Campaign finance goes social
Much has been made about the differences between Barack Obama and John McCain when it comes to technology. And most of the comparisons are pretty accurate. While McCain boasts that he doesn’t use email, Obama has an iPhone app, a highly sophisticated web site, and even does in-game campaign ads. The latest twist from Obama has to be one of the most intriguing: social campaign contributions.
What the Obama campaign has done is a twist on the traditional “matching donor” model, where contributors are encouraged to support a cause with the lure of a “match” -– typically from a well-heeled individual or foundation—that essentially doubles the donor’s impact. In the Obama model, however, recurring donors are encouraged to contribute a little more, as the matchers for new donors. The social element? You can write a personalized email to your matchee, and that donor can then respond to you. The communication can be anonymous, or you can swap email addresses and take the conversation out of Obamaland and into the real world.
I don’t know how many new donors the matching campaign is attracting, but I know it got me—and “Richard P. in Silver Springs, MD”—to fork over a few extra bucks. If the model works, I can see other causes adopting it—and can see donors forming new networks around their favorite causes.
