Why we connected with Twitter

Just a few words about our strategy behind last week's Twitter integration project.

Certainly, we hope it's a big benefit to campaigns.  There's no doubt that Democratic candidates have jumped into Twitter.  It got to a point where we were couldn't ignore the clamor.  But let me highlight three specific motivations that go deeper than "serving candidates and fundraisers any way we can."

1. We are eager to drive adoption of our ActBlue Express donor accounts.  Express donors can review their full contribution history at any time, track progress against a personal giving target or aggregate contribution limits, make new contributions with just a few clicks, and -- of course -- now have the option to contribute via Twitter as well.  You'll see us doing more with these donor accounts over the next months, both in terms of their capabilities and how we promote them.


2. Twitter represents our first attempt at a mobile giving platform for Democratic fundraising.  It's a challenge whose solution has thus far remained out of reach in politics.  We can put a stake in the ground claiming the first honest mobile giving platform generally available to Democrats, but I also hope it is only the first of many innovations in that space.


3. Grassroots fundraising shines when donors become fundraisers, reaching other donors that candidates themselves can't reach.  We've preached that gospel from our first days five years ago.  What's so unique to Twitter is that the contribution tweet serves two roles: a contribution instruction to ActBlue and the fundraising ask itself.  We'll watch that dynamic closely, and perhaps try to bake in support for retweets as a way for donors to augment a contribution with a few bucks of their own.

Ultimately, we're looking for a new culture of online giving, not driven solely by asks from candidates and their fundraisers, but a mesh of activity underlying each day's online political discourse.  With ActBlue and Twitter, we can go beyond sending out "attaboys" when a Congressman votes the right way.  Imagine instead if those votes drove a flurry of micro-contributions, or a matching pledge implemented as a Twitter bot that automatically responds to contributions with the matching donor's own gift.

Let us know what you think, and please do give it a whirl!

ActBlue supports online giving through Twitter

Just a quick note, since I'm at the Personal Democracy Forum conference today and tomorrow.

Friday evening, we released new software that connects our fundraising platform with Twitter.  We started with our popular ActBlue Express that allows contributors to save a profile, make contributions to candidates or fundraising pages with just a few clicks, and review their full giving history.  What's new is connecting that profile to Twitter: now allowing donors to give by just tweeting the candidate's Twitter screen name and an amount.  We'll respond with a thank you note and you'll see the usual email receipt in your inbox.

Lots of candidates have a strong Twitter presence, of course, so this is just another case of ActBlue's search for how we can best help campaigns and their supporters make deeper connections.  We love how the contribution message serves not just as an instruction to our system, but a built in promotion of the candidate and a public celebration of contributing to the Democratic movement.

We've just started loading in campaigns and organizations, so if your campaign uses Twitter, please drop us a line at info@actblue.com and we'll get you set up right away.

Full details at our Twitter page.  If you use Twitter, try it out this week and us know what you think!

The Virginia Primary & Supporting the Democratic Nominees

Last night saw the conclusion of the 2009 Virginia Democratic primary. From the state assembly to the governor's race, there were many contested (and heated!) races. As in any state, there were passionate supporters doing everything they could to help their chosen candidate. 

But as primary concludes, and a nominee chosen (such as Creigh Deeds for Governor or Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor) comes an expectation, and sometimes a challenge, for party unity. Candidates typically play a role in this phase with the phrasing of their concession speeches, but those words are only so effective in how quickly and widespread they are communicated to one's supporters.

In a good sign for Democrats in Virginia, the leading statewide campaigns made use of their websites and email lists to share their words and call for support of the nominee. In an even better sign, they made an immediate call of financial support for their (now) former opponents. Here at ActBlue, we're also proud to have been an immediate, accessible, transparent, and easy way for campaigns to start fundraising for the nominee while enabling the nominee to know and give credit to new donors. 

Here are a couple of screenshots of that in action last night from the Virginia primary.

In the Lt. Gov. primary, Mikel Signer directed his supporters via email to give to Jody Wagner on ActBlue. 

 

In the Gubernatorial primary, both Terry McCauliffe and Brian Moran are sporting front page banner asks on their websites, directing their supporters to consider giving to Democratic nominee Creigh Deeds (as shown below). 

On the front page of his website, Brian Moran links to an ActBlue page specifically created for that purpose, allowing both campaigns to be able to track new donors. 

ActBlue was able to help dozens of campaigns large and small this primary season in Virginia. We congratulate all the winners and look forward to a Democratic sweep in November. 

ActBlue: Organizing for the Future

Like many of you, I spent Tuesday morning waiting for the Prop 8 decision to come down. The result was a disappointment, but it got me thinking about where we go from here. I think that the biggest lesson I’ve taken away from this struggle is that organizing is crucial to success. You’ve got to get the money, then the people, and then the result. And you’ve got to start early.

With that in mind, I wanted to talk a little bit about what we’re interested in doing in ’09 and ’10, and the role that all of you can play in that process.

For starters, we’re very interested in ballot initiatives. While every cycle a few of these enter the national media consciousness, far too many slip through the cracks, their likely effects on the community obscured by confusing language. We’d like to become a place where Democrats can raise the money they need to support or oppose these often esoteric measures.

So what can you do as just one person?

It’s pretty simple: when you discover a ballot initiative that affects your community, shoot us an email about it. Let us know who's supporting/opposing it and suggest that they get set up on ActBlue.

In the same vein, we've also started up a pilot program for local races in Boston, San Francisco, Houston, Cleveland, Charlotte and Cook County (IL). We've gotten an enthusiastic response, but we'd like to reach every Democratic candidate we can. So if you know of someone running for office in those cities, please urge them to get listed with ActBlue. We're all familiar with the old saw that all politics is local, and we figured it's time someone started taking it seriously.

The next big issue we’re interested in is the coming round of redistricting. To make a long story short, in 2010 we’re going to take a census. In 2011, the states will begin the process of redrawing federal congressional districts based on the results of that census. As we all remember from the Tom DeLay shenanigans circa 2003, the GOP isn’t inclined to play fair on this issue. Democratic leaders in Washington are preparing for another round of protracted legal wrangling after the fact. We have a slightly different prescription:

Winning.

Redistricting is the next major strategic battlefield in Democratic politics, and your help is essential. In 36 states, redistricting plans are voted on by the state legislature. So figure out who your state representative is, and give them a call. Encourage them to get set up on ActBlue. Do the same for your state senator. If either of those people happen to be Republicans, find out who their Democratic challenger is and point them our way. Ditto for the gubernatorial race in your state.

This is a battle we’ll help you fight in all 50 states,* and we’re the only ones out there who can.

Best, 
-Adrian

P.S. Among the many reasons I work at ActBlue is that I think what we do here is pretty cool. We’re expanding the pool of people engage in political activity, breaking down barriers to entry in Democratic politics, and helping Democrats organize support for the causes that matter most to them. We do what we do in all 50 states, and I like to think we do it well. Apparently, so does James-freakin’-Bond. It’s nice to know he feels the same way as I do.

*Okay, okay, it's only 43 if you want to get all technical. Seven states have only a single congressional representative, and therefore no need to redistrict.

We're Blue, ActBlue.

Anyone can create a personal fundraising page at ActBlue. As a result, there are a lot of people who like to get the political system a little shaken up and bring new money into politics via a personalized ActBlue page. Others are stirred into action at the bequest of someone else's ask to donate through their page.

But whether you are shaken or stirred into political action, ActBlue is ready and waiting for everyone.

And that means everyone- including James Bond.

Those of you with a golden eye may have noticed that 1990's James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan and his wife are hosts of an ActBlue fundraising events page for a Democratic candidate in California's 35th State Assembly District. Fundraising for Democrats certainly has some similarities to film. You often pay a ticket for entry, hope that the candidate becomes a (ballot) box office hit, and you pull for the good guys to win.

Ten years ago, the state of our world was not enough for some voters to become engaged. But today, as he writes in his personal fundraising pitch, Brosnan understands that we can't wait to let the earth die another day.

Susan was critical in our fight to stop the construction of a dangerous Liquefied Natural Gas terminal off the coast of Malibu and Oxnard in 2007. In 2008, Susan stopped the construction of a massive Orange County toll road through San Onofre State Park, the birthplace of Trestles, a world renown surf spot. Currently, she is fighting to stop renewed offshore oil drilling off our California coast.

Over the last 15 years, Susan has been a tireless environmental leader who has taken on the toughest fights in California and won. To make sure our environment, our communities and our children are protected, we need her in the California legislature now more than ever.

Democratic candidates need support and they can get that through ActBlue. The idea of setting up your own event or personal fundraising page tomorrow never dies, but there's no reason to delay- click here and get started today!

-----

ActBlue does not take sides in Democratic primaries. All examples are for illustrative purposes only.

We can't say it any better

From Tyler Gernant, running for MT-AL. Video from his ActBlue fundraising page.

Act(Blue) On The Issues!

Let me do a little introductory dance here. I'm Adrian, and I work at ActBlue as our Deputy Communications Director. I've been a Kos reader for years, but this is my first trip to the big leagues, so to speak. Anyway, let's get to it: we're all familiar with what ActBlue can do during election years, I wanted to talk a little bit about what we can do together when it's an off year.

As you're all aware, there are a number of tumultuous issues roiling Washington D.C. these days: torture, confirmation battles present and future, and a high-profile party switch, to name just a few. ActBlue allows you to construct a visible narrative of support for the politicians who represent your views, months and even years before an election. Money talks, and the circular handshake of financial support and media attention is how political fortunes are made and broken. You can play a role in that process by supporting politicians who take positions you like, even when it's not an election year. So how do you construct that narrative?

Well, you'd better believe that the next election is very much on the candidate's mind, and a concerted fundraising push in response to a particular statement or position sends a message to the campaign that there's a real support base out there. That encourages them to stick to their guns and adopt similar positions in the future. If you sustain that push via repeat giving or recurring donations, the media attention those numbers garner will amplify your influence.

In the weeks to come, I'm going to be posting entries about the issues of the day and how you can use ActBlue to influence them. And, just in case you don't believe you can influence politics this way, I've included a step-by-step timeline of how your donations forced the NRCC out of the MN-06 race last year and brought the DCCC in, all over the course of a weekend!

Friday October 17th, 2008: Michelle Bachmann decided to channel McCarthy on Hardball. Prior to her comments, El Tinklenberg had raised $2k on ActBlue. Afterwards, the dam broke and as much as $200/minute came pouring through ActBlue.

Saturday October 18th, 2008: The firestorm ignited by Bachmann's comments continued to grow, producing 120k for Tinklenberg on ActBlue. By late afternoon, Politico had picked up the story, bringing it to a national audience. The hits kept coming with a UPI wire report at 8PM. By 9PM, Tinklenberg's ActBlue haul stood at $230k and growing.

Sunday October 19th, 2008: By the end of the day, Tinklenberg had brought in $270k through ActBlue, and had planned a major advertising blitz. The Minneapolis Star Tribune, the largest regional paper in the area, had also picked up the story, bringing it to households throughout the district.

Monday October 20th, 2008: In the morning, the DCCC announced that it would jump into the race and run $1mil worth of ads against Bachmann. Later that night, the beleaguered Republican discovered that she had a write-in GOP opponent. Tinklenberg's end-of-day ActBlue tally stood at $300k.

Over the next couple of days, the NRCC pulled out of MN-06, and Survey USA put out a poll showing Tinklenberg leading Bachmann 47% to 44%. Tinklenberg's final ActBlue number: 8000 donations amounting to $313k, all over the space of a weekend.

Now, regardless of the ultimate outcome of that race, it was a triumph of broad-based Democratic fundraising. The quick response from outraged Democrats drove a days-long news story and pulled in the major national committee. And all of this while a historic presidential campaign was sucking up a lot of the bandwith and money out there. Underlying all of that was ActBlue's flexible and responsive technology, which enabled people to open up a new tab in their browser and make their opinion known, not just in Minnesota, but across the country.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks as I take a look at the contentious issues in Washington, and outline ways to use ActBlue to influence them. As always, feel free to drop us an email with any questions. I can promise you that real humans (myself included!) read every email.

Congressman Scott Murphy

Scott Murphy won his special election today for the NY-20 seat after James Tedisco conceded (TPM, NYT).

ActBlue was there from start to finish.  His early numbers at ActBlue demonstrated his viability in the first weeks of the race.  As the race tightened in the final weeks, Senator Gillibrand and General Wesley Clark added to the momentum with fundraising asks.  And within hours of the initial election results, we set up the New York Victory Protection Fund between the state party and the campaign to protect the election.

Each of these successes contributed to the next because of our commitment to transparency.  Donors, fundraisers, and the press could all see the campaign building strength each day.

We're proud to play a role in every step of Democratic victory.  Congratulations, Congressman Murphy.

ActBlue videos from Denver

We've been sitting on these videos from last summer's Democratic National Convention for too long.

First, Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie interviewed me and some of the other folks hanging out at the Big Tent — blogger HQ for the week.

And then, Internet company Level 3 did a series of videos as a project they called the Red Couch.  Here's mine (wmv).

ActBlue Looking for Ideas (prizes involved!)

"I believe candidates with strong, sound stances deserve our support, and this is a race where your dollars can make the difference. Please make a contribution to this critical cause."

Sound familiar? If you have any experience with our fundraising pages you will have seen this (and perhaps fallen asleep to it) a few too many times. It is the default text for ActBlue's fundraising pages. ActBlue's customizable fundraising pages allow progressive activists to raise money for the best Democratic candidates out there easily and effectively, and the fifty state blog network has taken advantage of this feature to support state and national candidates with customized, targeted pages. But while the original blurb did help Democrats use our pages, we're in year 5 of ActBlue, and this is definitely year 3-4 material. We'll be working with thousands of new fundraisers this cycle, and we want to make sure they have the best language. And, well, this isn't it.

So, we need ideas.

We know you're best equipped to know what language will appeal to your friends and neighbors, so we wanted to give all of you an opportunity to create the next fundraising page blurb. If we pick yours, it will show up automatically on almost every fundraising page created on ActBlue. To show our appreciation, we'll send the winner and two runners-up an ActBlue Ice Cream Scoop! (No, we're not kidding. And trust us, it's a high quality scoop - The Original Zeroll.) Okay, here are the guidelines:

1. The blurb must be fewer than 50 words.
2. It has to be fairly generic (no specific issues or names), but still get across the basic reason for the fundraising page. This is something our current text does fairly well, if you are looking for an example.
3. If you can make it apply to pages for candidates and/or committees, all the better. If not, at least make it appeal to people looking to donate to candidates.
4. We are Democrats, and our pages are for Democrats. If your message would appeal to Democrats, that would probably earn points.
5. Humor is a big plus, but only that universal humor that works for everyone.
6. Effective fundraising is personal. Think about what kind of language would help you be a better fundraiser, and think about why your friends and family might feel compelled to give.
7. All entries must be received by 3/25.

Fill out your entry form right here! Thank you for your participation! ActBlue is active in all 50 states, helping Democrats raise money for their chosen candidate from the comfort of their living rooms and offices. We believe that your voice should be heard everywhere from your state capitol to the Senate floor, and we're working to make sure it is. Please support our work with a $15 recurring contribution today!

New Year Means New Federal Contribution Limits

Have you noticed something new on some of our contribution pages? That's today's $4,800 question.

If you were browsing through the 2010 federal candidates and officeholders listed in the ActBlue directory for the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives you might have noticed that the maximum contribution level has changed to $4,800 for candidates. This is due to new increased contribution limits laid out by the Federal Elections Commission, as expected after each 2-year cycle begins at the federal level.

Federal candidates may now receive a maximum contribution of $2,400 per individual for any primary election and up to another $2,400 per individual for the general election. Prior to a primary, candidates are allowed to raise general election funds (as some may remember being noted in news stories surrounding presidential fundraising in 2007-2008). ActBlue allows campaigns to collect the full $4,800 from individuals prior the the conclusion of a primary. After a candidate's primary has passed, the highest contribution level listed on ActBlue will automatically drop to $2,400 which will be the maximum per individual for just the general election. Note- It is incumbent upon campaigns, however, not only to properly report these funds but also to refund any general election designated monies they have received should they not be successful in becoming the Democratic nominee.

Changes were made to other levels of giving as well as has been noted by The Hill.

Individual donors will now be able to give up to $2,400 per election, or $4,800 for both a primary and a general, according to the new guidelines. That's up from the $2,300 per-election limit during the 2008 cycle. Donors are also able to fork over $30,400 to national parties, higher than the $28,500 they were allowed to give last cycle. A single donor is limited to $115,500 — including $45,600 to candidates — per cycle. National parties and their affiliated senatorial committees can aid their Senate candidates with up to $42,600 per election, $2,700 more than they could give during the last cycle. Political action committee donations, which are not indexed for inflation, remain at $5,000 per candidate per election.

That can be a lot of money to keep track of, as total spending caps could potentially limit the amount you are able to give a candidate if they are close to hitting their total federal limit. That's why we encourage regular donors to sign up for an ActBlue Express Account which allows them not only to make one-click contributions that speed up the donor process, but also allows individuals to track the total amount of money they have donated, which campaigns they gave it to, and when they gave it.

Inauguration Day ActBlue Style

As we discussed last time, Acting Blue with ActBlue doesn't end on Election Day . But what happens after every 2008 election, special election, and run-off is finally over? If it happens to be after a Presidential Election, and if Barack Obama is being sworn in as the new President, it means that the fundraising continues... but not for who you might first expect.

Would have have guessed County Democratic Parties & Clubs?

One of the powerful things about ActBlue is that we list hundreds of Democratic party entities and allow them all to have the same access to our fundraising tools. This helps spread Democratic dollors the the local level, providing grassroots financial support from the bottom of of the Democratic Party up. Take a look at who has been topping the "Hot Pages" charts for the last month.

 

 

Many, if not most, of these organizations are making use of ActBlue event pages which allow them to set ticket prices. This is incredibly useful as many groups have VIP level tickets, advance tickets, and regular tickets which they want to sell in one organized place. These pages allow groups to set a limited number of tickets at any particular level, erasing the confusing of oversold ticket groups.  Event pages also allow groups to collect all the information about their attendees and print out easy to use guest lists for the check-in table on Inauguration Day at their festivities.

County parties and Democratic organizations have also found it easy to include their event pages in email newsletters. For example, the Tarrant County Democrat Party in Texas included this in one of their recent e-newsletters.

 

So far, they've raised over $25,000 for their local Inaugural Ball via this fundraising page.

There are countless other examples from across the country urging people to RSVP in advance by donating online instead of waiting in line at the door. And as anyone in at the Inauguration in Washington, DC today will tell you, the less waiting time spent waiting in line, the better!