During a campaign you’re always fundraising. Asking for money keeps staffers employed, advertisements on television, and your consultants paid. I’ve seen it all on the trail; personal solicitation, direct mail, urging meeting goers to donate online afterwards, a basket to accept checks, and the dreaded fishbowl of cash (election finance nightmare anyone?) Is there a way to use technology to make fundraising easier?
Be Square!
Square is a revolutionary tool to accept credit card payments. It’s an app for your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphone. Signing up is simple:
- Download the app
- Create an an account and add your campaign’s account number.
After signing up your card reader is shipped and delivered in about a week.
Why Use It?
First, Square’s fees are reasonable and better than other services. Square charges %2.75 per transaction or 3.5 + ยข15 if you have to manually enter in a card number. There are no monthly fees or charges for a machine. The reader is free! Second, your campaign should be able to take credit cards in person at events or meetings. Let’s say your candidate just delivered a roaring good speech and made the ask for contributions. People don’t carry cash and they barely know where their checkbook is. They do carry their credit or debit card. Your campaign needs to capitalize on those moments.
Tips on Usage:
Let’s assume that you have multiple staffers and your campaign are in different parts of the state. Equip your staffers with an iPhone, a Square Card Reader, and of course the app. Tie the account to the checking account of the campaign so you can allow multiple streams of donations to come in. At your campaign’s booth be sure to display your decal that Square gives you (a sign with credit card logos) to notify passerby. When this device is used, it’ll create buzz around the crowd and people will be drawn to see this neat little device. Maybe this will get more donations? Lastly, try giving the device to dedicated volunteers who go door knocking for you. Taking a small donation would be a great help when going door-to-door, if a voter expresses interest.
The Drawback
Square is a trendy, hip, and cool way to show that your campaign “gets” technology. As it turns out, Square does have some drawbacks. Currently, there is no way to capture address or occupation and employer data, all necessary for election finance compliance. You only get the name and amount. Solve this by recording that data manually on a paper form. Just record the missing data points with a date and amount and your finance team should be able to comply with election law.
Yes, it’s true, fundraising is probably the hardest part about politics. Hopefully, with Square you can make it easier.
Have you used Square before? How are you using it? Any tips you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments below!
