Stories raise money. Bad stories raise nothing. And most campaigns tell bad stories without even knowing it.
Here’s the first mistake. Leading with numbers.
“We’re down 12 points in a district that voted 55 percent Republican.”
Donors don’t feel numbers. They feel people. Tell them about one voter who’s scared about their property taxes. Not a spreadsheet.
Second mistake. Talking about “voters” and “constituents” instead of people.
Those words work fine in a strategy memo. They’re deadly in a donor letter. Donors give to help Sue down the street, not “the electorate.”
Third mistake. Making yourself the hero.
“I’m fighting hard for conservative values” sounds nice, but it turns your donor into a bystander. Flip it.
Tell them THEY’RE the one who can stop the tax hike. Make them the hero.
Fourth mistake. Burying donors in policy detail.
Nobody wants your twelve-point tax plan in a fundraising letter. They want to know what their money makes possible. Outcomes, not paperwork.
Fifth mistake. Never showing what winning looks like.
Don’t just ask for the money. Paint the picture.
“When we win, this seat flips and Democrats don’t get their supermajority.” Give them the finish line.
Sixth mistake. Using consultant jargon. “Voter contact universe” means nothing to a donor. Talk like a human being.
Seventh mistake. Writing for your donor list like it’s your campaign committee.
Your committee cares about mechanics. Your donors care about winning.
Fix these seven and your mail starts working instead of getting tossed in the trash.
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections