Fundraising and Outreach
Without money and people, the Libertarian Party will die, no matter how appealing or persuasive its political ideology. The good news is that people tend to give of themselves, both in terms of money and time, if they find something worth supporting.
Given the number of Libertarian candidates and issues finding their ways onto more and more ballots across the country, this is an ideal time to reach out to new Libertarians, to affinity groups, to lapsed members and spark their enthusiasm. While the economy is not that great, where there is enthusiasm and hope there’s money, as the “money bombs” have shown.
Unfortunately, the Libertarian Party has not alwaysbeen very successful at tapping into that wellspring of libertarianism, either financially or in terms of membership. What can we do to change that?
First of all, we need to change the way we think. Rather than think of these donations as gifts or donations, we need to earn that money and see it for what it is: An investment in the party.
New Fundraising Activities
Letters and phone calls have their place. They can be effective ways to raise money when carefully targeted. In addition to letters, calls, emails, and the internet, we should offer appealing events tailored to different people and different levels of giving. House parties can work well. They create a more intimate venue for Libertarians to meet each other personally. Once we start looking for ways to earn our donors’ money instead of simply asking for it, possibilities will open up.
Fundraising events, as opposed to letters, have the added advantage of tying fundraising and outreach together, which allows people to invest in the party with their time as well as their money.
