As Kos recently discussed, our party is not doing too well in raising money. To be fair, the DNC is doing a lot better than it used to, and state parties are beginning to recover.
However, at the local level, and with our candidates, we are failing to raise the kind of cash we need. After the flip, I'll discuss one major way we can turn this around.
One major way that local Democratic Parties and candidates at all levels can raise serious cash is through what are technically called "automatic monthly recurring donations." This is exactly what the Democracy Bonds program is at the DNC.
You agree to give a certain amount of money a month (say, $20) to the DNC, your state party, your local party, and/or your favorite candidates. At a certain date every month, $20 is automatically deducted from your bank account, which is then immediately deposited into the account of the political party entity or candidate.
The best part is, you won't get a phone call, or get nagged all the time by the party or the candidate. Its completely hassle free. Even in small numbers, this money can provide a nice flow of BADLY needed cash to the various levels of the party and needy candidates.
THIS is the way to rebuild the Democratic Party financially, which will allow it to rebuild structurally.
Of course, this would mean strategic financial management in every local Democratic Party - but that's a story for another post.