Getting Political
According to a 2012 USA Today article, both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney used their merchandise as a fundraising tool, counting each purchase as a campaign contribution, adding buyers to mailing lists and soliciting them for further donations. In 2008, Obama raised $37 million from merchandise, with an average order amount of $43. "You might have a lot of people who wouldn't normally give a political contribution, but might buy a pen or bumper sticker or something like that, who get swept into it that way," Kent Cooper, a former FEC official and co-founder of Political MoneyLine, which tracks money in politics, told USA Today.
- Companies:
- Stouse Inc.
Amanda L. Cole is the editor-in-chief of NonProfit PRO. She was formerly editor-in-chief of special projects for NonProfit PRO's sister publication, Promo Marketing. Contact her at acole@napco.com.