School Board Candidate Guide
1ST EDITION • 2025
FUNDRAISING & CAMPAIGN FINANCES
This is the area most impacted by the aggressive approaches to electing school boards that extremist groups have pursued. It takes money to pay for door-to-door leave behinds, mailers, postcards, digital ads, website development, yard signs, and texting. A budget needs to be developed with the campaign strategy so that candidates know exactly what needs to be raised. How much will depend on the size of the voter base in a district and the number of touches that the candidates want to make. Direct mail and yard signs are the more expensive parts of a campaign.
Fund Raising:
Start fundraising immediately by each candidate making a personal pledge and then asking their immediate family and close friends to support them. Individuals do not have to live in a candidate’s district to donate, so family and friends living in other areas are a useful source of support. Personal phone calls can make a dramatic difference in securing donations and candidates can practice before making calls. Just like when going door-to-door, listening to donors is essential to hear their concerns or hopes for the school district.
For a slate of candidates running together, the local PAC should plan at least one fundraising event for the primary and at least one for fall general election are critical. Volunteers may be able to provide in-kind food and drink and supplies (all of which must be reported) or, given the attendance volume, a caterer may be needed. Invites should be sent out to any and everyone the candidates know, supplemented by social media and website.
Checklist:
- Know rules – spend time with individuals at Board of Elections that oversees financial reports
- Know reporting deadlines
- Find a treasurer to manage the donations and expenses
- Be willing to ask family, friends, and neighbors for support
- Schedule events, including meet and greets
Hosting small house parties is also a way friends can help. They can invite 10-20 of their friends who support public education and care about maintaining excellence or bringing improvement to the schools, and they can ask each to contribute a suggested amount. These individuals will also have an opportunity to meet one or more of the candidates in person.
“Recognize you are not asking for money for yourself; it is for a cause you believe in—public education”
Bill Wood
school board member
Avon Grove School District
Making the Ask:
The biggest hurdle in fundraising is making the ask. Just like getting a message across, fundraising can take 3-4 times to get the individual over the hurdle of remembering to make the donation. Don’t take silence as a no, but as an opportunity to reach out again. Making asks in person or by phone are the most effective approaches. Remember, one person who is opposed to public education can contribute a hefty sum of money to a PAC within a school district. If your campaign engages hundreds of individual donors, not only will you raise more money, but you will also develop a cadre of individuals committed to voting which in the end can put a campaign into the win column.
Fundraising Platform:
Candidates need to be able to have individuals make donations online and there are several sources that can be used for online contributions. If a slate is all of one party, the two major parties have platforms for raising money for local candidates. If the slate is bipartisan, then other sources should be considered so that fundraising partisanship is avoided.
Other Financial Support:
Campaigns should also consider what other sources of donations might be useful. Will local chapters or county political organizations be willing to support the campaign? Are there any other public education supportive PACs in the area? Is the campaign able to approach leadership in the local bargaining unit and discuss their PAC’s support for a slate of candidates who support public education and respect the professionalism of teachers? Are there any local elected officials that would provide financial support from their campaign funds to the public-school board election? All of these sources should be vetted and approached to help the campaign succeed.
Campaign Treasurer:
Campaigns need a treasurer because all monetary and in-kind donations must be accounted for and reported. The treasurer can be someone who is familiar with the rules of reporting or can be someone good with detail who is willing to be trained to make the reports accurately and timely. Local Boards of Election usually have staff that can meet with a treasurer and walk through the details that must be reported. County political organizations or other statewide groups may offer training for treasurers as well. Remember that personal donations of more than $250 require reporting of occupation and employer of the donor.
Fund Raising Bottom Line:
Don’t be afraid to reach broadly within your connections to ask for support. If you never ask, you’ll never know how much people are willing to do to support a strong and effective local school board.