Lets talk fundraising.
From my experience, a consistent complaint from LP membership has been regarding the low levels of fundraising done. Here are some questions for us to ponder:
What sort of fundraising is currently being done by the LPNH, national LP, or other LP groups?
What do we need fundraising for? What do these funds accomplish?
What fundraising should we do?
Currently, we’re selling tickets for a sponsored baseball game on June 10: http://lpnh.org/baseball
LP National is, I believe, raising funds to hire a Full-Time Press Secretary
I don’t know what other state parties are doing for fundraising.
Fundraising can be done for a variety of pruposes: to help fund more outreach; to help pay staff or rent for an office (note LPNH has no staff or office); to help pay for conventions, etc
Funds raised in a fundraiser should fund the specified purpose for which they were being sought.
Do you have any ideas?
A couple ideas that I’ve seen elsewhere or think we could adapt to our causes:
-At the LPWI convention which lasted from Friday night until Sunday morning we sold tickets for people to drink beer from a couple of kegs. It helped make it so our convention turned a nice profit.
-I’d like to see us have booths at local events with ways for people to donate.
-Im not sure how it is in NH, but in the midwest we have tons of county fairs and farmers markets during the warmer months. I believe a dunk tank rental is ~$100 so theres potential for activities like that to fund the group.
-As a chef, I think hosted dinners and banquets are a fun way to raise money.
-Coupon books that are redeemable at libertarian businesses I think would have potential.
-I’m sure everyone has seen the ads for loot crates: Subscription packages that people get based on specific topics (based on movies, games, etc). We could do a libertarian version.
Sorry if my ideas are all old hat to you guys, I’m very much open to criticism and working together.
we tried getting a booth at the Cheshire Fair, and were rejected because I’m a blogger at FreeKeene.com and Ian was banned from the fair. I also reached out to the Farmer’s Markets in the area and was told no informational booths… that said, I have some ideas that will be discussed at the next LP Western NH meeting (June 3); and LP Seacoast will be able to have a join LPSC/LPNH booth at the Stratham Fair (July 20 – 23).
I’m hoping next year’s LPNH convention will be multiple days, and allow us to raise some additional funds for the Party. One problem we have here is that for so long the Party was dormant, so trying to revive the Party and remind people that the LP is a grassroots party, and that means the State EC shouldn’t be responsible for everything that happens. I’m thrilled that we now have three regional LP’s - which means three times as many LP entities in the state to find events for outreach; 3 times as many LP entities in the state to organize party events, LP entities in the state to recruit & support candidates, etc.
“What fundraising should we do?”
I love the ideas already presented in this thread, particularly coupon books for liberty-friendly businesses, hosting dinners and banquets, and having booths are fairs and other events.
Hosting concerts could be a good fundraiser, that’s what I did at 18 and 19 years old. I made a good profit, after paying bands, rental space, and overhead, even with the rookie mistakes I made. One concert I organized included a successful raffle. And I hear there are a slew of good liberty-oriented bands in the Shire.
Playing off the cooking idea, cook-offs would be interesting. It can be tied into charity too, which not only practices what the LP preaches but be good for PR, too. The LPNH could host cook-offs for chili, chowder, burgers, pizza, or any kind of go-to foods.
Calendars of LPNH activists would probably sell in the “Live Free or Die” state. Calendars are usually good sellers. Given the Shire has a lot of attractive female LP activists, I know a “Libertarian Girls” kind of calendar would sell. Possibly a “Libertarian Hunks” one could, too. Derrick J anyone? That could almost sell itself. Or a guns and pot calendar? A Bitcoin calendar?
Having the Liberty Media Capital, LPNH could host a Robin Hood “taxation is theft” play of some sort. A more-libertarian version of the popular folklore. Starring the Robin Hood of Keene himself? From what I hear there are thespians in the Shire.
A comedy concert? An LPNH roast? I don’t know, I’ll come back for more.
All my suggestions tend to be things I know about and could help with.
Those are all great ideas. Lets make them a reality.
I definitely plan on getting back to hosting concerts again. I not only made money off of it, but had fun doing it. So planning an LPNH fundraiser around it depends on the local music scene. I heard Keene, Manchester, and Portsmouth have lively music scenes, so it’s promising if true.
I’d love to help fundraising (candidate wise) if anyone is interested in going down that road…