It seems like every time you look, you see another story about fundraisers or donor stewards behaving badly.
The most recent local example hits home as it involves the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, which falls in my hometown turf of Charlotte, NC.
In summary, the local Democrat Party spent an outrageous $106,000 on an election night watch party, including $86,000 on food and beverage alone.
For those that don’t know, I served as chairman of the counterpart Mecklenburg County Republican Party from 2021-2023. Although we are vastly outnumbered in this very blue dot (to the tune of approximately only 17% of registered voters are Republican now in this very urban county), I prided myself on running my organizational in an ethical, transparent and lean manner. While we raised a record amount of funds under my term, we also wanted to spend those funds in the way that most helped to expand our outreach and get Republicans elected. Elaborate parties that fleeced donors weren’t in that budget.
The news that the Meck Dems spent such an absorbent amount of money on an election watch party goes to an underlying issue I’m seeing across the board with fundraisers and stewards of donor money. This is a bipartisan crisis.
The reality is that political organizations, fundraisers and consultants have become comfortable in skirting the line when it comes to raising and spending donor funds. Many in this industry have been lax when it comes to industry standards of percentages charged, how to report said donations and obeying campaign finance laws.
This lack of oversight is what drove me to start the Jones Strategy Group LLC. From hyperlocal politics to national campaigns, I’m seeing the need for more ethical fundraisers and general consultants to make sure that entities are compliant and best honoring the money raised by true believers in their respective causes. It is our goal to always be immersing ourselves with campaign finance continuing education as these laws and restrictions are ever-changing. We have surrounded ourselves with some of the best campaign finance experts and treasurers to make sure that when you hire us, you’re providing donor confidence and staying compliant. Stay out of the news for all the wrong reasons by hiring JSG!
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