When Election Year Fundraising Threatens to Smother Nonprofits

Election cycles are getting longer. Candidates are fundraising more than ever.

And in a presidential election year, there are also congressional, state, and local races going on. This means maddening clutter in mailboxes, email inboxes, and the media.

Here are five fundraising secrets to break through the election year fundraising clutter and keep donors engaged:

1. Start acquiring new donors early.
   You’re probably not competing with the political fundraisers for donors, but you are competing with the clutter they generate. So before the political fundraising and general electioneering dominate everything, get out there early with an aggressive acquisition campaign.
2. Emphasize retention.
   After you’ve acquired donors, start building retention right away with prompt thank-yous and second-gift conversion appeals. Donor stewardship matters! Also, heavily promote your sustainer program. You want to lock in new donors before they’re distracted by the election.
3. Adjust your schedule.
   Do as much of your house-file fundraising as you can before October 1 and after November 6, so you avoid the greatest crush. During the primaries and leading up to the election, add extra time into your mail schedule to meet your in-home dates.
4. Go first class.
   If your budget allows, first-class postage will help differentiate your appeal from election fundraising.
5. Stay on message.
   Avoid the temptation to invent a link between your nonprofit’s work and the election with clever wordplay or images. That will just muddy the waters further, and your results will suffer. On the other hand, if your cause happens to become a big election issue — such as poverty or health care — then use the added attention to create a context for your fundraising offer.