Before the Obama campaign, Amy had never had any interest in being involved in politics. “I never really had anything to believe in," she explained.
"When I heard Barack Obama, and then read his books, I thought, 'here’s somebody who honestly believes in change and believes the way we have been doing things doesn't have to be the way we keep doing them.' I was excited that finally someone in a leadership position believes things can be different in a way that matters to me. So I made my first contribution in May of 2007."
Since then, Amy, 39, a mom with two kids, 17 and 3, has volunteered countless hours, canvassing, phonebanking, and even being a precinct captain for Obama.Amy had never donated to a political campaign before, but she felt this time she had to get involved.
I thought, if the right candidate comes along and I don’t do anything, I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. I wanted to be a part of it.
Amy created a My.BarackObama.com page and set up a personal fundraising page to raise funds for the campaign. She sent emails to anyone she knew who supported Obama – mostly friends, family, and coworkers.
Most of them wanted to donate, but didn’t know how or didn’t get around to it. So often they were really appreciative that I asked. I had people who gave me $10, and others who gave $250. Most of them were pretty grateful to get a reminder from me to donate. I’ve actually had people call and ask if they can still donate to me. I think people like helping me reach my goals.
She set small personal deadlines to help fundraise. “One time I set a goal to have a certain amount by midnight before one of the primaries. I sent out a fundraising email and met my goal.”After that, Amy set a new goal and then had to raise it after she quickly met her goal again. So far, she’s raised over $2,000 from 29 contributors.Amy thinks people appreciate donating to her page as an easy way to get involved.
People are often afraid to get involved in politics or volunteer, so they can just give a little bit. All you have to do is give $10 or $20 – but it all adds up! It’s one way to get involved and feel like you’re a part of the movement.
It’s also a great way to get new people involved in the campaign. One of Amy’s coworkers donated a little to her page and was driven to volunteer. She says, “We didn’t really know each other before, but then he donated a bit, and we started to talk more, and he got more excited and involved and even became an Obama delegate to the county convention!” Amy has a core donor base but also adds new people every time she meets new Obama supporters. “It all adds up,” she says.Setting up a personal donor page is a great way to get more involved in the campaign and bring others into our movement. You can join Amy and supporters like her as a member of the Grassroots Finance Committee. We've set a challenging $1,000 goal for GFC members, but our team of fundraising experts will be available to give you personal advice and the support you need.
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