Any candidate that is serious about running is going to have to do some amount of political fundraising. A poor candidate is a candidate who does not have much of a chance of winning. Of course, having deep pockets does not mean that person will win. It does mean they have a higher chance of winning, however. Why? They can cover the market with their message and get more of the vote that they should be getting.
Policies Always Matter
Keep in mind that policies still matter. Money is not going to change the mind of a voter who opposes your point of view. It is the reason why you have seen a candidate outspend and out-fund raise another and still lose. Yet, you are better off with more money than not having enough. You still want to reach each and every voter who could vote for you instead of having to miss out on potential voters.
Staffers
You, as a candidate, usually, have staff. They are going to want to be paid as well if they are not volunteers. Therefore, a lot of these vendors or workers are paid through money made by the donation system. Each staff member has a skill or specialty you need for your campaign. Subsequently, more staff means more skills and a better chance of winning.
You Need More Than Just Donations
However, that is not to say that your job is done just by getting the donations. In fact, there is a lot of set up that needs to go in front of these donations. The fact is that most of the payment processors that some of the smaller candidates use for their campaigns are completely wrong. The reason that they are wrong is that they are made with for-profit businesses in mind. A lot of payment systems take this as an invitation to charge higher fees and more hidden fees. A situation that is very bad for you.
Using the Right Political Fundraising System is a Competitive Advantage
If you have a candidate using these systems then you can get an advantage by not using that system. You have to select a better system, of course, but all you have to do is find one that deals with non-profit organizations. The catch to this situation is the use of an EIN. A lot of these payment processors require you to have one before they will do business with you. Therefore, you want to set up your legal structure so that you do get one of these numbers. Once you have an EIN then you can use it to work with a wider array of payment processors than you could before getting it.
Talk to Your Political Fundraising Advisors First
Remember to talk to your tax, legal, and other advisors first, however. They can advise you better on your situation than any article can because they know the ins and outs of your particular situation. Also, keep in mind that campaign finance laws may vary. You have to check with your state to make sure you are complying with what they want. No need for you to get in trouble before you reach the office. It would look bad on everyone including you and your party of affiliation.
