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Gavin Newsom for a Better California

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“It’s time we put politics aside to find the best policies for Californians to help our friends and neighbors in this tough economy.” — Gavin Newsom

Start Fundraising

Setting up a personal fundraising page for Gavin Newsom is a great way to get involved in the campaign. Our partner, ActBlue, has all the tools you need. You can set up your own Newsom page and ActBlue will track your progress.

Hundreds of thousands of progressive donors give money through ActBlue, so there is a viral effect to helping Gavin. If your Newsom page is “hot,” donors all over the country will see it and that helps raise our profile. We’ll walk you through the set up and give you some tips to be successful. Thanks for all of your help!

Getting Started

  1. Click here to go to Actblue's set up menu for personal fundraising pages.
  2. Fill out the form to set up your account and get started.
  3. If you already have an account on ActBlue, sign in.
  4. After you start an account, you will be sent a verification email. Go to your email and click the link - it will take you back to ActBlue to set up a password and open your account.
  5. Click on the "Create a new page" link. Or, if you're setting up an event, you can click on the "Create a new event" link.
  6. On this next page, enter your name and the name of your fundraising page (something catchy is always good - like "I knew Gavin when...") and write your pitch. A few sentences about why people should give to Gavin Newsom - being personal is always best.
  7. Next, at the bottom of the page, choose the URL for your personal page.
  8. Click "Create your fundraising page."
  9. At this point, you can start fundraising or personalize your page a little. We suggest adding a "thermometer" to your page to track your success, especially if this is your first time fundraising.
  10. To add the thermometer, refresh your browser. Your page will reappear with tabs at the top. Click the "goal" tab.
  11. Type in the amount you want to raise - let's say $500 - and hit save. ActBlue will create a personal thermometer and put it on your page. (Please note - if you get a blank pge, that says you are being "re-directed," click on the "re-directed" link - this will take you back to the main edit page.)
  12. Now you have your personal page with your goal and a thermometer to track your progress!
  13. To start fundraising, click on the "Spread the word" link.
  14. Enter your name and friends' emails that you want to ask for a donation. You can click "Import" if you have Outlook, Gmail or Yahoomail and ActBlue will import your contacts. You can simply put a check box by the friends you want to contact (DON'T WORRY - neither ActBlue nor the Newsom Campaign can keep your emails!)
  15. Type in a personal message about why you are asking friends to contribute to Gavin Newsom and then click "Tell Friends."
  16. Congratulations, and thank you! You are on your way to making change in California!
  17. Follow up - not everyone will donate right away, so ActBlue has a "Nudge" tool you can use to send follow up emails to people that do not respond. There is also a "Thank you" tool to thank people that donate to your page.

Helpful tips for being a successful fundraiser

Figure out your pitch: Keep it simple:

  • Answer the question - Why should people give?

  • Why do you support this candidate?

  • How much should they give?

Energize your audience:

  • What's the goal?

  • What's the deadline?

For more detailed tips on your pitch, check out ActBlue's guide to a successful fundraising page, or this example.

Play around: There are lots of ways to customize your page. You can add images or video, play with basic html coding, or make it fun.

Ask friends, family and more: Compile a list of people you're going to ask. Make it as extensive as possible, because if you don't ask, you'll never get an answer.

Distribute your ask: Send an e-mail, or use ActBlue's Spread the Word feature, which allows you to upload your address book and send an email appeal to up to 100 contacts. Or, embed a "Contribute" button on your blog or website (instructions are under the "Promote" tab on your personal page).

Follow up: Sometimes people forget, and one gentle reminder can be helpful. If this page isn't as successful as you hoped, create a new one with a different pitch and try again.

Donate to your own page: If you are asking people to join you, you need to show them that it's important enough that you contributed too. Plus, if you have a public page, it won't show up on your candidate's directory listing unless a contribution has been made!