All very good questions and common concerns!  Daily emails and texts can cause us to tune everything out – but donations are an important way to help promote democracy and the other policies we care about.   Let’s talk about a strategy to help navigate all the requests.

Here are a few ways to think about your monthly strategy – whether it’s $5 or $500.

Will your Donation be Additive and Timely?

Another way to look at your donation is that you want to give it to a group that will use it in a flexible and strategic manner.  It is important to choose a group you trust. For example, I trust Indivisible to use donations for the races that need it the most and for the tactic that is not already saturated (examples of tactics are radio, billboards, or lists and software for phone banks, text banks and canvassing). Other effective groups to consider might be Sister District, The States Project, or Working America. 

Be wary when donation to PACS. 2025 saw revelations of how little of their money actually goes to the cause they say they are promoting. Block and report these text messages as spam and never give through a text.

If you do want to give to candidates directly, I would advise to give to the smallest race that you are interested in.  State and local races are run on thousands, not millions, and your small donation can be more impactful.  We have seen that municipalities are the front line of climate action and book banning; states are the front lines of gun safety, education, LGTBQ, and reproductive rights.  Democrats have long overlooked these races, and now we are reaping the consequences.

Next time your town and surrounding communities have elections, check to see if there is someone running for school committee or select board that needs support.  Adopt a state and support a state level democratic candidate.  As David Pepper has shown in both his books, Laboratories of Autocracy and Saving Democracy, the path to issues we care about lies through the states. 

Federal races now spend millions, so it is important to consider not only how much money these candidates have but how much they need.  Is MAGA going after them hard?  Are their districts more purple?

In general, candidates need “early” money – money is a lot harder to use effectively in the last week or two before the election. (for example, there could be no more ad spaces to even buy; printed materials need to be ordered with lead time, etc.)  Nonprofits need money anytime.

Now, let’s discuss who NOT to give to and how to manage the deluge of emails and texts asking for donations.  

1.  Don’t be tempted by “Hail Mary Candidates.”   Is the district R+30? Your small donation will not help a candidate win there.  There are some candidates that we hate, and we want to throw money at their opponents who have no chance.  Resist!   If you really care about that district, fund a grassroots group building a presence there.

2. Don’t give to candidates with more money than they need (which depends on the candidate’s competition and district).  Sometimes, they are willing to share with other candidates for the greater good, but then they get to make that choice, not you.

3. Don’t give to the Democratic party in general because they are inflexible at best and stagnant at worst.  Only give to them if there is a division working efficiently on the ground.  Some examples are the NEAZ Native Dems in Arizona and County parties in North Carolina.  The Democratic Governors Association and Democratic Association of Secretaries of State are other good subgroups.

4. Don’t donate on a whim for appeals that are coercive.  For example, Quarterly fundraising goals or other similar countdowns.  If you hear this from someone you have donated to in the past, only give if you would have done so in the absence of this guilt messaging.  Stick to your budget. 
5. Don’t be drawn in by claims of matching funds. Matching of 500% is exactly what it sounds like: too good to be true.

How to stop the deluge of requests:

1.  Don’t give your mobile phone number.  If you still get texts, type in “STOP.”  Use Block and Report Spam for PACs. Unfortunately, you will have to do this for each campaign.

2. Unsubscribe from their emails.  This actually saves the candidate money – they have to pay for these emails, and if you don’t intend to donate to them, you can save them some money. 

It’s time to act.

Your donations are very important, and none are too small to make a difference. Budgeting and giving strategies can help you target your donations for he best result.  Winning the November 2026 election will start with early preparation and donations.