|
Money, as the saying goes, is the mother’s milk of politics. And for good reason.
Apart from the fact that any election campaign requires money to pay for advertising, communications, consultants, organizational and grassroots workers, and other such logistic and campaign expenses, what is often not recognized is the fact that by executing a smart fundraising campaign the candidate or party is in fact able to strengthen its organizing and messaging abilities.
The following advantages flow to the candidate when s/he raises even a single paisa from a common citizen:
- The candidate’s message is tested – after all, the contributor has to be persuaded that the candidate has the best solution, only then will anyone contribute.
- The candidate’s grassroots organization gets strengthened – since fundraising requires supporters to reach out, make contact, follow up, and close the “sale”. All these steps help to build and strengthen the candidate’s grassroots organization.
- The fundraising organization and relationships which are used for raising money can then be used effectively to Get-Out-The-Vote on Election Day.
Thus the process of fundraising gives focus to the message, plus builds the organizational and other contact networks for a candidate. It is acknowledged wisdom among political advisors that a candidate who raises, say, a million dollars through fundraising efforts, has much higher chances of winning an election against a candidate who may spend five million dollars of personal money.
Fundraising Methods – This section details strategy to raise funds legally for political campaigns in India – including online and offline methods.
Legal Do’s – This section covers legal fundraising, taxes with regard to political donations made, compliance with spending limits, and other laws related to how money is legally accounted in political and election campaigns.
Model Code of Conduct – This section lists out the Model Code of Conduct for political leaders and political parties in campaigns and the election process.
|
