Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
Information Security Matters
Information systems security is of utmost importance, especially within political campaigns where protocols are rarely followed and security breaches are common. Following the guidelines listed below will help prevent a breach and deter potential security risks that can cost you valuable time, money and the election if you’re not careful. (more…)
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
By the Numbers: The math behind a successful leadership call program
In spite of the critical importance of candidates and leadership making major donor calls, frequently it is looked upon as one of the most unpleasant, difficult jobs in politics. A lot of the dread stems from a lack of understanding and inexperience. However, as you well know, things begin to seem much more pleasant to people when they start to meet with success. To illustrate this, we have created this simple model based on our 20 years of experience in campaign and PAC fundraising to show you the success that can be achieved through candidate and leadership call time for political fundraising. (more…)
Friday, July 30th, 2010
The amount of money being poured into political campaigns is flourishing. This new report takes a look at the past 20 years of data to develop a forecast for the next decade’s contribution trends at the state and federal levels among candidates, parties and political action committees.
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Does your companies political action committee meet the challenge?
If you answer “No” to more than 9 of the following questions, then chances are that your political action committee is in need of a little attention. If you answer “No” to more than 16, it’s extremely likely that you’re in need of a major PAC overhaul.
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Why do so many fundraising campaigns fail? The reasons are many: Because organizations often are so enamored by their campaign ideas that they fail to do their research, or they ignore what the research tells them; sometimes the message or the distribution channels are wrong; sometimes the marketing doesn’t communicate the right messages to invoke action. Successful campaign launches result from an integrated process that relies heavily on research and pre-planning. Let’s review several of the critical issues that affect campaign introductions. (more…)
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
There are many established principles of best practices relative to political action committee accountability, ethics, governance, finance, programming and public disclosure. While the culture of each political action committee is different, every organization should use some form of these principles as a guide for strengthening effectiveness and accountability.
During March 2010, Sagac Public Affairs put these principles and the corporate PAC community to the test (more…)
Friday, March 12th, 2010
In an effort to escape from her ordinary life in Kansas, Dorothy Gale dreams of a better place somewhere over the rainbow. Miraculously, a tornado bears down on she and Toto and they ascend to the wonderful Land of Oz. Voters reenact this dream from time to time during US elections. Consider the following:
Thursday, February 18th, 2010
Identifying goals and turning them into action plans that are executed within your organization all but guarantees the success of PAC marketing programs. An action plan is a document that begins with goals and identifies all of the steps required to achieve them. (more…)
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
Sagac uses the country’s leading experts in fundraising, management and FEC compliance to prepare your organization for success through assessment and auditing of your political action committee. (more…)
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
Get in harmony with the prospect
Some people contribute not so much because they believe strongly in the cause than because they want to help, or please, the person who asks for the contribution. It is easier to support an existing cause to which you are asked to participate, than to create a cause you identified on your own. Finding support among prospects is made easier if the solicitor can find common ground with the prospect. Examples of common ground may include similar educational, business or life experiences you share with a prospective donor. While it would be nice to believe that all donors contribute because they understand the campaign, individual or organization fully and believe in its purposes and goals, in truth, some people only contribute because they want to help or to please the solicitor. It’s a lot easier to give to someone you like and know, than someone you don’t. (more…)
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Competition for political power in Washington, DC is at an all-time high. One way to get a political “leg-up” on your competition is to host in-kind fundraisers for members of Congress and candidates for Federal office. Not only do in-kind fundraisers provide you and your organization much-sought-after face time with Congressmen, but positions you as the pivotal political player within your industry. (more…)
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
According to a recent study of America’s top business political action committees, the most effective technique for fundraising is one-on-one solicitation. Although one-on-one solicitation is time consuming, most professionals agree that, while certain other techniques may be more productive in raising money from a larger number of people, one-on-one solicitation almost always is the most effective way to get a contribution from any one individual.
To find out more about business PACs or how your efforts rank, click here
Monday, August 24th, 2009
A low-cost strategy has paved the road to success for many political action committees. The key to success using a low-cost strategy is to deliver the expected level of value to members and employees at a cost that assumes an adequate level of continued receipt growth. (more…)
Monday, February 2nd, 2009
As a political action committee professional, I’ve spent my fair share of time digging out from some common pitfalls PAC managers make. As a fundraising consultant for these same operations, I’ve observed that many PAC managers continue to encounter those same mistakes in their quest for success.
By far, the most prevalent of these traps, particularly among PAC managers with a public policy background, is mistaking the ability to manage government affairs operations with the ability to market a PAC to members, employees or the public. Each requires different skill sets. (more…)
Friday, September 26th, 2008
Many believe that PAC strategy and implementation of action plans are a mechanical process: Just develop a blueprint of action steps, tell people to execute those steps, and check periodically for progress. The reality is that people are the most important part of implementation, and harnessing their energy and commitment to the PAC and its initiatives is often a PAC manager’s greatest challenge. (more…)
From management to market research, from Issue advocacy and communications to fundraising and electioneering, Sagac is committed to turning ideas into solutions for your advocacy operation.