Meet Your Mission

Anyone who’s done political fundraising knows the pressure to raise money is high, regardless of where you are in the polls. But it’s more difficult to raise money for a candidate who has strong poll numbers. The message is essential: “Always be prepared.” And if your candidate’s poll numbers are in the wrong direction, it’s, “Get candidate X’s positive message out.”

Either way, those messages get tired fast. Campaigns are borrowing from nonprofit fundraising techniques, online and offline. Many are taking advantage of mail techniques such as oversized packages, urgent-grams and overnight packages to stand out in the mailbox.

There’s always pressure to raise money, whether you’re a campaign or a nonprofit. The challenges faced in either can be overcome. You just have to anticipate, test when you can and be prepared to react quickly.

Nancy Eiring is a fundraising consultant and the former national director of grassroots fundraising for John Kerry for President Inc. and the Democratic National Committee. Contact: nancyeiring@msn.com.

EDUCATION

Bigger Goals, Smaller Budgets

Pamela Mauldin is the director of the Marietta Fund at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. The fund is the foundation of all philanthropy at the college, providing financial aid, student services, faculty development and student internships, and more. One of the more specific issues she faces stems from the fact that Marietta is a liberal-arts college.

“There is increased public scrutiny around the value of the traditional liberal-arts education,” she says. “[But] a well-defined mission statement, aggressive strategic plan and an empowering vision from the president quickly dismiss any doubts of the importance and value of the liberal-arts degree.”

Sounds easy enough. But what about other issues? Here, Mauldin talks
about her most pressing challenges.

FundRaising Success: What are your toughest fundraising
challenges?

Pamela Mauldin: First, there’s higher expectations. Just as in all jobs, each year goals increase. As college enrollments increase, budgets need to keep pace. So the sword is double-edged: