Politics and Technology

Political candidates are now using special software that enables them to raise campaign funds directly through the major social networking sites such as Facebook (News - Alert). These new applications are ushering in a new age of "social fundraising."

 

The software not only allows users to donate individually, it also allows them to set up their own "fundraising networks." Users can "work their friends and family members" to raise campaign funds -- the software handles all the processing of payments and even allows them to track their fundraising efforts. For example, they can see details of donors' activities, such as whether a donor still needs to cut a check or type in their credit card number. In the event that happens, a user can send a message to their Facebook friend urging them to "hurry up and make that donation."

It also opens up the possibility of users "competing" to see who will contribute the most towards a particular campaign or cause.

 

According to an AP report Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker in Massachusetts and two GOP Senate candidates, Marco Rubio in Florida and Rob Portman in Ohio, are among those using software-based fundraising tool BlueSwarm to tap social networks for campaign cash.

 

The software could potentially change the political fundraising paradigm as it allows candidates to quickly and easily raise large sums of money directly from the 'masses' as opposed to the traditional method of paying professional fundraising organizations to target top donors.

 

The software has a high success rate because it is more effective at getting pledges converted into actual donations. Users who pledge to make a donation but then re-nig could potentially be "outed" through the social networking site. No doubt this fear of being "shamed" is what helps propel the high yield rates: BlueSwarm claims that on average users convert 85 percent of their pledges into donations, whereas with traditional political campaigns only about 55 percent of outstanding pledges are converted.

 

What's more, BlueSwarm claims that the average size of donations made via its social fundraising networks are 52 percent higher than traditional fundraising methods.

 

Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist from Boston who has already raised more than $100,000 for Baker's gubernatorial campaign using this new approach, explained in the AP report that this new software is "bringing a sales-force technology into the political realm."

 

'If you can empower a broad range of people to use this system to go out and solicit, it helps the whole operation,' Shortsleeve said.

 

According to the report, BlueSwarm is currently being used by 11 U.S. Senate candidates, 26 House candidates, three state parties and 11 political action committees.