A first-time candidate with no donor list can still learn how to fundraise for a political campaign: build a finance plan and budget, set a goal you can realistically raise, then ask people personally.
- Start with the plan. Write the finance plan and budget before the first ask.
- Ask directly. Use call time for larger personal gifts and digital outreach for many small ones.
- Stay compliant. Know the limits, the record-keeping threshold and the disclaimers before money arrives.
This guide belongs to our wider coverage of women in politics. It follows the problems new candidates meet most often, from an empty contact list to confusing reporting rules.
Starting with no donor list
Your first task is a written finance plan and campaign budget, not a fundraising event. NGP VAN’s fundraising guide tells new campaigns to build a finance plan and a campaign budget and to start early, because starting early can help you raise more money over the course of the election cycle.
The plan should name where the money will come from. According to Caltech’s explainer on campaign finance, campaigns may raise funds from individuals, political party committees, and political action committees. For a first-time candidate, individuals are the realistic starting point. A political action committee, or PAC, is a group that pools contributions to back candidates. PACs and party committees usually take longer to approach and are better added once you have a visible base.
Before you collect anything, identify your campaign treasurer. The treasurer is the person who keeps the contributor records and deposits described in the rules section below, so the role is not a formality. If you are still deciding whether and where to run, read how to file as a candidate first, because the office you file for determines which rules apply to your fundraising.
Setting a goal you can defend
Set the goal from what you can realistically raise, then fit the budget to it. NGP VAN’s advice is to determine how much you can realistically raise, and then set your budget to match that fundraising goal. The goal comes first and the spending plan follows it.
Two practical points keep the number honest. First, campaigns can receive only limited amounts from each individual and organization, according to Cornell’s Legal Information Institute summary of campaign finance law. A goal therefore depends on how many donors you can reach, not on a few large gifts. Second, your goal should rest on your own list of prospects and their likely gift sizes, rather than on a figure borrowed from another race.
Tie the goal to the rest of your plan. The budget only works if it matches your field, communications and timeline, which is why it helps to how to write a campaign plan alongside the finance plan and revisit both as results come in.
Making the ask without the awkwardness
The ask feels awkward when it is a pitch, and easier when it is a conversation. Call time is the standard way to have that conversation. As NGP VAN notes, call time simply requires a donor list and a phone, with volunteers helping if needed to build and manage the list.
The same guide points out that connecting through personal conversations lets you build rapport with donors and personalize the ask. That is the main reason call time suits a first-time candidate. You are not reading a script to strangers; you are explaining why you are running to people who already have a reason to listen.
Practical habits for the ask
- Start with people who know you. Friends, family, colleagues and community contacts are easier first calls and help you find your wording before you approach colder prospects.
- Explain why you are running, then ask clearly. A vague request leaves the donor guessing. State the purpose of the campaign, then make a direct request for support.
- Block out dedicated time. Calls that are scheduled as a recurring session get made. Calls squeezed between other tasks tend to be skipped.
- Record each outcome. Keep notes on every conversation so follow-ups are accurate and you do not call the same person twice without a reason.
Adding small-dollar donors
Small-dollar donors matter because there can be many of them. Caltech’s campaign finance explainer describes small grassroots gifts as a sizable share of candidate money, noting gifts under $200 that typically are not disclosed to the FEC. The Federal Election Commission is the federal agency that administers these rules.
Digital fundraising is where most small gifts arrive. NGP VAN explains that it primarily leads to low-dollar donations, but these gifts typically occur at a higher volume than call-time gifts. In practice, the two methods do different jobs. Call time brings fewer, larger and more personal gifts, while online and event appeals bring many small ones. A first-time campaign usually needs both.
Do not mistake small gifts for no gifts. Even when a contribution is small, the campaign must still deposit and track it properly, and online appeals carry disclaimer requirements covered in the questions below.
Staying inside the contribution and reporting rules
The rules below come from federal law. They are the numbers a new candidate for federal office needs to keep a fundraising plan legal. Limits change, so confirm the current figures with the FEC before you publish an ask amount.
| Rule | Figure and condition | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Individual gift to a candidate | $3,300 in the 2023-2024 cycle | Ceiling for a single donor, not a target to ask for |
| Individual gift to a PAC | $5,000 per year in the 2023-2024 cycle | Relevant if you or allies set up a PAC |
| Individual gift to a national party committee | $41,300 in the 2023-2024 cycle | Shows that candidate limits are far lower than party limits |
| Contributor records | Name, address, occupation and employer for each contributor giving more than $200 in an election cycle | Collect these details on every donation form |
| Deposits | Deposit every receipt within 10 days or return it | Set a routine so checks never sit in a drawer |
| Tax notice | Required when gross annual receipts normally exceeding $100,000 | Applies to larger committees, so check it as your totals grow |
Limits and deposit rules are summarized by Cornell’s Legal Information Institute, while the record-keeping and notice requirements come from the Federal Election Commission.
Three details change how you use these numbers. The limits vary each election cycle, and primaries are treated as separate elections, so a donor’s capacity to give is counted per election. The FEC asks committees and treasurers to make best efforts to record contributor details above the record-keeping threshold. And reporting timelines vary between campaigns, according to NGP VAN, so ask your treasurer for your own filing calendar, because late filings risk fines.
When fundraising stalls
- Calls go unmade. Fix the logistics first. Call time needs only a donor list and a phone, so the obstacle is usually scheduling or an incomplete list, not equipment.
- Gifts are too few. Add a digital appeal. Low-dollar gifts arrive at higher volume online than from call time, so the two channels support each other.
- The budget outruns the receipts. Reduce spending to match what you can realistically raise rather than assuming money will arrive later.
- Donor records are incomplete. Update the donation form so it captures name, address, occupation and employer, and review every gift above the threshold with your treasurer.
Frequently asked questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I ask for donations online? | Yes. The FEC allows candidates to solicit contributions over the internet as long as the solicitation includes the proper disclaimers. For solicitations through public communications or a campaign website, the notice must state that it was authorized and paid for by the campaign. |
| Can a company or union give directly to my federal campaign? | No. Corporations, labor organizations and membership groups cannot contribute directly to federal campaigns, according to Caltech’s campaign finance explainer. They must use PACs to influence federal elections. |
| Do the federal figures apply to my state or local race? | Not necessarily. States and cities have their own election statutes and rules, as Cornell’s summary notes, so check your state campaign finance agency before setting limits in your ask. |
