Friday, October 30, 2009

3rd Quarter Fundraising

Pretty impressive fundraising for the Liberals in the third quarter. Rossi reports 2 million for the quarter, which is actually up for this period last year, despite that coming during an election campaign. The NDP had a successful quarter, with the benefit of a convention, raising just over 1 million. However, this number represents 57% of what was raised this quarter last year, while the Liberals raised 110%.

What makes the Liberal number all the more impressive to me, the party was forced to cancel a massive fundraiser in Vaughn for late September, due to the looming confidence vote. Estimates pegged that fundraiser at 1.6 million. Party organizers tend to space out their fundraisers for each quarter for optics, the loss of this donor vein was unanticipated. Had it occured as planned, this would have meant the Liberals were poised to mirror their very impressive 2nd quarter total, despite not having the benefit of a convention.

Having raised 2 million in a quarter, without this fundraiser, speaks to a growing institutional donor pool, which can be counted on for a steady flow of funds. By all accounts the Victory Fund push has been very successful, and the party was able to double membership over the summer, ahead of their ambitious schedule. This is the nuts and bolts stuff that goes largely unnoticed, but is paramount to building the party if it is to ultimately challenge the Conservative juggernaut.

I was a bit worried about this quarter, when I heard that the fundraiser had to be cancelled. Pleasantly surprised that Rocco and his team have done such a great job providing a consistent base support, that the party can count on. Good stuff.

13 comments:

Ted Betts said...

I'm sure all of Iggy's detractors, the ones who said he had tapped out all of the big donors in the first quarter and then said he had tapped out all of the big donors in the second quarter, are now going to tell us how his fundraising is at its limit because he is only raising money from big donors who have tapped out.

Ted Betts said...

Do you have a link yet by the way?

Steve V said...

Ted

The most impressive part of this quarter, there is no big donor element to the numbers. This is largely small, consistent donors. Rocco has clearly developed a consistent grassroots vein, and there's clearly more to come as this software takes hold.

As for the large fundraisers, I always marvel that people criticize an ability to draw a couple thousand people who give what amounts to anything but "big". Canada no longer has anything that resembles big money in politics, any donation is small by the rules.

Steve V said...

Nothing on EC yet, just going by what was is out there right now.

Dame said...

So that was the summer" Wasted " according to the smart-alecky media guys ? the media is in an anti Iggy orgy right now it is unbelivable how they ganged up and have their kicks placed in Iggy's face like bully boys picking on one..... I am so disgusted !!!
Iggy was Damned last year not triggering an election now he is damned having made a decision to bring down Harper once and For all.
the public is just asking time off
not ready to make the hard decision about our future. it is the public what is not ready to decide..

In My Mind Iggy is not to blame .

These fundraiser Numbers are GREAT. and we should just keep On Building the party.

rockfish said...

We've got to keep hitting the media on the new message, that the really 'Just visiting' leader is the so-called one, Harper. He doesn't 'watch or read' Canadian news, his prefered place to dispatch his pearls of wisdom (and bask in the reflection from their soft-focus lense) is Fox News, and his operation relies a lot upon Bush people to promote it.
While he can send his pigs to laugh and mock questions on the H1N1 preparation, he then fails to deliver exactly what he promised just a week earlier. The economy continues to stumble and is only be held together by federal money that he doesn't even have the confidence in to present a detailed, accountable inventory of. He's truly an emperor driving without clothing, but with one hand on the mirror.

The Pundits' Guide said...

Hi Steve, I'm looking for a reference with more details. When you say "out there", was there something in the news or on Twitter that I missed?

Steve V said...

The Libs released it on twitter. Haven't seen anything else as of yet. Check Rocco's twitter account :)

The Pundits' Guide said...

OK, I got the figures from Mr. Rossi directly, and have now posted them to the Pundits' Guide database. Please see here.

Analysis forthcoming shortly. Also hoping to add Conservative numbers soon.

Thanks, Steve!

Steve V said...

Thanks for the link.


Here are the Lib numbers:

$1,944,231.70
17,810 donors
$109.17 average donation

JimmE said...

Perhaps we should use some of that money to counter the gun lover's ad campaign:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/718730--tories-target-swing-votes-in-bid-to-kill-gun-registry

Ted Betts said...

Good numbers. And good number of donors, especially during a recession.

But where are the Conservative numbers?

Jason Hickman said...

But where are the Conservative numbers?

$4,514,207.41 from 39,785 donors, sez Pundit Guide. See the PG link above.