House Party Fundraising: The Fun Way to Energize Supporters, Recruit Volunteers, and Raise Funds

Since the 2004 election season, "House Party Fundraising" and other online grassroots event programs have become the latest must-have for any political campaign. Now, advocacy groups and charities are also exploring ways to put the power of parties to work for their causes.

House parties have been used for years to raise funds. What's different about today's house party programs is that they directly engage large numbers of grassroots supporters. Instead of asking a few wealthy contributors to host dinner parties for equally wealthy friends, groups invite rank-and-file members to host parties. Internet training and communication tools make it practical—and efficient—to have lots of parties organized around a particular date or theme.

Raising funds is just one way to use house parties. They are also a simple and effective way to keep your most active supporters engaged, and to encourage them to spread your message to their friends and colleagues. For example, instead of just asking supporters to forward an email petition, give them the additional option to host a "Petition Party." It's social and fun, so supporters will do it; it's powerful because party attendees actually learn about your organization and its issues; and it's effective because you're relying on personal networks to convert one-time guests into ongoing supporters.

Some highly successful programs are pushing the envelope of the house party model. Whether a group is raising money, recruiting volunteers, or taking action, they are engaging individual supporters by making it easy to organize small, simultaneous events. A few magical moments of centrally coordinated activity can then turn these isolated groups into one big, powerful community. Whether it's a conference call with a prominent figure, a webcast training session, a DVD screening, a candlelight vigil, or a combination of the above, individual participants all feel that they have been part of a much bigger event—and they forge deeper connections to the organization. Thus, grassroots programs can be incredibly effective ways to leverage scarce staff resources to achieve your organization's key goals.

For example:

• EarthRights International organized a worldwide International Day of Action and Remembrance to mark the tenth anniversary of the execution of Nigerian human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, giving supporters a unique way to participate in EarthRights' programs and generating worldwide media attention.
  
  
• Greenpeace's recent "Kleercut" campaign, with nearly 200 separate gatherings, publicized the plight of Canada's Boreal Forest at the hands of paper manufacturers. At the same time, it secured quality contact information for hundreds of newly energized activists.
  
  
• And in June, The Humane Society of the United States not only raised over $100,000 for its Legislative Fund at over 380 Party Animals events, it also successfully trained hosts and participants to lobby their elected officials.  This event advocated for FEMA regulations to incorporate provisions for animal rescue.

Beyond these examples, the most successful grassroots events are year-round programs that truly empower members and supporters to become volunteer organizers. For example, instead of spending crucial staff time deciding internally what the theme of your "National House Party Day" will be, toss the question out to your membership. Among those supporters who respond with suggestions for a name, theme, and date, you'll have the makings of your volunteer steering committee—and that's a group to whom you can begin delegating tasks immediately. Your supporters will appreciate the responsibility they're given, becoming better representatives of your organization and stronger advocates in the process. And your staff will leverage scarce resources to earn more media coverage, raise more funds, recruit more members, and achieve your mission.

About David Salie
David Salie (dsalie@party2win.com) was the Director of House Party Fundraising for Governor Howard Dean's presidential campaign. In 2004, David co-founded Party2Win.com, the Internet resource that provides the technology and training for grassroots house party programs and other innovative engagement strategies. David and his associates work with clients to use technology to connect efficiently with more people, at a deeper level, in shorter timeframes.