy resources, visit JayTownsend.com or subscribe to Jay’s YouTube channel for new videos every week.
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