A proposition to raise the money.

[Ben Elliott]

I think the announcement by the campaign in seeking 23 million dollars is a bold approach to hopefully a nice finish in Iowa and New Hampshire. They are expecting this money, and desperately needs this. If you really want Dr. Paul to win, this is the way.

I did a little math. I went over to the Ron Paul Graphs website and saw that 171,676 donors donated in the fourth Quarter. I divided the number of donors with the 23 million we're expecting to have on hand for Super Tuesday. Each donor would have to donate $145.56 in order to fulfill this demand.

I don't know about you guys, but I don't think every donor is going to pony up another 150+ to the campaign. Many of us have already put in more than we were supposed to, financially. Many people are maxed out. The only way we can make that money is if we have double the donors, if not triple. We need more donors.

The only way I can see this happen naturally would be an awesome finish in Iowa and New Hampshire. However, even then people would not be extremely motivated to donate money.

We need to come together as a grassroots movement and find ways to get new donors. We could sell shirts and have a few dollars added to the price in order to donate to the campaign. We need to organize fund drives where people can come together to make money.

We could sell plastic bands like the LiveStrong band, and give the proceeds to Dr. Paul. We could make it a point to canvas with the specific intent of getting new donors.

Exposure such as this can both spread Paul's message and get him the money he needs.

So what do you guys say?

 

[xexkxex]

http://www.ronpaulspayday.com/

http://www.100forfranklin.com/

I think that is the best new way of constant funds....but I'm maxed out so....

 

[Ben Elliott]

I support Ron Paul's payday to the fullest degree. However, how many new donors do you think you're going to get on a website that depends on pledges.

We need to make it popular to donate money to the campaign on a mass scale.

 

[fireworks_god]

Exactly. What we need to do is some kind of viral campaign to get a whole ton of ordinary dudes donating $10. The amount can't be substansial because we're talking about people who aren't that involved, but that are interested in what Ron Paul has to say...

We need something catchy, simple, and effective to drive this. Also, I really think we need the official campaign to get on board and set up a 24/7, automated donation service over the phone, like you can use to pay your energy bill over the phone, etc.... Everyone has cell phones.

 

[fj45lvr]

154 bucks doesn't seem like much at all.

Maybe we need some people that need some work done to advertise on a page and it would be kind of like a "slave auction" type of thing (I think that wages under $150 do not require social security) this could be a means to get people the chance to EARN the 150 bones to donate.

a few months ago I know that the "junk/scrapyards" were paying aprox. $200 for a scrap automobile.....I think that everyone could probably find a junker that someone wants to get rid of if we have enough volunteers that can trailer them off....I would be happy to haul some in.

 

[xexkxex]

154 bucks doesn't seem like much at all.

Maybe we need some people that need some work done to advertise on a page and it would be kind of like a "slave auction" type of thing (I think that wages under $150 do not require social security) this could be a means to get people the chance to EARN the 150 bones to donate.

a few months ago I know that the "junk/scrapyards" were paying aprox. $200 for a scrap automobile.....I think that everyone could probably find a junker that someone wants to get rid of if we have enough volunteers that can trailer them off....I would be happy to haul some in.

Donate blood (sell plasma)

Pays well. We were going to set up a site where people could find donation banks in their area that paid for plasma...but it fell through and no one ever finished it.

I maxed out and forgot about it....donating blood is very noble and can raise and extra $50 or so a week of the campaign.

I always dreamed of mass blood drives in the name on ron Paul to help those in need while raising cash to donate to the campaign....everyone wins

 

[fireworks_god]

The single most effective way to get new people donating, which seems like the ONLY way to get this amount raised, is to bring in new people. Now, we should all know that there are TONS of people around us that are somewhat familiar with Ron Paul and like what he is about, but they just don't think he has the chance, or they aren't motivated enough to get that involved in making it happen...

If we reach these people and get them involved by making it easy for them to put in a small amount of money, $10, it will ADD up. All you have to say is, "this guy wants us out of Iraq", make a short list of what he is about, and I'm sure it won't be hard to get people to throw down $10.

The only opportunity with this idea is we need the official campaign's help in setting up an automated service over the phone to donate with a credit card. Everyone has a phone. We could have them donate while we stand there, you know?

This is what NEEDS to happen. We have to reach out and expand our donation base, and it has to be streamlined as possible.

 

[fj45lvr]

how many millions did the "pet rock" rake in???

there has to be something as easy to "pimp" for Paul.

 

[fireworks_god]

Also, coming in third in Iowa will really help this, but we need a simple, organized plan to CAPITALIZE on all of the people who like him or are receptive to his ideas. We need to pull them in.

 

[fireworks_god]

Blump.

 

[Pride]

This is easily achievable if people get out onto the streets and campaign. Go door to door and put up signs. We can raise the money from the new people that join our campaign The more people you influence to join us, the more money we will raise.

 

[Jeremy]

I think we need to use myspace, facebook, and meetup. Not everyone who supports RP talks about it everyday like us. And instead of encouraging to donate to a candidate like everyone else does... let's be honest and say this is SERIOUSLY going to help the future of America.

 

[fireworks_god]

Great point. This is where our biggest opportunity lies though, I think. We seem to do great, from what I read, with the on-the-ground campaigning, but I don't know that we really translate that into new donations that much. We reach people with the signs, and with the door to doors, but what percentage of that goes beyond simply name recognition, and translates into donations, votes, and picking up the crusade as well?

What I'm saying is, we need to streamline this if we want to make some huge gains in unique donors. Now, if we are out waving signs and someone stops and asks us who Ron Paul is, and we tell him what he thinks about his foreign policy and his stance on immigration and they dig it, wouldn't it be slick to be able to give him the 800 number, and he could go through an automatic service to donate $10?

What I'm saying is, we need some way to translate all of that into a little bit of money, so that we can really start collecting donations by VOLUME.

 

[fireworks_god]

I think we need to use myspace, facebook, and meetup. Not everyone who supports RP talks about it everyday like us. And instead of encouraging to donate to a candidate like everyone else does... let's be honest and say this is SERIOUSLY going to help the future of America.

We do, and we also need to reach the majority of people who just don't use the Internet like this, these people who will hear a little bit about Ron Paul and will like what they hear but are far more active in discussing football scores and speculating on who will get into the playoffs than go home and get on the Internet. We need to generate that interest into money!

An automated donation service over the toll free phone number would be extremely beneficial for this.

 

[Kilrain]

How about a fundraiser built on the concept of getting the US out of Iraq? You can tell people: "You've paid thousands of dollars to sustain the war and get people killed. How about chipping in $20 to get us out of there?" Make a website like LeaveIraq08.xxx and get some videos up as inspiring as this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb4HW3I82lg

 

[fireworks_god]

Great idea.

I'm going to be persistent on this, because I think its a great idea, but think about it for a second - cell phones. People have them, they have them with them wherver they go if they do have them, and they are easy to use to dial an 800 number.

An automated service to donate money with a credit card is easy to use. For example, I use them to pay my phone bill or my energy bill.

Now, think about how many people we interact with on the ground. If they like the ideas, say, check it out, donate $10, its a worthy cause.

Don't you think we can really hit a huge, untapped resource with something like this?

 

[LibertyEagle]

Great idea.

I'm going to be persistent on this, because I think its a great idea, but think about it for a second - cell phones. People have them, they have them with them wherver they go if they do have them, and they are easy to use to dial an 800 number.

An automated service to donate money with a credit card is easy to use. For example, I use them to pay my phone bill or my energy bill.

Now, think about how many people we interact with on the ground. If they like the ideas, say, check it out, donate $10, its a worthy cause.

Don't you think we can really hit a huge, untapped resource with something like this?

Using a credit card over a cell phone? Not a great idea if people value their financial privacy.

 

[fireworks_god]

I don't even have a cell phone, but is this a common, legitamate sentiment, or what? Will average people have qualms with doing so?

 

[Ben Elliott]

How about a fundraiser built on the concept of getting the US out of Iraq? You can tell people: "You've paid thousands of dollars to sustain the war and get people killed. How about chipping in $20 to get us out of there?" Make a website like LeaveIraq08.xxx and get some videos up as inspiring as this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb4HW3I82lg

THAT is an excellent idea.

We need more ideas such as this in order to get new donors.

Any idea you guys come up with PM me.

I am going to begin a campaign called, "Operation Fundraise", in order to get the whole grassroots coordinated in getting Paul more money.

Thanks for all the feedback guys.

 

[Mark37snj]

As far as raising 23 million goes, I hate to say it but this is in Paul's hands. We NEED a good finish in Iowa and NH to be able to raise that kind of money. Good finishes will re-energize the Grassroots get us new supporters like you said. Bad finishes will take the wind out of our sails. We wont give up of course but 23 million would be too much for just the Grassroots. Well thats my pessimism for the year 2008, whos up for a Win in Iowa and NH!