The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy (CNP) at the Bush School of Government & Public Service recently conducted a webinar titled Political Influence and Donor Motivations During an Election Cycle to discuss how donors’ motivations are impacted during a national election.
Led by Dr. Angela Seaworth, Director of Philanthropic Initiatives and Capacity Building, the webinar brought together two guest speakers to discuss the complexities surrounding fundraising and donor relations amidst a national election: Dr. Ruth Hansen, Associate Professor at UW-Whitewater and Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Management Studies, and Mary Ridenour, MPSA ’23, Senior Associate with The Morning Group.
The webinar discussed the fluid nature of donor motivations, emphasizing the influence of internal and external factors on donors’ decision-making processes. Factors discussed included religion, family, education, and civic and political organizations. Additionally, social identities, such as identifying as liberal or conservative, can impact how organizations communicate and market to different donors because social identities are motivated differently.
Furthermore, the webinar offered an understanding of the nuances associated with political fundraising by defining political fundraising rules, regulations, motivations, and funding structures. These discussions shed light on the unique challenges and intricacies of fundraising within the political sphere, compounded by a national election.
Dr. Hansen and Ridenour answered questions from the audience and discussed what can happen when assuming donors’ political leanings and values. They emphasized the importance of focusing on the organization’s mission as a unifying force for donors with diverse beliefs.
“Stick to the things you have in common, which is the support for the organization…you want to listen to where your donors are… but it’s okay to be true to the position your organization takes. There is definitely delicate negotiation that can go on there. Focus on the aspects you can probably agree on trying to promote.” — Dr. Ruth Hansen
The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy will host another nonprofit webinar on October 9th. Register at this link: bush.tamu.edu/nonprofit/events/
To view the PowerPoint and recording from the September Webinar, visit this link: bush.tamu.edu/nonprofit/resources/
