Fundraising writer Jeff Brooks tells a story about his nephews. When they were little, the younger one used to taunt his brother with three words. “Not you, me.”
Meaning, it's mine, I'm better, you don't matter.
Cute from a four-year-old. Not cute from a campaign.
A lot of candidates run “not you, me” fundraising without knowing it. Here's what it sounds like.
“Your donation helps us fight for conservative values.”
“Support is critical to our campaign.”
“Your gift helps us reach our goal.”
See the pattern? Every sentence is about the campaign. Us. Our. We. The donor's only job is to fuel your operation. That's not an invitation. That's a request to feed the machine.
Here's the problem. Nobody opens their wallet to feed a machine. They open it because something specific matters to them and they believe their money can actually change it.
Real fundraising needs three things.
One, a problem the donor already cares about. Property taxes. A crooked incumbent. A school board gone off the rails.
Two, a believable way their money fixes it. Not “support our campaign.” More like “your $50 pays for the mail piece that flips this district.”
Three, a clear invitation to act right now.
Here's how this plays out.
Fundraising: Rewrite “your donation helps us” into “your $35 puts our message in front of 200 more voters who are fed up with higher property taxes.” Specific beats generic every time.
Volunteers: “We need volunteers” is “not you, me.” “Come knock doors with us and help flip this district” gives them a reason.
Votes: Same rule at the door. Don't talk about your campaign. Talk about their problem.
Beating your opponent: While his mail sounds like a corporate newsletter, yours sounds like an invitation to a fight the donor already wants to win.
The takeaway: Nobody gives money to help you. They give money to fix something they care about. Make it about them, not you.
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections