3 Ways to Build Fundraising Infrastructure as an Organization for the 2026 Midterm Elections
As 2024 candidates up and down the ballot are closing up shop on their previous campaigns and setting their sights on 2026, as an organization doing electoral work you should be doing the same.
Although you aren’t necessarily “shutting down” a campaign like candidates do, you should be reorienting yourself for the next election cycle to come.
A large part of building up infrastructure now is to set your organization up for success later in the 2026 cycle when you are competing with other electoral organizations, candidates for office, and PACs. Below are a few ways you can invest in fundraising infrastructure now to stand out when 2026 comes around.
3 Tactics to Lay a Strong Fundraising Foundation
Strategy Conversations
The first step your organization should take after the 2024 election is having an internal conversation about what worked for fundraising, what didn’t work, what can be improved upon for the next cycle, what are your goals for 2026, etc. This conversation should initially happen internally, but can also result in a facilitated conversation including trusted coalition members and large donors to get input from other stakeholders.
Donor Cultivation
The natural slowdown of fundraising immediately after an election cycle for electoral organizations gives you the opportunity to spend some time cultivating your existing donors. This can manifest in several ways:
Thank you notes or personal outreach to thank donors
Hosting a donor summit to thank donors and get their input on the future of the organization
For larger donors, this can mean casual, personal lunches or coffees
End of cycle/year donor celebration event
Clearly communicating all the work their contributions supported and the impact the overall organization had as a result
Coalition-Building
Establishing solid relationships with like-minded organizations, elected officials, and political power players is paramount to the future success of your organization’s electoral work. This is especially important if you are expanding into a new geographic area, new type of electoral work, or shifting your organization’s messaging and political goals.
Strategically using the start of 2025 to invest in fundraising infrastructure can result in a much higher return on investment when fundraising efforts ramp up.
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