Welcome to the second edition of Build Blue Digest. This is your weekly, central source for all things Build Blue Week. Every Wednesday, look forward to hearing about new speakers, campaign insights, and resources to get you prepared for the various events taking place throughout the week.
Learn more about the events coming your way October 2nd through 5th.
The second event of Build Blue Week is Cultivating Donors for Long-Term Change. The fundraising landscape is a dynamic one. Donors have endless outlets for investing their money into causes, candidates, nonprofits, and other initiatives they care about. So your strategy for convincing folks to donate to you is more important than ever.
As you prepare to join us for this fundraising panel event on Tuesday, October 3rd, let’s dig into some data-driven trends in philanthropy and giving.
A big motivating factor for donors is dissatisfaction or outrage towards an inadequate system; this certainly rings true in the political sphere. Researchers of philanthropic behavior call this rage giving, and while it sounds aggressive, it merely refers to donors who give to organizations and people who are getting things done to address the very issues that they care about.
Take the disastrous Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Immediately following the release of the decision, financial support for abortion provider Planned Parenthood surged, with as much as a “20-fold increase.”
On the other end of the spectrum, economic outlook and uncertainty continues to guide donor behavior. Charitable donations fell last year for the first time in decades, which economists link to inflation rates . Now this is not a reason to give up or be pessimistic. Rather it is a chance to be realistic and understand why crafting effective asks are all the more essential throughout your fundraising plan. You’re competing with voters’ various interests and priorities, so you need to build a resounding, effective ask.
With this and much more in mind, bring your questions to our slate of fundraising experts to the Cultivating Donors for Long-Term Change event happening on the second day of Build Blue Week, Tuesday, October 7.
In the New Speaker Spotlight section, we’ll highlight new speakers added to events this week!
First during Coalition Building for Community Change, we welcome Former Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Mandela Barnes! Barnes was the first African-American to serve as a Lieutenant Governor in Wisconsin, and the second African-American to ever hold statewide office. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Lt. Gov. After serving two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Barnes will share his own experiences in organizing spaces to fight for solutions that invest in opportunities and fairness for everyone.
We are also thrilled to spotlight Former Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17), who will be a panelist for our Messaging That Connects: Local Issues and National Narratives event. Rep. Bustos, who worked for over two decades as a journalist, served five consecutive terms in Congress. Notably, she won by the largest majority of any Democrat in a Trump District. Rep. Bustos was the first woman elected to Congress from her district. In 2019, Bustos became chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Relevant Resources will be your hub for learning guides to supplement the week’s events! Learning guides include guiding questions, links to other relevant coursework, and more.
To best prepare for this session, review some of the campaign finance fundamentals in NDTC’s Online Academy. First Building Your Network: Donors, Volunteers, & Validators provides an overview for leveraging the best connections needed to level up your fundraising strategy. Be sure to also check out our Campaign Rolodex Template so you can best organize donors and other important contacts.
In the Sponsor Corner, learn more about our biggest, bluest supporters and the work they’re doing to strengthen Democratic progress across the country.
JM2 is a boutique political mail consulting agency dedicated to electing Democrats, promoting progressive causes, and serving as a communications guide for like-minded organizations. Through direct mailers, JM2 delivers unique concepts that are uniquely tailored to the specific needs of a district, race, or election.