Money in Politics artwork

Money in Politics

56 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -

Welcome to the Money in Politics Podcast, hosted by Andrew Blumenfeld! Join us for interesting conversations and takes on one of the most significant and misunderstood elements of our political system: money. You will hear from a variety of perspectives-- such as professional fundraisers, major donors, compliance experts, candidates and their campaigns, and the leaders of some of the most influential organizations in Democratic politics. If you work in or around politics- or just care about the health of our democracy!- this podcast is for you. Do you have a question about the podcast or want to recommend a topic for future episodes? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

Politics News Business Non-Profit money politics fundraising campaigns elections
Homepage Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

Season 2 Finale

February 11, 2021 08:00 - 4 minutes - 2.81 MB

In what feels like a lifetime ago, we launched season two of the Money in Politics podcast in the summer of 2020. Since then, we have spoken with record-setting fundraisers, political journalists, Joe Biden's pollster and his senior media advisor, lobbyists, opposition researchers, and those keeping an eye on both how politicians use campaign funds and corporate political giving. In today's Season 2 finale of the Money in Politics podcast, Andrew reflects on a great season and provides some ...

Corporate Money in Politics

February 04, 2021 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MB

The issue of corporate political giving is a fairly persistent topic in campaign finance these days, but it took on renewed interest in the wake of the insurrection on Capitol Hill on January 6th. In the aftermath, corporations, ranging from Airbnb to Walmart, announced that they would be making changes to the way they dolled out their political cash.  Bruce Freed is the president and co-founder of the Center for Political Accountability, a nonprofit advocacy organization that is leading the...

Money in Data

January 28, 2021 08:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MB

Technology is increasingly becoming available to campaigns that want to leverage the power of data and machine learning to give them the insights necessary to win a modern campaign. By analyzing millions of data points, software is able to detect patterns and insights that campaigns can use to decide where to spend their money, how to organize their field operation, and make other critical decisions. Max Wood is the founder of Deck, a company that leverages the power of data science to help ...

Money in Messaging

January 21, 2021 20:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MB

The 2020 elections demonstrated, once again, that you can have all the money in the world and still not win. There are many factors that influence the outcome of an election, and while having enough money to bring your message to all of your potential voters is certainly key, the nature of your messaging and the overarching strategy behind it is equally as important as its proliferation. John Rowley is the founder of Counterpoint Messaging, a company focused on political and advocacy campaig...

Spending on Digital Media

January 14, 2021 16:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MB

A large and ever-growing piece of a campaign's budget is spent on digital advertising. While we have talked before on the podcast about the efficacy of using digital ads to fundraise, we've only scratched the surface on the other side of that digital ad spend: all the dollars that are put behind digital ads meant to persuade voters and get out the vote. Megan Clasen is the Senior Vice President of Digital at GMMB, a PR and communications firm in DC that works with candidates up and down the ...

Media + Money + Politics

January 07, 2021 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MB

The media plays an important role in our politics and the quantity and nature of media coverage a campaign receives can dramatically impact their ability to successfully fundraise. But that is merely one of the many ways that the media, money, and politics, all intersect. Michael Hardaway was a fundraiser on some of Barack Obama’s earliest campaigns, and is now the founder of a media startup called Hardaway Wire, which provides “intelligence briefings" to their membership on the major politi...

Fundraising With Digital Media

December 24, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MB

One of the fastest-changing landscapes in politics is digital media. Whether it is connected TV or ads on social media, there are more ways than ever to reach voters and donors. But while there are certainly some high profile examples of national campaigns leveraging digital tools to raise astronomical sums, what are the real opportunities, and limitations of digital fundraising, for everyone else? Bill Gordon is the CEO of Yosemite Consulting, a digital media trading desk and strategy firm ...

A Conversation with Joe Biden's Pollster

December 17, 2020 08:00 - 41 minutes - 28.5 MB

Understanding voters’ attitudes is an important part of an effective campaign. After all, if a campaign is going to spend significant sums of money to get their message out there, they need to be sure that they are crafting their message in a way that reaches and resonates with people. To that end, campaigns have long invested in polling and research. Celinda Lake is the president of Lake Research Partners and is one of the Democratic Party’s leading political strategists. She serves as a po...

Opposition Research

December 10, 2020 08:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MB

Despite its importance, the topic of opposition research often exists in the shadows. Whether, and how, campaigns choose to spend money on research can play a huge role in the outcome of an election, and unsurprisingly, money and fundraising often find themselves at the center of this in damaging ways. Carol Andrews is a nationally awarded political researcher and strategist who has spent two decades advising candidates and elected officials in every level of government. Carol joins the Mone...

Money in Lobbying

December 03, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MB

When people hear the phrase "money in politics," they may think about the role of dollars in campaigns. But another concept probably comes to mind: lobbying. Many associate lobbying with something sinister, such as decision-makers being paid to act on behalf of special interests. But the ability to press elected officials to influence policy outcomes is a big part of our democracy. MP Wray is the founder and owner of Top Drawer Strategies, a government and public relations firm based in Loui...

The Role of Fundraising in Democratic Primaries

November 19, 2020 08:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MB

Richard DeShay Elliott is the elections analyst at PrimaryCast, a new project that looks at past trends and current election cycle data- such as fundraising figures- to make predictions about Democratic primaries in every state. PrimaryCast forecasts the overall competitiveness of the races, the vote shares, and ultimately, the outcomes, and was more successful in 2020 at predicting outcomes than most opinion polling. Richard joins the Money in Politics podcast to share more about this under...

The Campaign Fundraising Job Board

October 21, 2020 07:00 - 4 minutes - 3.31 MB

Political campaign work is tremendously cyclical. Campaigns do not operate in perpetuity, and some don't even make it to the day of the election. All of this contributes to frequent job searching for campaign finance staffers. But while there are many campaigns that are coming to a close at the end of November, many are just getting started for 2021 and are in need of the fundraisers that will help them raise crucial early money. That's why we want to help alleviate some of that post-cycle u...

The Campaign Fundraising Job Board

October 21, 2020 07:00 - 4 minutes - 3.31 MB

Political campaign work is tremendously cyclical. Campaigns do not operate in perpetuity, and some don't even make it to the day of the election. All of this contributes to frequent job searching for campaign finance staffers. But while there are many campaigns that are coming to a close at the end of November, many are just getting started for 2021 and are in need of the fundraisers that will help them raise crucial early money. That's why we want to help alleviate some of that post-cycle u...

How-To: Don't Ghost Your Donors

October 14, 2020 07:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MB

This is a special message to candidates. On this "How To" episode of the Money in Politics podcast, Andrew shares best practices for thoughtfully concluding your fundraising for a cycle in a way that honors the relationships you’ve built and relied upon, and ensures they endure beyond any single political cycle.

Buying Your Donors

October 08, 2020 07:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MB

Figuring out who to reach out to and finding their current contact information may be one of the most important, yet hardest, aspects of building and cultivating your donor database. Grassroots Analytics offers campaigns a relatively straightforward answer to this problem - they will sell you the information. Sarah Elizabeth Pole is the Director of Marketing for Grassroots Analytics, which sells donor data to left-leaning campaigns. Sarah Elizabeth joins the Money in Politics podcast to disc...

Fundraising for Political Technology

September 30, 2020 07:00 - 38 minutes - 26.6 MB

We have talked a lot on this podcast about the different kinds of political fundraising, and we have similarly talked about the role of political technology. Yet we have never talked about fundraising for political technology. Jeremy Smith is the Founder and CEO of Civitech, a technology company that builds tools for campaigns and activists, among others. Jeremy joins the Money in Politics podcast to talk about how Civitech serves progressive campaigns and causes, and how they approach fundr...

Money in Politics at the Supreme Court

September 24, 2020 07:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MB

Contrary to a popular misconception, super PACs were not created by the Supreme Court’s controversial decision in Citizens United. They were actually born out of a federal court of appeals decision in the case of SpeechNow.org v. FEC-- a case that was never reviewed by the Supreme Court. Ron Fein is the Legal Director at Free Speech for People, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that aims to reduce the role and influence of big money and corporate interests in elections. Ron and Free...

How-To: Using Deadlines to Your Advantage

September 22, 2020 07:00 - 8 minutes - 5.58 MB

Deadlines, whether they are real or artificial, can be incredibly powerful fundraising tools. Donors are as procrastination-prone as anybody else, and a properly utilized deadline can create a compelling sense of urgency and make the donor feel like they made a meaningful contribution at an important time. On today's "How To" episode of the Money in Politics podcast, Andrew shares how campaigns can make the most of their next fundraising deadline while avoiding some major, but all-too-common...

How-To: Using Deadlines to Your Advantage

September 22, 2020 07:00 - 8 minutes - 5.58 MB

Deadlines, whether they are real or artificial, can be incredibly powerful fundraising tools. Donors are as procrastination-prone as anybody else, and a properly utilized deadline can create a compelling sense of urgency and make the donor feel like they made a meaningful contribution at an important time. On today's "How To" episode of the Money in Politics podcast, Andrew shares how campaigns can make the most of their next fundraising deadline while avoiding some major, but all-too-common...

Breaking Fundraising Records in a Red District

September 16, 2020 07:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MB

Phil Ehr is running for Congress in Florida's 1st Congressional District against incumbent Representative Matt Gaetz. Ousting an incumbent is difficult enough under normal circumstances, let alone when they are one of President Trump's most vocal supporters in a heavily Republican district. Peter Cowley works on Ehr's campaign fundraising team and joins the Money in Politics podcast to share how the campaign has approached fundraising and broken records in a red district. 

Fundraising for Latino Candidates

September 09, 2020 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB

If you've listened to the podcast before, you'll know that we like to discuss how people of all identities experience the process of political fundraising. After all, money can ultimately determine who is considered a "credible" candidate. There are several organizations that are working to even the money-playing field for candidates of all backgrounds. Daniela Fernandez is the Finance Director of the Latino Victory Fund, a progressive organization looking to grow Latino political power by i...

Fundraising for Latino Candidates

September 09, 2020 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB

If you've listened to the podcast before, you'll know that we like to discuss how people of all identities experience the process of political fundraising. After all, money can ultimately determine who is considered a "credible" candidate. There are several organizations that are working to even the money-playing field for candidates of all backgrounds. Daniela Fernandez is the Finance Director of the Latino Victory Fund, a progressive organization looking to grow Latino political power by i...

A Loophole: Foreign Money in Politics

September 02, 2020 07:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MB

Issue One, a crosspartisan organization that brings together Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, recently published a report detailing a concerning loophole that can allow for anonymous money to flood our electoral process. Michael Beckel is the Research Director at Issue One and is the author of that report, "Mystery Money." He joins the Money in Politics Podcast to share more about what he found when it comes to potential foreign influence in our elections.

Misusing Campaign Funds and Taxpayer Dollars

August 28, 2020 09:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MB

It seems that all too often, we find ourselves reading another scandal about the ethical lapses of our elected representatives, and this past month was no different. Chris Marquette, a reporter for CQ Roll Call, recently reported that Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. may have used thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars and campaign funds for personal expenses on gas fill-ups for him and his family, greens fees at country clubs, luxurious trips, school tuition, and an extravagant Christmas party. Ch...

Misusing Campaign Funds and Taxpayer Dollars

August 28, 2020 09:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MB

It seems that all too often, we find ourselves reading another scandal about the ethical lapses of our elected representatives, and this past month was no different. Chris Marquette, a reporter for CQ Roll Call, recently reported that Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. may have used thousands of dollars in taxpayer dollars and campaign funds for personal expenses on gas fill-ups for him and his family, greens fees at country clubs, luxurious trips, school tuition, and an extravagant Christmas party. Ch...

Black Political Power & Fundraising

August 26, 2020 18:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MB

Black Americans are underrepresented at almost every level of elected office, from the state legislature to the United States Senate. Quentin Jones is the Founder and President of The Collective, a PAC that seeks to attain political equity for Black Americans by educating voters and donors, and by equipping candidates with the resources they need to win. To this end, The Collective has raised and bundled over $10,000,000 and amassed a subscriber network in the hundreds of thousands. Quentin ...

Perspectives from a Professional Fundraiser

August 19, 2020 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MB

The 2020 election cycle has been a roller coaster for professional fundraisers as they have adapted to a global pandemic, an unprecedented presidential election, and new waves of racial justice activism throughout the country. Mather Martin is an experienced political and non-profit fundraiser who currently works with Senator Cory Booker but has also worked with Senator and Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, as well as philanthropist and mega-donor Sean Parker. Mather joins the Money i...

Draining the Swamp, with the Directors of HBO's 'The Swamp'

August 12, 2020 09:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MB

Welcome to season two of the Money in Politics podcast, and what better way to begin this new season than by diving directly into the deep-end of the swamp?! We're joined today by Daniel DiMauro and Morgan Pehme, the directors of a new HBO documentary, The Swamp, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at congress through the experiences of Representatives Matt Gaetz, Thomas Massie, and Ken Buck, as they, in each their own way, combat the financial interests that play such a big role in cong...

Season One Finale

July 16, 2020 09:00 - 3 minutes - 2.17 MB

Today's episode marks the Season One finale of the Money in Politics podcast! Throughout this season, we have learned a lot from incredibly interesting people with a wide range of perspectives. Reporters from the Wall Street Journal and Politico have helped us cover new developments in the 2020 cycle, the authors and lobbyists for landmark ethics legislation have shared how they enact tangible change, and those who advise major donors on their giving have helped us better understand how dono...

State Legislative Caucuses

July 09, 2020 09:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MB

House Caucuses can play a huge role in state legislative campaigns, but to many people, they can be a little bit mysterious. Da'Quan Love serves as the Political Director of the North Carolina Democratic Party House Caucus, and he previously served as their Deputy Finance Director. Da'Quan joins the Money in Politics podcast to talk about the role of the House Caucus in campaigns and elections, how fundraising for the caucus looks different than individual candidate campaigns, and he shares ...

More Money in Politics

July 01, 2020 09:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MB

We've spoken with a lot of people on this show about their efforts to get money out of politics as part of their work to preserve and protect our democracy. While Noah Maier shares this same ultimate goal, he takes a completely different approach. Noah is a professional political fundraiser who wants to get more money behind progressive political candidates and causes. To that end, he currently works as a fundraiser for the One for Democracy Initiative, which seeks to get people to pledge at...

Congressional Insider Trading

June 22, 2020 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22 MB

The Department of Justice recently opened investigations into lawmakers who sold millions of dollars in stocks after attending closed-door congressional briefings about the COVID-19 pandemic, soon before the market experienced a sharp downturn. Prior to the 2012 passage of the STOCK Act, however, it was completely legal for members of congress to use private information they received as part of their congressional duties to make trading decisions for their own financial benefit. Unsurprisngl...

Training Women who Run for Office

June 17, 2020 09:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MB

Ryanne Olsen is the Training and Curriculum Director at Emerge America, an organization that recruits and trains women to run for office. She joins the Money in Politics podcast to share the specific strategies Emerge uses to prepare women to fundraise, how they overcome the hurdles that are unique to women candidates, and how the advent of women-centric donor circles is changing the political landscape. 

How-To: Strong End-of-Quarter Fundraising

June 11, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutes - 4.95 MB

The end of a quarter (EOQ) is a critical time for fundraising. For many, a quarterly financial reporting deadline can mean an opportunity to demonstrate viability and momentum that could be crucial to the campaign. On today's "How To" episode of the Money in Politics podcast, Andrew shares some best practices for end-of-quarter fundraising so that your campaign can make the most of this opportunity.

Preserving a Strong Democracy

June 09, 2020 19:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MB

The health of our democracy has increasingly come into question in recent years and decades, and the role money plays in our politics is a big part of that discussion. David Hawkings is the Editor in Chief of The Fulcrum, a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsite that is dedicated to covering the problems that threaten our democratic system, and the work being done to help address those problems. David joins the Money in Politics podcast to talk about this mission, the platform's recent "Democracy...

How Data is Changing Fundraising

May 27, 2020 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MB

"Machine learning" and "artificial intelligence" get tossed around a lot these days. And many people are rightfully skeptical about all that people and companies claim to be doing with big data in politics. Adam Boaz-Becker is a data engineer and Co-Founder of CallTime.AI. His work in data science has enabled campaigns across the country to utilize actionable data to fine-tune their fundraising operations. Adam joins the Money in Politics podcast to talk about how he thinks about leveraging ...

How Data is Changing Fundraising

May 27, 2020 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MB

"Machine learning" and "artificial intelligence" get tossed around a lot these days. And many people are rightfully skeptical about all that people and companies claim to be doing with big data in politics. Adam Boaz-Becker is a data engineer and Co-Founder of CallTime.AI. His work in data science has enabled campaigns across the country to utilize actionable data to fine-tune their fundraising operations. Adam joins the Money in Politics podcast to talk about how he thinks about leveraging ...

How-To: Building Your Donor Database

May 22, 2020 09:00 - 14 minutes - 9.78 MB

One of the biggest barriers to fundraising is building a robust database of current and prospective donors. All too often, campaigns are quick to blame their fundraising woes on simply not having a good enough list. But building and maintaining your donor network is an ongoing endeavor, not something you either "have" or "don't have." On today's "How To" episode of the Money in Politics podcast, Andrew breaks down how campaigns can convert their existing networks into strong and evergrowing ...

Relational Fundraising

May 20, 2020 09:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MB

It shouldn’t be surprising that people are much more reachable and persuadable by individuals that they already know and trust. But how does this translate to fundraising? Shola Farber is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the Tuesday Company, a firm that helps organizations strengthen their connection with supporters to drive community activism and fundraising. Shola joins the Money in Politics podcast to discuss how campaigns are leveraging personal relationships to enhance tradi...

Relational Fundraising

May 20, 2020 09:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MB

It shouldn’t be surprising that people are much more reachable and persuadable by individuals that they already know and trust. But how does this translate to fundraising? Shola Farber is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the Tuesday Company, a firm that helps organizations strengthen their connection with supporters to drive community activism and fundraising. Shola joins the Money in Politics podcast to discuss how campaigns are leveraging personal relationships to enhance tradi...

A Mystery PAC

May 13, 2020 09:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MB

Campaign finance filings are typically only interesting for those who work in campaign finance. That's not always the case, though. Zach Montellaro, a Politico reporter, made waves recently when he brought to light how a PAC, Americans for Progressive Action USA, seemingly raised and spent millions of dollars. The catch? The vendors they listed never worked with them and the ads apparently never ran. Zach joins the Money in Politics podcast to talk about his reporting on this mysterious PAC,...

Candidate Viability and Fundraising

May 07, 2020 09:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MB

How do candidates prove that they are electable and that their campaign is viable? Often, the answer comes down to how much they can fundraise. Viability- or at least the perception of viability- can dramatically impact which candidates stay in the race and which drop out, well before voters see a ballot. Alex Obolensky is a fundraiser and political operative who recently served as the Finance Director for Cora Neumann's campaign for US Senate in Montana. Despite what looked like a promising...

Candidate Viability and Fundraising

May 07, 2020 09:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MB

How do candidates prove that they are electable and that their campaign is viable? Often, the answer comes down to how much they can fundraise. Viability- or at least the perception of viability- can dramatically impact which candidates stay in the race and which drop out, well before voters see a ballot. Alex Obolensky is a fundraiser and political operative who recently served as the Finance Director for Cora Neumann's campaign for US Senate in Montana. Despite what looked like a promising...

How-To: Fundraising on Day 1 - Your Campaign Launch

May 01, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.38 MB

Launching your campaign can be an exciting time, but all too often campaigns make avoidable mistakes at one of their most high-profile moments, where fundraising potential is high. On today's "How To" episode of the Money in Politics podcast, Andrew discusses how campaigns can maximize their launch by ensuring that fundraising is an integral part of it.

Digital Fundraising

April 29, 2020 09:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MB

While some campaigns have been slow to incorporate a digital infrastructure into their fundraising, others have come to rely on it. Toby Fallsgraff has spent more than a decade in digital communications and served in leadership roles in the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Now, he serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Do Big Things, a digital campaigning consulting firm. Toby joins the Money in Politics Podcast to discuss both how campaigns are spending on digital to...

How-To: How Campaigns are Adapting to COVID-19

April 24, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.22 MB

The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed how campagins are operating. But despite the circumstances, staffers continue to need to be paid, advertisements still cost money, and elections will inevitably take place. On today's "How To" episode of the Money in Politics podcast, Andrew shares best practices from what he has been hearing from campaigns and fundraising professionals across the country about how they have been adapting to these challenging times.

First-Time Candidate Fundraising

April 22, 2020 09:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MB

Fundraising can be a daunting task for any campaign, but especially for a first-time candidate. Karl Frisch was recently elected to the Fairfax County Public School Board in Virginia - the 10th largest school division in the United States that serves more than 188,000 students. He not only ran as a first-time candidate, but in the process, he raised an unprecedented amount of money. Karl joins the Money in Politics Podcast to talk about how he prepared to fundraise for the first time, to hel...

Reporting on Money in Politics

April 17, 2020 09:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MB

Money can play a big role in how the media covers campaigns. How much money have you raised? How much have you spent? Who's donating? Emily Glazer is one of the reporters covering the 2020 election for the Wall Street Journal and writes about the convergence of money, politics, and tech. She joins the Money in Politics podcast to share how she thinks about her coverage, and insights from her coverage of the Buttigieg and Biden campaigns, as well as those up and down the ballot that are retoo...

Reporting on Money in Politics

April 17, 2020 09:00 - 41 minutes - 28.6 MB

Money can play a big role in how the media covers campaigns. How much money have you raised? How much have you spent? Who's donating? Emily Glazer is one of the reporters covering the 2020 election for the Wall Street Journal and writes about the convergence of money, politics, and tech. She joins the Money in Politics podcast to share how she thinks about her coverage, and insights from her coverage of the Buttigieg and Biden campaigns, as well as those up and down the ballot that are retoo...

Money out of Politics

April 15, 2020 17:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MB

There's a lot about money in politics that is flawed. But how do we fix it? Betsy Sweet is running for U.S. Senate in Maine with a passion for getting money out of politics, and she has a history of work on the issue. Betsy helped write the Clean Elections Act in Maine, the nation's first full public funding system for state legislative and gubernatorial races. She ran for governor as a "Clean Elections Act" candidate and is now hoping to secure the Democratic nomination to take on Senator S...