Latinos for Obama

LATINOS FOR OBAMA SEMANA LATINA GRASSROOTS FUNDRAISING GUIDE WHAT IS LATINOS FOR OBAMA Latinos for Obama is a national grassroots organization dedicated toward mobilizing the Latino community in support of Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign for President. For more information on Latinos for Obama or to connect locally with this nation-wide effort, please visit our group page on my.barackobama.com (http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/NationalLatinosforObama) or our website at www.latinosforobama.com. LATINOS FOR OBAMA S EMANA LATINA On the week of April 13th, Latinos nation-wide will say in one collective voice- Sí Se Puede por Obama. Latinos for Obama is coordinating “Semana Latina,” a bi-coastal week of small dollar fundraisers for Sen. Barack Obama. This is an opportunity to have our voices heard and organize our community as we head toward the general election. This guide provides tips on how to play by the rules and plan a successful event. TYPES OF EVENTS YOU CAN PLAN Latinos for Obama encourages supporters to be creative when planning their events. The size of your event isn’t as important as using Semana Latina as an opportunity to bring supporters together. The following are examples of the types of events that can be held the week of April 13th:  House Party: host a fundraiser at your home that brings together friends and neighbors to talk politics and raise money for the campaign  Salsa Night: theme your fundraiser around salsa beats and dancing  Debate versus Clinton Surrogates: challenge the local Clinton supporters to a debate that raises money and educates people on the candidates  Live Band Performance: invite local bands to perform at your event  Surrogate: invite a local elected official that supports the Senator to come to your fundraiser and address local voters on the importance of their activism  Movie Viewing Party: host a progressive movie screening (Fahrenheit 911, Sicko, etc.) to educate the community and discuss Sen. Obama’s plans KEY TASKS Semana Latina serves three purposes: (1) Bring together current Obama supporters; (2) Recruit new supporters; and (3) Raise money to help the Senator’s campaign. The following are the key tasks that you will need to complete for a successful event. 2 1) Decide on your type of event. There are a variety of events you could hold the week of April 13th. Choose an event that suits you and your community. Once you have decided on the type of event, be sure to review our event planning checklist. Register your event. Once you have committed to hosting an event, make sure to register your event with Latinos for Obama. To register your event, please email latinosporobama.events@gmail.com. You should also post your event on my.barackobama.com on the National Latinos for Obama group page: http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/NationalLatinosforObama. Put together the necessary materials. There are a variety of materials that you will need to make available. You will need to have sign-in sheets, contribution forms, a computer (if you prefer to have your attendees donate directly to the Latinos for Obama fundraising page before, after or during the event) and issue flyers to educate any attendees on the fence about the Senator. Distribute sign-up sheets. Because this is a campaign is to create an unprecedented grassroots movement, making sure to get attendee contact information is probably your most important task. It is critical that you sign people up on their way in to your event and take down their name, phone number and email address. This will be helpful as we enter the general election and seek out supporters to talk to other voters in our community. Ask for Donations and send them to the campaign. Though your event should focus on bringing together current and potential Obama supporters, this is also an opportunity to help the Latino community show our political muscle and invest in this campaign. Depending on your audience, donations should range from $5 to $1,000. Attendees should be given the option of paying either online before the event or at the door. Once the event is complete, make sure to send any money collected at the door (with contribution forms) to: Obama for America P.O. Box 802798 Chicago, IL 60680 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Have someone speak in support of the Senator. Whether you bring in an elected surrogate or choose to speak on behalf of the campaign yourself, make sure to have someone address the attendees. This individual should tell people why they support Sen. Obama and how people can get involved in this movement. Have fun. Campaigns are supposed to be fun. Enjoy this opportunity this great opportunity to be a part of a movement! 7) STAYING WITHIN THE RULES You will want to get together friends, neighbors, and family members for your event. Here's a guide on how to handle finances for your event. 3 How much money may I spend on my event? You may spend up to $1,000 on food, beverages, and invitations while hosting a campaign fundraising event in your own home. Your spouse may separately spend up to $1,000 in connection with the same event. These monies do not count against either individual's contribution limit and are not disclosed to the Federal Election Commission, but you must keep records of these expenses. Note that this exemption is cumulative for all events in connection with the same election; therefore, if you host more than one event for Obama for America during the primary campaign, you may only spend up to $1,000 in total on food, beverages and invitations without your expenses being considered an in-kind contribution. Are vendors allowed to give me special discounts on supplies for my event? Yes. Discounts from vendors of foods or beverages (including corporate vendors) beyond those that the vendor might normally give are permitted up to a value of $1,000. However, the vendor may not charge below cost, and the total value of all discounts given by the vendor to events supporting the campaign may not exceed $1,000. The discount applies only to the sale of food and beverages. What if I spend more than the $1,000 limit on my food, beverages, and invitations? Event expenses not subject to the exceptions above will generally be considered contributions given in-kind and count toward the host's $2,300 contribution limit to the primary election. You may contribute up to a total of $2,300 to the primary campaign. If you are giving the campaign an in-kind contribution, you must fill out an in-kind contribution form. What is the maximum contribution an individual who comes to my event is permitted to give to Obama for America? An individual may contribute up to a total of $2,300 for the primary campaign. Who can donate? Only U.S. citizens and lawfully-admitted permanent residents may contribute to Obama for America. Contributions may not be accepted from corporate or union treasury funds, or from federal contractors. Furthermore, Obama for America policy is not to accept contributions from currently registered federal lobbyists or lobbying firms, registered foreign agents, political action committees, or minors under the age of 16. Do I need to collect employer/occupation information for all donations? Yes. Federal law requires us to collect certain information about each donor, including name, address, occupation, and employer. 4 How do I accept contributions? Each individual who contributes must fill out the campaign's contribution form. You should have these forms printed and ready for distribution at your event. This form is intended to ease the collection of employer/occupation information and additional information as required by Federal law. You may collect contributions at your event, but you can also encourage your guests to contribute on our website. Individuals may donate via check, money order, credit card, or cash. Can I accept cash contributions? Yes, but each cash contribution must accompany a contribution card and be attributed to an individual donor. You may not accept cash contributions anonymously. You may not accept more than $100 in cash from each individual. Can I bundle separate cash donations into one larger donation? No. By law each contribution to Obama for America must come from a single donor. We value every contribution no matter the amount. How can I accept credit card contributions? Your guests can fill out a contribution form with their credit card information, and you can send it to our office or they may go online and make a secure credit card contribution via the donation website. Where should I send the contributions after my event? Please send all checks, money orders, and credit card contributions with the accompanying contribution forms to: Obama for America P.O. Box 802798 Chicago, IL 60680 The FEC requires that you send contributions within 10 days of receipt. Please promptly send contributions to the campaign. To help us show the collective Latino voice for Sen. Obama, please send a report on how much you raised to Latinos for Obama. You can email a report on your efforts to latinosporobama.events@gmail.com. EVENT PLANNING CHECKLIST PLANNING YOUR EVENT  Begin by identifying the donors you will be inviting: o Look to previous donors, community activists, donors to other orgs, etc. 5 o Reach out to local Democratic clubs to find other supporters  Create a host committee: o Each member should commit to raising or giving a specific amount. o Provide opportunity for committee members to send personal notes with the invitation.  Decide on the type of event you want to hold and what resources you will need for a successful fundraiser. RECRUITING THE HOST COMMITTEE  You need a host committee. Events without one have a 1% response rate.  A host committee is a group of leaders or donors who represent the constituency targeted for the event and are willing to ask their peers for support.  Committee members should agree to raise a specific amount of money and list their names on the invitation.  Regularly monitor members to help them meet their goals. PREPARING A BUDGET  Event costs generally range from 10 to 15%.  Look for ways to keep costs down: use volunteer labor and look for donated materials.  Potential budget items: site rentals, graphic design for invitation, printing costs, decorations, catering, postage and speakers/ entertainment, photography, etc. PRODUCING THE INVITATION  The invitation package consists of four elements: invitation, reply device, return envelopes and outer envelope. If invitations are sent online, then no envelopes are necessary.  The invitation is the message vehicle and primary element of the package. It should address who, what, where, why and how much.  A reply device allows donors to respond. It tells the donors where to send the check and provides contact information. It should include whom checks should be payable to 6 (Obama for America). You should also include a link to you’re my.barackobama.com fundraising page in case attendees prefer to donate online.  A return envelope should be included, as it makes it more convenient for donors to respond. Depending on your audience, email is also an effective way to invite and remind people about your event. SELLING THE EVENT  Event follow-up calls should focus on the issue of common concern to the donor and candidate.  If possible, make arrangements for donors to send in contributions by check or credit card prior to the event.  Organize a volunteer phone bank to call event prospects. Provide volunteers with a script and tally sheet to record results of phone calls.  Phoning should take place a week after the invitations have been mailed and continue up until two days before the event.  25% of those who say “yes” will stay home. A “maybe is a “no.” COORDINATING LOGISTICS  Food and Beverages: No one comes to an event for the food. Be mindful of costs and make selections appropriate to the level of contributions.  Location: No one comes to an event because of the location. When selecting a location, think about convenience in terms of distance and traffic flow. Also, consider the size the venue given the projected attendance (err on the small size because a packed room creates energy).  Walk Through: Review where guests will enter, check in and view any stage, as well as the best locations for food and drinks. If you are bringing a candidate, consider where he or she will be most visible. DEVELOPING THE PROGRAM  If you have a specific surrogate speaking, select an appropriate person to introduce him/her. 7  All other elected officials and other VIPs should be introduced prior to introducing the main surrogate  After the surrogate speaks, if appropriate to your event, try to allow for a Q & A.  Select someone else to do a fundraising pitch to solicit additional donations.  Depending on the contribution level, a musical performance can both be a draw and add to the event’s ambience. REGISTERING GUESTS  Establish a process for registering guests.  The primary goal should be to make sure that everyone attending has contributed. Collecting checks at the door is critical.  Recruit plenty of volunteers and provide careful instructions on how to collect checks and obtain information.  Whether it is a large or small event, provide each guest with a name tag.  Make sure to have relevant campaign literature and contribution forms available at the registration table. ACKNOWLEDGING DONORS  Immediately following the event, acknowledge all participants with a thank you letter from the candidate or host committee.  Establish a time frame for thanking donors. Thank you notes should be sent out the week after the event. CONTACT INFORMATION To register your event or for assistance in planning your fundraiser, please contact latinosporobama.events@gmail.com. 8 10 COMMANDMENTS OF POLITICAL FUNDRAISING Self interest motivates people to give. People at all income levels can be good targets for fundraising. Possibilities are limitless; people give when they are asked. A good fundraiser is a good marketer. Careful targeting and effective education results in more money raised. There is no such thing as an unsolicited contribution. Ask again, ask for more, and ask others to raise funds. It costs money to raise money. Carefully manage your time and your candidate’s time. Follow the laws governing the campaign. This fundraising guide and related documents are volunteer produced unless otherwise indicated. 9