Fundraising and Sponsoring

Getting started
You want to raise a huge amount of money in no time? Then you should play in a lottery – this article is going to disappoint you. Fundraising and sponsoring are well-planned efforts which require financial as well as personal resources.

Whereas a fundraiser usually doesn’t give anything directly in return for a donation, the situation is different for sponsoring. This is more like a business contract: a company gives money or contributions in kind to the party and will get something in return that both sides have agreed on: e.g. the company logo will be displayed at certain events, on the candidate’s car or on the back of a brochure.  We’ll come back to that later.

開始

你想要在短時間內取得大筆的款項嗎？那你該去玩彩券。這篇文章要讓你失望了。募款(fundraising)和贊助(sponsoring)是有計畫的苦工，而且同時需要經濟能力和人際關系。

然而募款者通常不會對捐款直接回饋任何東西，募款和贊助有所不同。贊助比較像是商業合約：一間公司給予金錢或是給予協助，而政黨和公司則會彼此同意某種形式的回報。例如說，公司的標誌將會出現在政黨舉辦的一些活動，或是出現在候選人的汽車上，或是在傳單的背面。我們晚一點再來討論這個議題。

Fundraising
In some countries there are legal or cultural barriers for fundraising. You should always check the legal situation before you start fundraising. Sometimes, only certain parts of a party are allowed to raise funds, in most cases parliamentary factions are not allowed to do so. In some countries people are more used to donating in cash, in others they want to pay by cheque, transfer money from their bank account via SMS, or use an online donation tool. Have a look at the methods used successfully by others in your country and ask which may be good ways for your target groups. Of course you can leave the choice of the channel up to your donors.

The main challenge to start fundraising may be your own attitude towards it. Your party needs money, but you feel uncomfortable begging for it? That’s why you haven’t even started? Perhaps you want to hire a fundraiser and let him or her do the bad job?

募款
在一些國家，對於募款行為，有法律或是文化上的障礙。你應該在你募款之前，仔細檢查法律問題。有時候，只有政黨的部分被容許募款，許多時候，國會選舉相關的部分是不容許募款的。在一些國家，人們傾向捐現金，在其它國家人們付支票，用簡訊匯款、或是用線上支付。看一下其它人在你的國家是用什麼方式成功地取得金錢的，問問看哪種方式最適合你的目標選民。當然，你也可以給予你的選民自由選擇，他們要用什麼管道匯款。
要開始募款，最大的考驗應該是你自身對於這件事情的態度。你的政黨需要錢，但是你覺得當乞丐跟人要錢滿難受的？這就是你甚至不曾開始的原因嗎？也許你想要雇用一個有募款能力的人，並且讓他來搞定這件塞工作？

If these are your feelings it is time to change your attitude. You are not a beggar! You are fighting for a better world with your party and you offer others the opportunity to support your cause – even if they cannot or do not want to spend time on it. They want a better world for themselves and for their children – and you provide them with the opportunity to improve the situation by simply giving some money. Isn’t this a generous offer? Or as John D. Rockefeller, Jr put it: „Never think you need to apologize for asking someone to give to a worthy object, any more than as though you were giving him an opportunity to participate in a high-grade investment.”

如果上述的事情是你的感覺，該是時候來改變你的想法了。你不是乞丐。你和你的政黨正在爭取一個更美好的世界，同時你給予其它人一個機會來幫忙 – 即使他們不能或是不想花時間在這件事情上。他們也想要幫自己及下一代爭取更美好的世界，而你提供他們這種絕佳的機會，簡單到只需要出錢而已。這不是很大方的贈與嗎？或是正如同約翰‧戴維森‧洛克翡勒二世所講的：「絕不要認為你需要為了請別人投資一個高檔的投資而感到抱歉。」

Fundraising is not just about money, it’s much more about persons and relationships. Building up a good relationship between the party and the donor is crucial. The most promising donors are the members of your party. They already have an intense relationship with your party and will understand when your party needs money to finance a campaign. But most of them will want to donate for a vision, for a better future or for a specific issue, not just for ‘the campaign’.

募款並不是只跟金錢有關，它跟人還有人際關系有更深厚的關系。建立政黨和支持者之間良好的關系，是非常重要的。最有可能捐款的人就是你的政黨的成員。他們已經跟你們的政黨有了深厚的情誼，而且將知道這個黨何時需要金錢去支持一次選舉。然而，他們之中，大多數會願意為了一個遠景、為了特定的議題而捐款，而不是為了「選舉」

Fundraising – who and how
Successful fundraising will always start with the members. When you send out a mailing to your members you should always ask for money and support for a specified purpose not just “for the party”. You could e.g. tell your members that you need a certain amount of money in order to finance a campaign event or a campaign newspaper. You can also offer the opportunity to donate for a specific political cause (e.g. “for the campaign against the new waste disposal site”).

Some parties give certain incentives to donors: If you spend 50 € you get a T-shirt or a cap, if you spend 100 € you get a bathing towel, if you spend 1000 € you’ll be invited to a dinner with the top candidate. Until they’ve actually tried it, some party officials fear this will not work with their members. Think about incentives that are really attractive for your members. Perhaps you’ll promise an iPod Shuffle for giving 500 € or an invitation to an eco leisure centre?

募款 – 找誰呢？該怎麼做？
成功的募款總是從政黨的成員開始。當你開始寄出信件給你的黨員，你應該用特定的目標來要求金錢，而不是單純為了政黨。你可以，比方說，告訴你的黨員，你需要多少錢，才能舉辦某項「競選活動」，或是才能發行一分「競選刊物」。你也可以提供捐款的機會，針對某些特定的政治議題。比方說，「為了反對設立新的垃圾場的行動」。

某些政黨給予捐款者一些誘因：如果你捐了50歐元，你可以得到一件T裇或是馬克杯。如果你捐了100歐元，你可以得到一件大毛巾。如果你捐了1000歐元，你可以去和種子候選人共進晚餐。直到他們真的試之前，總是有一些政黨的幹部認為，這種事不會管用。去思考一些真的對你的支持者管用的誘因吧。也許你將會回饋給500歐元捐款一個iPod Shuffle或是一張去生態休閒中心的門票。

To build up and nourish a good relationship with donors, you should think about fundraising dinners and other fundraising events. Don’t expect too much from just one event! It is necessary to build up ties that last. A fundraising dinner should always include a speech by a prominent and popular representative of the party like the top candidate, a minister, the party leader or at least the campaign manager. The location shouldn’t be too big – it should always look well attended. At each table there should be interesting hosts from the party not just potential donors. Never forget during a fundraising event to ask people for a donation. This does not have to be made in cash of course – but don’t forget to ask!

要與支持者建立培養良好的人際關系，你必須考慮募款餐會和其它的募款活動。不要想靠一次的活動就募到許多錢。建立可長可久的關系，是必須的。募款餐會應該要包含黨代表的演講。黨代表可以是政黨知名人士、種子候選人、黨公職、黨主席、差一點也可以是競選總幹事。餐會的地點不需要太大，要看起來人滿滿的。在每張募款桌裡，應該要包含一些黨成員，而不是只有潛在的捐款者。在募款餐會上，千萬別忘了，要開口請人捐錢，光是開口未必會讓大家把錢拿出來，不過，有問總比沒問來得好。

The most effective fundraisers usually are the top candidates. They have to call people and enterprises they know and ask for support. A fundraising assistant should sit down with the top candidate and should check her or his address book in order to identify potential donors. In a list you should put down when and how this person should be reached. The fundraising assistant has the task to ask: “Did you manage to call your aunt Esther last week and ask her for support?” This continuous monitoring of the top candidates’ fundraising activities is very important because she or he will have plenty of other duties.

最能有效募到款的人，通常是種子候選人。他們必須去找他們認識的人，還有他們認識的企業，並且跟這些人開口。在種子候選人身邊應該要坐一位募款助理，他必須隨時檢查通訊錄，以便及時辨別出潛在的捐款者。在一張捐款者清單裡，你應該記下何時、用什麼方式去觸及他們。而募款助理的工作則是詢問這一類的問題：「上週你有試著去打給你姑姑Esther，跟她要一筆錢嗎？」這種對種子候選人募款活動的不間斷督促非常重要，因為種子候選人總是有太多的工作。

Some people may be easier to convince if you offer them to pay just half of the intended amount now and the rest later. Others will be impressed by a Campaign Finance Committee full of honourable and trustworthy citizens who really try hard to raise money for your party.

Start early! Those who give once will often give several times. But don’t just ask for money for your candidate or your party – you should always try to sell hope, green solutions and ideas.

有時候，如果你讓選民分期付款，這些選民會比較容易取信於你。其它人將會因為你的募款團隊裡有社會賢達人士，卯起來跟大家要錢，而印象深刻。

早點開始！那些會給你一次捐款的人，通常還會給你許多次。但是你不要只跟他們要錢支持你們的政黨或是候選人，你要試著告訴他們，你要推動的夢想、綠色的主張，還有綠色的想法。

Sponsoring
When you want to look for sponsors you should carefully check the legal situation in your country first. In many countries there are limitations for political parties to receive money from corporations. No party or candidate should be dependent on corporate money alone – this would be an invitation for more corporate influence on legislation and corruption. Therefore sponsor relationships always have to be transparent.

In a few Green parties people are strictly opposed to sponsoring. The majority, however, wants binding limits. Instigated by the Green European Foundation in 2010 in Budapest, a discussion has started between treasurers and fundraisers of Green parties and of the EGP about a Green code of conduct for sponsoring (and fundraising).

贊助
當你試著尋找贊助者時，你應該仔細確認一下你國家的法律。在許多國家，政黨收受企業捐款是有許多限制的。不能有政黨或是候選人只依賴單一企業的捐款，這將會是導致更嚴重的立法傾向財團或是貪汙。也因此，企業贊助務必公開透明。
少部分的綠黨人強烈反對企業贊助。大部分則是希望有金額上限的限制。2010年在布達佩斯，曾舉行一個歐洲綠黨募款者和歐洲綠黨財務長對於募款、拉贊助的原則討論。

At best, sponsor relations are treated like business contracts with precisely defined conditions. A company gives money or contributions in kind to the party in exchange for a certain service. Examples for these services include companies:
– renting a certain space at party conventions where they can present themselves. Some parties have their party conventions in congress centres on fair grounds to be able to host all these presentations.
– sponsoring the cars of the party and publish it.
– giving donations in kind for party events (catering, equipment, wireless connections for everybody…).
– giving money for publications in which their contribution is mentioned and their logo displayed.
– paying for advertisements in party newspapers – perhaps the most common way of sponsoring.

最好的情況是，贊助者和政黨的關系，要像企業合約一樣，有明確的條件限制。一間公司可以給予政黨金錢或是給予政黨某些服務。例如：

(*)幫政黨租空間，讓政黨辦活動。
(*)提供政黨汽車
(*)贊助政黨舉辦的活動，例如食物、無線網路、設施
(*)捐款讓政黨可以出版自己的刊物，並且在上頭放該公司的廣告。
(*)幫政黨付報紙的廣告費用。--- 最常見的捐款方式。

If you are not sure whether you should press hard on sponsoring, you should discuss this with people from other Green parties that are more experienced in this field. And of course you should never start it without a decision of your party board or even your membership. The delicate question of whether a certain company should be allowed to sponsor your party or not should be handled with care – regulations can prove very helpful. They could, for instance, exclude military and nuclear industries, and define an internal decision-making process to limit the risk of wrong or controversial decisions. With creativity and personal involvement of the top people, and with binding regulations and full transparency, the chances of establishing a good mix of sources for financing your party are high. Good luck!

如果你還不確定，你是否該卯起來找贊助，你可以和其它綠黨有募款經驗的資深人士討論。當然，你務必要通過你們政黨幹部的決定，再開始進行。哪些公司的錢可以收、不可以收，這種問題也是需要仔細討論，並且定一下一些規範或是準則。例如：軍武公司、核電公司的錢當然是不能收的。有了規範準則之後，人們就可以有一定的決策標準，用來迴避一些敏感、有爭議的公司。隨著頂尖的創意、人際關系的投入，還有合適的募款規範，與公開透明，達成多元的募款來源是指日可待的。祝你好運！