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OVERVIEW Dear College Dems, This August, CDA will host its annual convention in Washington, DC.

Our program will feature nationally prominent speakers, expert-led training panels, networking and social opportunities, and the election of a new executive board that will lead us through the 2013-2014 academic year. As you start to think about making travel arrangements so that you can share in this incredible experience, you will need to put together a budget for your state or chapter, based on the number of delegates you hope to bring to Washington and the amount of money you anticipate being able to invest in the trip. Below are suggestions to help generate 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 for the convention. Please do not hesitate to contact me at mapesd@collegedems.com if you have questions about budgeting or fundraising. If you would like help packaging the materials you will be using to reach out to potential donors, our communications team can assist with logos, layout, and even editing. Your promotional materials should be eyecatching and look professional, so think about incorporating graphics and/or photos. Let our Communications Director, Kenzi Green, know if you would like help in these areas by emailing her at greenk@collegedems.com. Democratically yours, Devin Mapes, Development Director BUDGETING FOR CONVENTION It is important to put time into your budget, thinking through exactly what expenses you will incur, and setting realistic goals for attendance and fundraising. If you plan on flying into Washington, shop around and book your flight as early as possible to lock in a low fare. If you will be renting vans or buses, allow time to request price quotes from multiple vendors, and do not be afraid to ask them for a lower, discounted pricewe are members of a student organization, after all! Below is an example of what a budget might look like for a chapter traveling from Boston to Washington with 20 members. You will notice that this chapter is counting on substantial support from its school to subsidize the cost incurred by its members. The highlighted number on the lower right of the table is the total amount of money the chapter must raise in order to meet its overall estimates. This number is your fundraising goal, and it should be set at an attainable level. Its always better to raise more than you counted on (thus allowing members to make smaller personal contributions to the cost of the trip) than it is to set an unrealistically high goal and be

forced to ask your members to pay more out of pocket. Depending on your chapters or states present financial situation, you might find it helpful to back into some of these calculations. For instance, if you know exactly how much money your school will give you, and how much members would feel comfortable contributing themselves, you can subtract that sum from the total cost to determine how much you would have to raise in order to bring a given number of delegates.
Cost of attendance per person traveling from Boston Amount $175 $125 $50 $350 Total cost of attendance for 20 delegates Amount $3,500 $2,500 $1,000 $7,000 Total revenue for 20 delegates Amount $3,000 $2,500 $1,500 $7,000

Description Roundtrip airfare Lodging Meals TOTAL

Description Personal contribution Subsidy from university Funds raised by chapter TOTAL

Revenue per person Amount $150 $125 $75 $350

SOURCES OF FUNDING Depending on the financial setup of your state federation and its chapters, you might be able to pursue funding from a range of sources that could subsidize the cost of travel to Washington. Here are a few possible targets to consider when soliciting contributions: State and local party organizations talk to your state party, and encourage chapter leaders to reach out to Democratic Party committees in their counties and towns. Elected officials and candidates in most cases, these individuals can donate from their campaign funds, rather than giving personally. Historically, those most likely to donate are young politicians, past beneficiaries of College Democrats campaign efforts, or those who hold or 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 political activism in general. Allied organizations think about progressive organizations and advocacy groups you have worked with or supported in the past. State or local affiliates of groups interested in economic justice, womens rights, LGBT rights and environmental issues are just a few that might be able to offer support from their general funds, or through a PAC. College Democrats alumni compile a list of past members of your

state federations 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 they were invested back in school. Businesses in some cases, corporations and partnerships like law firms may make direct contributions to your group. PACs cannot accept funds from corporations.

If you are having trouble coming up with specific organizations to target, here are some starting points. Many groups have state and local affiliates that might be even more likely to donate. Just remember to make sure that you are in compliance with all applicable campaign finance regulations before soliciting contributions! 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 to look when you are budgeting for this trip. Let chapter leaders in your state know now that they should consider applying for funds from student government associations well in advance of the start of their fall semesters! DONOR OUTREACH Once you have constructed a budget reflecting the number of members you plan on bringing, what a reasonable expected personal contribution would be, and projected expenditures and outside sources of revenue, write a fundraising plan that lays out a path to reaching your goal. Brainstorm with

your executive board to come up with a list of individuals and other entities to target. If a member has a connection to one of your targets, it might be most effective to have him or her make that ask. Otherwise, the solicitation should come from your groups president. Before soliciting contributions from potential donors, decide what method of communication is most appropriate for each. Here are some general tips to keep in mind when thinking about how to contact your targets: Mass email blasts are a quick and cost-free way to reach large audiences, 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 others might be much more easily reached and more likely to give by mail or by phone. If you contact a target by phone and do not reach them, consider following up with an email explaining that you called and providing them with more information. o Conversely, if you send an email and do not receive a response within a week or so, try giving them a call and offer to resend the message. o Multiple forms of contact can effectively reinforce your message, particularly when dealing with targets that are constantly being asked 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 an effort to arrange an in-person meeting. Most people would rather not spend half an hour on the phone listening to somebody they do not know talk about all of the great things their organization (i.e. your College 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 Washington for 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 Dems supporter.

Keep track of each interaction you have by creating a spreadsheet that will let you know when to follow up with each person and prevent you from sending multiple solicitations to a single target. Use that spreadsheet to keep track of who has pledged to donate, and how much they committed to giving so that you always know how close you are to your fundraising goal. If you

have the capacity to accept contributions online, offer that option. If not, let your donors know how they should make out their checks and where they should send them. Allow a couple of weeks for checks to arrive, and follow up with those whose donations you have not yet received after that period; people can easily forget to put a check out in the mail. In the following sections of this guide, you will find examples of language that you may tailor to your group when reaching out to prospective donors. Feel free 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 a timeline 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 over 1.2 million doors and made over 1.5 million phone calls as part of an unprecedented level of youth engagement that helped President Barack Obama carry the youth vote by a remarkable 35 points and propel him to the White House. In 2012, young people turned out once more to make sure he was reelected and to support down-ballot Democrats across the country. For the first time since Election Day, College Democrats leaders will be convening from all parts of the country at our national convention in Washington, DC this August. At the CDA convention, local, state, and national College Democrats leaders will assemble to participate in an intensive program of trainings and networking sessions and hear from nationally prominent speakers while sharing best practices. As president of the [chapter/state] it is my goal to bring at least [number of attendees] student activists to Washington. Commentators often talk about an enthusiasm gap within my generation, and I want to make sure we close that gap by getting our extraordinary young activists together and energized. I know they will take that energy with them back to their campuses and their communities, and it is only with such motivation that we will be able to sustain the level of youth engagement that put Barack Obama in the White House. I know you understand what is at stake in coming elections. Please support the College Democrats of [chapter/state] by sponsoring our delegations attendance at the CDA 2013 Convention. I have attached information about such opportunities, and I would welcome the chance to discuss them with you. I can be reached at [contact information]. Thank you so much; I appreciate your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely,

SAMPLE CHAPTER/STATE FEDERATION SPOTLIGHT SECTION The College Democrats of [chapter/state] have enjoyed incredible success by so 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 Plymouth for two days 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 College and University Leadership Conference, which brought students from HBCUs across the state to Greensboro, NC for a day of inspirational speakers, trainings, breakout sessions and panels that gave students the resources necessary to return to their communities as effective leaders. The California College Democrats helped execute a statewide voter registration project specifically targeted at students. CCD organized its members to register thousands of new voters with innovative ideas such as Trick or Vote and grassroots organizing events for Governor Jerry Brown and Senator Barbara Boxer. SAMPLE CONTRIBUTION LEVELS A donation at any of the following sponsorship levels would go towards promoting an individual/organization at the College Democrats National Convention. Freshman Level - $500 A gift at this level will fully fund the attendance of one of our members at the convention - Online spotlight page for the organization/individual Sophomore Level - $1000 A gift at this level will fully fund the attendance of two of our members at the convention - 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 - $1500 A gift at this level will cover the cost of our members meals for the length the convention - 30 students in Washington will wear a specially designed t-shirt with your individual/organizations name and/or logos featured prominently on the back 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 - $2000 A gift at this level will cover the cost of our members lodging in Washington - 50 students in Washington will wear a specially designed t-shirt with your individual/organizations name and/or logos featured prominently on the back 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 Super Senior - $3000 A gift at this level will cover the cost of our members [air/bus/van/car] travel to Washington - 100 students in Washington will wear a specially designed t-shirt with your individual/organizations name and/or logos featured prominently on the back 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 We will need help from our supporters in order to build student engagement and bring our energy to the 2013 Convention, so I hope you will consider making a contribution!

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