2012 State Sponsorship Packet

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OVERVIEW

Dear College Dems,

This August, CDA will host its annual convention in Charlotte, North Carolina,which will lead into the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Our program willfeature nationally prominent speakers, expert-led training panels, networkingand social opportunities, and the election of a new executive board that willlead us through Election Day and into 2013. As you start to think about makingtravel arrangements so that you can share in this incredible experience, youwill need to put together a budget for your state or chapter, based on thenumber of delegates you hope to bring to Charlotte and the amount of moneyyou anticipate being able to invest in the trip. Below are suggestions to helpgenerate funds to lower the cost for individuals to make it to this convention,

and to allow as many members to attend as possible!

As always, CDAs national leaders are here to help as you make your plans forCharlotte. Please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] orby phone at (215) 370-3769 if you have questions about budgeting orfundraising. If you would like help packaging the materials you will be using toreach out to potential donors, our communications team can assist with logos,layout, and even editing. Your promotional materials should be eye-catchingand look professional, so think about incorporating graphics and/or photos. Letour communications director, Kenzi Green, know if you would like help in theseareas by emailing her at [email protected].

Democratically yours,

Andrew Slade, Development Director

BUDGETING FOR CHARLOTTE

It is important to put time into your budget, thinking through exactly whatexpenses you will incur, and setting realistic goals for attendance andfundraising. If you plan on flying into North Carolina, shop around and bookyour flight as early as possible to lock in a low fare. If you will be renting vansor buses, allow time to request price quotes from multiple vendors, and do notbe afraid to ask them for a lower, discounted pricewe are members of astudent organization, after all! Hotel rates are generally a bit more stable thanairfare, but given the level of activity in Charlotte the week of our convention,you can expect many of them to sell out of rooms quickly.

Below is an example of what a budget might look like for a chapter travelingfrom Boston to Charlotte with 20 members. You will notice that this chapter iscounting on substantial support from its school to subsidize the cost incurredby its members. The highlighted number on the lower right of the table is thetotal amount of money the chapter must raise in order to meet its overallestimates. This number is your fundraising goal, and it should be set at anattainable level. Its always better to raise more than you counted on (thusallowing members to make smaller personal contributions to the cost of the
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trip) than it is to set an unrealistically high goal and be forced to ask yourmembers to pay more out of pocket. Depending on your chapters or statespresent financial situation, you might find it helpful to back into some ofthese calculations. For instance, if you know exactly how much money yourschool will give you, and how much members would feel comfortablecontributing themselves, you can subtract that sum from the total cost todetermine how much you would have to raise in order to bring a given numberof delegates.

Cost of attendance per persontraveling from Boston

Total cost of attendance for20 delegates

Description Amount Amount

Roundtrip airfare $175 $3,500

Lodging $125 $2,500

Meals $50 $1,000TOTAL $350 $7,000

Revenue per personTotal revenue for 20

delegates

Description Amount Amount

Personal contribution $150 $3,000Subsidy fromuniversity $125 $2,500Funds raised bychapter $75 $1,500

TOTAL $350 $7,000

SOURCES OF FUNDING

Depending on the financial setup of your state federation and its chapters, youmight be able to pursue funding from a range of sources that could subsidizethe cost of travel to Charlotte. Here are a few possible targets to consider whensoliciting contributions:

State and local party organizations talk to your state party, andencourage chapter leaders to reach out to Democratic Party committeesin their counties and towns.

Elected officials and candidates in most cases, these individuals candonate from their campaign funds, rather than giving personally.

Historically, those most likely to donate are young politicians, pastbeneficiaries of College Democrats campaign efforts, or those who holdor are running for safe Democratic seats. Speak with them first.

Labor unions most unions have established political action committees(PACs) for the purpose of supporting candidates and promoting politicalactivism in general.

Allied organizations think about progressive organizations andadvocacy groups you have worked with or supported in the past. Stateor local affiliates of groups interested in economic justice, womensrights, LGBT rights and environmental issues are just a few that mightbe able to offer support from their general funds, or through a PAC.


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College Democrats alumni compile a list of past members of your statefederations board, or of your chapter. Those who are a couple years out

of college might be well positioned to donate to a group in which theywere invested back in school.

Businesses in some cases, corporations and partnerships like law firmsmay make direct contributions to your group. PACs cannot accept fundsfrom corporations.

If you are having trouble coming up with specific organizations to target, hereare some starting points. Many groups have state and local affiliates that mightbe even more likely to donate. Just remember to make sure that you are incompliance with all applicable campaign finance regulations before solicitingcontributions!

America Votes American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations(AFL-CIO)

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees(AFSCME)

Center for American Progress/Campus Progress

Change to Win Federation

Human Rights Campaign

International Brotherhood of Teamsters

League of Conservation Voters

MoveOn NAACP National Voter Fund

NARAL Pro-Choice America

National Education Association (NEA)

National Organization for Women (NOW)

People for the American Way

Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Sierra Club

USAction

Working America

While funding policies vary greatly, colleges are another place for chapters tolook when you are budgeting for this trip. Let chapter leaders in your stateknow now that they should consider applying for funds early perhaps evenbefore the semester ends so that such requests can be included in thebudget proposals that chapters submit to their college administrators and/orstudent government associations well in advance of the start of their fallsemesters!

DONOR OUTREACH

Once you have constructed a budget reflecting the number of members you


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plan on bringing, what a reasonable expected personal contribution would be,and projected expenditures and outside sources of revenue, write a fundraisingplan that lays out a path to reaching your goal. Brainstorm with your executiveboard to come up with a list of individuals and other entities to target. If amember has a connection to one of your targets, it might be most effective tohave him or her make that ask. Otherwise, the solicitation should come fromyour groups president.

Before soliciting contributions from potential donors, decide what method ofcommunication is most appropriate for each. Here are some general tips tokeep in mind when thinking about how to contact your targets:

Mass email blasts are a quick and cost-free way to reach largeaudiences, but the return on those blasts is lowwe dont recommend

this method for any high-priority donors. Brief personal emails with formal contribution requests attached might

be the best way to contact some prospective donors, though othersmight be much more easily reached and more likely to give by mail orby phone.

If you contact a target by phone and do not reach them, considerfollowing up with an email explaining that you called and providing themwith more information.

o Conversely, if you send an email and do not receive a responsewithin a week or so, try giving them a call and offer to resend themessage.

o Multiple forms of contact can effectively reinforce your message,

particularly when dealing with targets that are constantly beingasked for money.

When soliciting a contribution from an individual who you have not met,or from a group with which you have not worked, you should make aneffort to arrange an in-person meeting. Most people would rather notspend half an hour on the phone listening to somebody they do notknow talk about all of the great things their organization (i.e. yourCollege Dems group) does.

o If logistics allow, meeting for coffee is a great way to make a

stronger connection with a potential donor.o Bring printed materials for potential donors to review, and walk

them through your mission, past successes, and future plans --and let them know why it is important for you to be in Charlottefor our national convention.

o People are much more likely to say yes to any ask that you make

in person than to one made by phone or in writing.o Remember, this is not just an opportunity to find a donor for this

event; its an opportunity to build a lasting College Demssupporter.

Keep track of each interaction you have by creating a Google Spreadsheet thatwill let you know when to follow up with each person and prevent you from


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sending multiple solicitations to a single target. Use that spreadsheet to keeptrack of who has pledged to donate, and how much they committed to givingso that you always know how close you are to your fundraising goal. If youhave the capacity to accept contributions online, offer that option. If not, letyour donors know how they should make out their checks and where theyshould send them. Allow a couple of weeks for checks to arrive, and follow upwith those whose donations you have not yet received after that period; peoplecan easily forget to put a check out in the mail.

In the following sections of this guide, you will find examples of language thatyou may tailor to your group when reaching out to prospective donors. Feelfree to use as much or as little of this content as you like. As mentioned above,the cost of travel is likely to increase as time passes, so consider drafting atimeline for the outreach process. Doing so will help you organize your

thoughts, stay on track, and avoid last-minute panic!

SAMPLE FUNDRAISING LETTER

Dear ________,

In 2008, members of the College Democrats of America (CDA) knocked on over1.2 million doors and made over 1.5 million phone calls as a part of anunprecedented level of youth engagement that helped President BarackObama carry the youth vote by a remarkable 35 points and propel him to theWhite House. In 2012, youth remains the Presidents most supportive groupand a key component to any path to victory.

When the Democratic National Committee meets this September in Charlotte,North Carolina, to officially nominate Barack Obama for reelection, CollegeDemocrats from across the country will be there, attending the CDA 2012Convention. At the CDA convention, local, state, and national CollegeDemocrats leaders will assemble for the last time before the election to finalizeour plans to ensure that young people make their voices heard once more. Allattendees will also participate in an intensive program of trainings andnetworking sessions to allow for effective execution of our comprehensiveyouth-engagement plan.

As president of the [chapter/state] it is my goal to bring at least [number ofattendees] student activists to Charlotte. Commentators often talk about an

enthusiasm gap within my generation, and I want to make sure we close thatgap by getting our extraordinary young activists together and energized. Iknow they will take that energy with them back to their campuses and theircommunities, and it is only with such motivation that we will give PresidentObama the four more years to fight for us that he deserves.

I know you understand what is at stake in this election. Please support theCollege Democrats of[chapter/state] by sponsoring our delegationsattendance at the CDA 2012 Convention. I have attached information aboutsuch opportunities, and I would welcome the chance to discuss them with you.I can be reached at [contact information].


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Thank you so much; I appreciate your consideration and I look forward tohearing from you!

Sincerely,

SAMPLE CHAPTER/STATE FEDERATION SPOTLIGHT SECTION

The College Democrats of[chapter/state] have enjoyed incredible success byso many measures. Here are just a few of our accomplishments:

[Below are some of CDAs examples to help you develop your own]

In Massachusetts, 115 of you invaded the 10th Congressional District for twodays and nights of canvassing and phonebanking that yielded thousands of

voter contacts and a Democratic victory in the race for an open House seat,as well as in every single statewide race.

In North Carolina, you also organized the first ever Historically Black Collegeand University Leadership Conference, which brought students from HBCUsacross the state to Greensboro, NC for a day of inspirational speakers,trainings, breakout sessions and panels that gave students the resourcesnecessary to return to their communities as effective leaders.

The California College Democrats helped execute a statewide voterregistration project specifically targeted at students. CCD organized itsmembers to register thousands of new voters with innovative ideas suchas Trick or Vote and grassroots organizing events for Governor Jerry Brownand Senator Barbara Boxer.

SAMPLE CONTRIBUTION LEVELS

A donation at any of the following sponsorship levels would go towardspromoting an individual/organization at the premier event for youth organizersat the DNC Convention.

Freshman Level - $500A gift at this level will fully fund the attendance of one of our members at theconvention- Online spotlight page for the organization/individual

Sophomore Level - $1000A gift at this level will fully fund the attendance of two of our members at theconvention

- Recognition as a [State Fed/Chapter] Honorary Council member- Opportunity to participate on a statewide conference call/chapter event- Online spotlight page for the organization/individual

Junior Level - $1500A gift at this level will cover the cost of our members meals for the length theconvention- 30 students in Charlotte will wear a specially designed t-shirt with your


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individual/organizations name and/or logos featured prominently on theback of each shirt!

-

Recognition as a [State Fed/Chapter] Honorary Council member- Opportunity to participate on a statewide conference call/chapter event- Online spotlight page for the organization/individual

Senior Level - $2000A gift at this level will cover the cost of our members lodging in Charlotte- 50 students in Charlotte will wear a specially designed t-shirt with your



Super Senior - $3000A gift at this level will cover the cost of our members [air/bus/van/car] travelto Charlotte- 100 students in Charlotte will wear a specially designed t-shirt with your



We will need help from our supporters in order to build student engagement

and bring our energy to the 2012 Convention, so I hope you will considermaking a contribution!

2012 State Sponsorship Packet

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Transcript of 2012 State Sponsorship Packet