Case Studies & Client Results
Three Reasons You Don’t Have Persuasive PAC
PAC fundraising best practices, such as peer to peer recruitment, senior management support, etc., are well known among seasoned PAC professionals. Yet, the average PAC participation rate has stayed in the 18%-33% range for the last 15 years (BIPAC). With the proliferation of PAC fundraising best practices, why isn’t PAC participation at 90%? I believe it’s because the rationale for joining the PAC is poorly developed and does not take into consideration the science of PAC persuasion. see three additional reasons for this stagnation...
Internal PAC Culture Change Results in 860% Increase in PAC Receipts
The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) needed to increase member PAC contributions and commitment, as well as more involvement from their board of directors. For example, many member companies were reluctant to sign a prior authorization form to allow ALFA to conduct PAC recruitment. Further, another competing association that shares many of ALFA’s members was aggressively promoting their PAC; as a result, ALFA members were concerned about divided loyalties and contributing to two Political Action Committees.
We delivered a presentation to the ALFA Board of Directors which demonstrated the rationale for PAC contributions beyond current legislative issues, and helped debunk common objections to PAC engagement. We also created a PAC fundraising manual that provided turn-key tools and templates for their member organizations to recruit for the ALFA PAC among their eligible employees.
"Amy’s tools helped us to persuade our members that PAC involvement is just as important as direct lobbying and grassroots engagement. Now our members are proud to have a larger PAC and understand its value."
Micah Intermill
Director of Advocacy
Assisted Living Federation of America
"Amy’s tools helped us to persuade our members that PAC involvement is just as important as direct lobbying and grassroots engagement. Now our members are proud to have a larger PAC and understand its value."
Micah IntermillDirector of Advocacy
Assisted Living Federation of America
600 new Members from Increased PAC Awareness and PAC Board Member Engagement
Despite major corporate restructuring, the International Paper PAC was growing. Many PAC professionals would congratulate themselves on this accomplishment and move on. Not IP---in spite of their success, the team realized that to grow the PAC, it had to be more visible in diverse facilities across the country.
The Solution
We discussed the importance of volunteer motivation and participation in the goal-setting process, and explored ways to gain more PAC leader participation on PAC goal setting and execution strategies. We conducted a motivational PAC leadership presentation, as well as facilitated a PAC board strategic planning session. Our pre-workshop research revealed a pattern of fundraising best practices that could be executed by fellow Board members. The strategic planning session encouraged the Board members to jointly determine their fundraising goals and approach, thus maximizing their buy-in.
We also conducted a PAC awareness and message retention survey to find out the level of general PAC awareness in various facilities across the country. The results showed not just the salient messages that tended to "stick" with PAC prospects, (because that is only one part of the PAC persuasion equation) but also what was missing as we sought to make those messages increase awareness and membership in diverse facilities. Over 150 new members (in addition to the 600 above) joined as a result of the second campaign phase.
"Our board members said this was the best meeting they ever attended. We now have board member ownership of the PAC fundraising process through personal accountability, goals, and group metrics. Despite a tough economy, we have gained over 600 new PAC members."
Meaghan Killion JoyceManager, Political Affairs
International Paper
Association PAC Development
The National Association of REALTOR’S PAC and their state REALTOR association PACs are routinely rated as the largest in the country and their respective states. NAR and numerous state associations have hired us to teach their members how to use the science of influence to recruit more PAC members. For example, the Connecticut Association of REALTOR’s average individual PAC contribution increased by 300% and annual PAC receipts have increased by 35%. The CAR attributes this to “the solid scientific persuasion principle our members learned during AmyÂ’s workshop.”
“Our state chapter staff and members have not stopped buzzing about your presentation regarding the science of persuasion and how they can apply it to their PAC fundraising.”
John E. Ferruggiaro IIManaging Director, Political Field Operations
National Association of REALTORS
PAC Commitment Escalation Strategy
The California Hospital and Healthcare Association wanted to increase their individual hospital member’s’ average PAC contributions, as well as help create a positive culture of PAC involvement. We conducted several member hospital teleclasses where we enumerated the scientific persuasion points relevant to PAC fundraising. As a result, they reached their PAC fundraising goal several months in advance, and saw a dramatic increase in their average member contribution.
“Our consultations with Amy opened up a whole new era for our PAC fundraising campaigns. She helped us realize we could reach our goal with a systematic, persuasive approach to PAC recruitment. As a result, we achieved a 70% increase in revenue, our largest ever. Our average corporate contribution increased by 400%, which helped us surpass our goal several months in advance. Her philosophy changed the entire outlook of our PAC. It also changed the structure, as we added staff and increased our PAC budget.”
Rachel R. WannerFormer CHPAC Administrator
California Healthcare Association
Corporate Grassroots and PAC Recruitment
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the nation’s largest provider of dialysis services and products for those suffering from kidney failure. An acquisition of another large dialysis provider presented new advocacy and PAC outreach opportunities for FMCNA’s government relations team. We collaborated with Fresenius’ direct lobbying and advocacy staff on several projects, including PAC/grassroots message testing and advocacy workshops. As a result, Fresenius now has 252 new Key Contacts, and has experienced an increase in PAC receipts.
Corporate Grassroots and PAC Change Management
The ConocoPhillips government affairs team was tasked with integrating multiple PAC and grassroots cultures, both from a major merger and several large corporate acquisitions. Cultural differences were significant on how the PAC’s were managed.
We collaborated on a variety of grassroots and PAC development initiatives, including, but not limited to: PAC and grassroots message testing, employee PAC and grassroots leader training, a persuasive turn-key PAC presentation, a new PAC recruitment campaign, a members-only web site featuring special streaming video messages, and a comprehensive employee grassroots leader manual.
The PAC participation rate has increased 78% and receipts have increased 64%. Employee awareness of legislative issues impacting the company is clearly on the rise, and employees come forward on a regular basis asking to be on the grassroots leadership team. Membership on the grassroots leadership team has grown to over 200 employees in 14 states.
PAC Development
The National Association of REALTORS and their state realtor organizations comprise the largest association PAC’s in the country. They have hired us to teach their members how to use the science of influence to recruit their colleagues to join the PAC. The Connecticut Association of REALTORS’ average individual PAC contribution increased by 300% and annual PAC receipts have increased by 35%. The CAR attributes this to "the solid scientific persuasion principles our members learned during Amy’s workshop."
PAC Reinvigoration
For We Energies, we coached the PAC staff on creating appropriate PAC recruiting and promotional materials, created PAC Board development materials, facilitated PAC member feedback meetings, and trained the staff and PAC recruiters on how to utilize the science of influence to recruit more PAC members. The staff and PAC Board have a renewed focus and mission. “We have never seen this much focus and attention to our PAC before we worked with you. You taught us how to stay focused and on track to meet our goals. In our first small group recruitment meeting, we gained over 40 new members!”
"Contracting with The Showalter Group to help reinvigorate our PAC was important in teaching us what was needed in order for the program to survive. Due in large part to your involvement, I have seen a definite change in the PAC Board and staff. I have not seen this kind of excitement or interest in our PAC since I’ve been a part of the Government Affairs staff. In fact, in our very first PAC recruitment meeting, we gained 40 new PAC contributors!"
Judy JobPAC Manager
We Energies
Corporate PAC Fundraising Campaign
We have collaborated with the Dow Chemical Company for several years on numerous PAC and grassroots improvement projects. Our most recent effort involved facilitating senior executive momentum toward a major PAC fundraising campaign, creating all executive campaign communications, designing the campaign brochure and PAC recruiting presentation, training employee PAC recruiters, and providing counsel on PAC administrative management. In phase one of the campaign, 100% of the most senior executives contributed at the maximum allowable level. Average individual PAC contributions increased by 400%.