Fundraising is an essential part of running a political campaign, but it can feel challenging for many first-time – and repeat! – candidates. Knowing where to begin, how to make the most of your networks, and which activities are worth the effort can make all the difference.
In this blog post, five Pathways to Politics alums from across Australia and across the political spectrum share their practical advice and experiences. They answer common questions like:
How do you make the most impact? What resources do you need? Are gala dinners worth the effort?
A big thanks to our alums who contributed their wisdom!
- Amanda Dorn MP , MLC Western Australia
- Emelda Davis, former City of Sydney Councillor
- Sarah Thompson, strategic fundraising and philanthropy specialist
- Cr Penny Wolff, Brisbane City Councillor
- Dr. Wesa Chau, Victorian Advisory Committee member and candidate for Prahran
Amanda Dorn MP
Amanda is a Member of the Legislative Council for Western Australia. She is the first Animal Justice Party MP in the Western Australian Parliament, and an alum of our inaugural WA program in 2024.
Don’t be afraid to ask
One of the biggest lessons I learned is: don’t be afraid to ask. Fundraising can feel awkward at first, but the worst someone can do is say no – and you’ll often be surprised by who says yes. People want to support causes they believe in – and many will get behind you, not just your policies.
During my campaign, I tapped into every network I had – friends, old colleagues, community connections, even local business owners that aligned with our values (vegan, plant-based, cruelty free). Some people donated because they were passionate about our platform. Others gave because they believed in me. Every single contribution helped, and every donor became a potential vote.
Simple but powerful – email
A simple but powerful tool? Email. My campaign team included an opportunity to donate with each update we sent. We also drove a direct fundraising email / website asking for support to fund a campaign billboard for Veticare – with a clear outcome, people felt their contribution was meaningful.
Other tips that worked for me
- Be specific in your ask: people like knowing exactly what their donation will achieve.
- Use social media to connect, not just promote. People give when they feel a personal connection to your journey.
- Create low-barrier community events – examples such as holding plant-based dinners, town halls, information sessions…
- Start early, and don’t stop – the earlier you begin asking, the more time people have to respond and the more momentum you’ll build.
If I could go back, I’d remind myself: people want to help. All you need to do is ask.
Emelda Davis
Emelda is a former Councillor at the City of Sydney and alum of our NSW program. Emelda is a second generation born Australian South Sea Islander (ASSI), a passionate volunteer, community builder and a dedicated advocate for ASSIs.
I was a part of the Team Clover, a well-seasoned campaign team, when I ran as an incumbent councillor in the 2024 NSW local elections. My strategy focused on bringing in our most marginalised communities, e.g. First Nations, ASSIs, CALD and people/friends with disability, to create a robust fundraising foundation that not only supported the campaign, but also fostered strong community connections.
Ongoing PR, social media and public appearances were equally important to encourage that participation – it goes hand in hand. It was also important to support and follow through with volunteers’ suggestions for further community engagement. I provided open-door access to my office, putting forward the needs of those communities which have never been heard before by the city.
Build community trust through a clear campaign message
Define your campaign message clearly. This clarity will help build community trust and sustain a dedicated team of volunteers who resonate with your vision. Be mindful of how you communicate your message. Authenticity is key; people can easily sense insincerity. Ensure that community members feel heard and involved in your campaign’s success. Building authentic relationships will enhance engagement and support.
Ensure your campaign messaging reflects social inclusion and cultural diversity. Use strong imagery and clear policy communication to resonate with a broad audience.
- Utilise campaign videos that share your story and feature endorsements from community leaders. You could approach a local media school as an opportunity for a VJ to assist the creation of these videos for their coursework work building capacity for their resume as well. They will assist greatly in mapping out a social media campaign and could be all probono if you’re lucky.
- Leverage the videos on social media to promote your events and engage your online community. This approach has proven effective in attracting attendees to community dinner fundraisers.
Seek out partnerships and endorsements
Approach local businesses, travel agents, shops, and restaurants for raffle items or sponsorships. Building partnerships can significantly enhance your fundraising efforts.
Identify key partnerships and endorsements from local sports clubs, RSL clubs, and festivals. Attend public speaking opportunities to raise your profile and connect with potential supporters.
Host a gala dinner
Organise a gala dinner in collaboration with community allies. This event can serve as a major fundraising opportunity while also strengthening community ties.
The most successful fundraiser during my 2024 campaign was the raffle and gala dinner for loyal supporters who didn’t mind paying $200 a ticket.
Compliance
Stay informed about all AEC compliance requirements and deadlines. Consider appointing a dedicated manager to oversee compliance to ensure your fundraising efforts remain within legal boundaries.
Pay close attention to the timeframes set by the electoral commission for funding guidelines. Staying compliant will prevent any breaches in your fundraising campaign.
Sarah Thompson
Sarah is an alum of the Victorian program, and a strategic fundraising and philanthropy specialist. Her fundraising experience includes work with the Voices for Indi movement, where she supported the re-election of Dr Helen Haines MP at the 2022 Federal election.
Galas vs. grassroots
While gala dinners and formal events have their place, especially in the later stages of a campaign, they can he huge amounts of work and initial cost outlay to recoup from money coming in. I’d encourage candidates to first leverage what’s most immediately accessible: your own community networks.
Some of the most effective political fundraising I’ve seen started with small, informal events – BBQs, morning teas, backyard catch-ups – that brought supporters together not just to donate, but to feel part of the campaign. These gatherings offer the chance to share your story, outline what your campaign needs (e.g. signage, ad space, printed materials), and encourage personal investment. This is a bit of a peer-to-peer fundraising model, and can work if you have a group of close supporters across your network who volunteer to host events.
We used this grassroots event model for a candidate I supported, and it helped generate several significant $5,000+ donations from individuals who had both the capacity and connection but hadn’t previously been approached formally.
The key was giving them access and agency – making them feel part of the strategy, not just the fundraising target. In this environment the candidate could pose the ask indirectly to the group, and those with interest and ability can follow up with the team or candidate. It allowed the ask to be made without putting people on the spot – which can be tricky in the Australian context when people aren’t prone to giving this way.
Use a giving platform
In tandem, I strongly recommend using a donor-friendly online giving platform like Donorbox integrated with Stripe. Others like Go fund me or my cause might be ok – I haven’t used them. It’s secure, affordable, and provides a basic donor CRM and campaign dashboard that can be managed by volunteers. It does automated receipting and tracking, saving huge amounts of time on admin and record keeping. From there, you can build a digital appeal strategy across social media, video, and email, making clear, tangible asks (e.g. “We need $1,500 to print another 1,000 placards” or “Help us get this local TV ad on air – here’s a sneak peek!”).
Make your donors feel like teammates – not just backers.
Compliance, compliance, compliance!
I also echo the importance of compliance. Political fundraising in Australia has very clear legal frameworks – ensure you’re across disclosure and donation rules from the relevant electoral commission and state-based regulators.
AI can be your friend
Use AI. I recommend all candidates get across this, particularly if they are looking at a digital campaign. AI can help you prepare a tailored and unique strategy really quickly, draft mail copy and message copy, order and schedules messages and narrative. Learn yourself or have volunteers who can use it and help you cut down workload where you can.
It’s not about AI writing your digital campaign, but prompting it with your platform, language etc to do it in a way that will cut down time and help with the creative mental load of campaigning for volunteers.
In the spirit of this suggestion, I threw some prompts into ChatGPT! Plenty of good ideas came up that are worth exploring if you have campaign time and resources in people, money or volunteers. I really think the sprint week, the challenge gift and the thankyou / acknowledging donors Here are three excellent suggestions that I’ve seen great impact for many political/advocacy organisations over the years.
Some of ChatGPT’s suggestions…
🎯 Set a “Challenge Gift” or Matching Campaign
If you secure a major donor early, ask if they’d consider offering their gift as a match to incentivise others.
“Jane is donating $2,500 and has challenged our community to match her — can we unlock it by Friday?”
These kinds of challenges give people a reason to give now and can drive urgency through social media and email.
📆 Plan a “Fundraising Sprint Week”
Set aside a week during the campaign to focus intensely on fundraising. Book one-on-one meetings with donors, ask your team to make personal calls, and build momentum online with a focused theme or goal:
“Sign Week – help us get 1,000 signs on lawns across the region.”
Concentrated energy over a short time often outperforms ongoing trickle campaigns.
🧾 Recognise and Steward Donors (Even Mid-Campaign)
Keep a donor wall or thank-you tracker. Acknowledge gifts promptly and personally — even if just a voice memo, text, or short call. Recognition leads to repeat giving. Consider doing:
- Shout-outs on social (with permission)
- A small donor thank-you gathering
Cr Penny Wolff
Penny is an alum of our Queensland program and a Councillor for Walter Taylor Ward in Brisbane City Council. She also supports many grassroots charities, including Women’s Legal Services Queensland, Oz Harvest, Beyond Blue and Cancer Council.
Here are a few practical strategies that worked well during my local campaign:
Start with your inner circle
Personal outreach to friends, family, and trusted community contacts helped build early momentum. A direct message about why I was running and how their support could make a difference, it made people more inclined to contribute.
Make giving easy and purposeful
We used a simple online donation platform and paired asks with real examples (e.g., “$50 covers 500 flyers”). This helped people understand the tangible impact of their contribution.
High-end dinners with set ticket prices
We hosted a series of small, intimate fundraising dinners with a per-person ticket price. These not only raised funds but also helped build a strong, engaged supporter base.
Silent auction at campaign launch
At our campaign launch event, we ran a silent auction with donated items from local businesses and supporters. It created great energy on the night and gave people a fun way to contribute beyond a standard donation.
Dr. Wesa Chau
Wesa is an alum of our Victorian program and a member of the program’s Advisory Committee. She was the co-founder of Poliversity, an inaugural member of the Victorian Multicultural Labor Network, and the Labor candidate for Prahran in the 2022 Victorian state election.
I find political fundraising to be very different from other not-for-profit fundraising. You have a different audience. I found that myself alone is the key to gaining support – it was a hard switch from selling a good cause to selling myself.
Some ideas I can share:
Just ask!
Just asking people you know, who are already supporters, is a great way to fundraise. It can be challenging at first, but it was surprising to me how much support I had when I started doing this exercise.
Host a gala dinner
The traditional old school way of hosting a dinner is probably the best fundraising method for political fundraising. Have a good political speaker, and know your audience. Good budgeting is very important, and finding a good venue that supports flexibility for the event, so you gain as much revenue as possible.
Get your auction items right
For one of my dinners I had auction items. The auction items that sold well were the political ones. Items that had nothing to do with politics – even though they were of great value, such as art pieces – didn’t. So it’s important to be good at picking out what is a good auction item for a political function, and what isn’t.
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