Aiming for a Max-Out Gift

Wouldn’t it be great if those who could afford to contribute max out gifts would do it freely without a candidate having to court the donor with offerings of time, attention, and saccharine gestures of appreciation? Well, that’s not going to happen any time soon (or ever for that matter.) So how do you get a supporter to give the goal amount?First things first: what are max out gifts? For the 2011-2012 election cycle, here are some of the guidelines provided by the FEC pertaining to individuals and giving. An individual may give: 1) $2,500 to each candidate or candidate committee per election, 2) $30,800 to national party committee per calendar year, 3) $10,000 to state, district & local party committee per calendar year, 4) $5,000 to any other political committee per calendar year, and 5) with special limits such as a $117,000 overall biennial limit with $46,200 to all candidates $70,800 to all PACs and parties (No more than $46,200 of this amount may be contributed to state and local party committees and PACs). We will see what the FEC brings us for donation limits for the 2013-14 cycle.Now based on your office of choice that you are running for and the level of giving that you are striving to obtain, you can focus on strategies to reach the max out level that your voter is allowed by law to give. Let’s face it, $2,500 is not a lot of money to strive for. It will probably take more than a mailer, but less than a formal event in many circumstances (based on donor income). Several meet and greets in supporters’ homes with local business men and women, Republican committee members, or segmented groups based on interests (such as religion, education, crime, or environmental) can probably bring in a nice chunk of change. These subgroups are also beneficial to address the issues that will generate more voter support and create unity among your donors. Also, consider attending staff meetings, church functions, community outreaches, and other open events to connect with donors on their terms. You’ll have a better chance of meeting voters if you go to them and not expect them to find you. While not all of these people will give max out donations, you will probably be able to sort who can verses who can’t and then you’ll be able to focus your energy on higher end potential donors.Moreover, what’s more important that securing a max out gift from each attendee? Winning them over to be representatives of your campaign. $2,500 from one donor is great, but making that donor into a bundler has limitless possibilities. The more people you can delegate to fundraise, the more voters you will be able to reach to secure your office. A Republican can probably get another Republican to give, so why invest your time, resources, and energy into something that is a sure thing? Since max out gifts amounts are low for individuals giving to a candidate, quantity is a major factor in local political fundraising.Finally, FEC regulations can be confusing and with a multitude of donations, it can be hard to track all of your income. Use a software system like Crimson to take the worry out of your bookkeeping. You’ve got enough to worry about just generating funding.