People, Not Money

THE YEAR IN REVIEW
It's about people, not just money
By Gov. Howard Dean M.D.

People ask me all the time about raising money online. In a 10-candidate field, my presidential campaign raised more than $27 million on the Web. And since the end of the campaign, the thriving online fundraising continued with our new organization, Democracy for America.

But the truth is that online success is about more than money. And it’s about more than technology. It’s about your commitment to the people who support you.

In a practical sense, using the Internet isn’t even about getting votes. Its strength is in building a richer democracy by bringing more people into the process.

We learned over the past two years that a campaign website can be more than a clearinghouse for basic information. It can become a hub for turning committed supporters into true stakeholders.

When approached the right way, the Web can help campaigns and other organizations accomplish two important things: mobilizing volunteers in new ways and communicating without the expense of television or the filter of the press.

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