Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Swing Voter • Political Director • Voter ID

Small-Dollar Donors

Term from Political Campaigns industry explained for recruiters

Small-dollar donors are people who contribute smaller amounts of money (typically under $200) to political campaigns. They represent an important fundraising base that shows grassroots support for a campaign. Campaign staff focus on these donors because they often become repeat contributors and volunteers. Unlike big donors or PACs, these supporters usually give through online platforms, email campaigns, or text message fundraising. The term may also appear as "grassroots donors" or "low-dollar donors" in campaign work.

Examples in Resumes

Developed email strategy that grew Small-Dollar Donor base by 300% in six months

Managed Small-Dollar Donor program raising $2M through digital outreach

Created successful Grassroots Donor acquisition campaign averaging 1,000 new Small-Dollar Donors per week

Typical job title: "Digital Fundraisers"

Also try searching for:

Digital Fundraising Manager Donor Outreach Coordinator Digital Finance Director Email Fundraising Manager Grassroots Fundraising Director Campaign Finance Manager Digital Development Manager

Where to Find Digital Fundraisers

Professional Organizations

Job Boards

Learning Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you design a comprehensive small-dollar donor program from scratch?

Expected Answer: Should discuss creating donor personas, setting up digital infrastructure, planning email and SMS campaigns, implementing testing strategies, and establishing metrics for success. Should mention both acquisition and retention strategies.

Q: What strategies have you used to reactivate lapsed small-dollar donors?

Expected Answer: Should explain different approaches like special appeals, membership drives, anniversary messages, and using data to identify the best times to reach out to previous donors.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you measure the success of a small-dollar donor program?

Expected Answer: Should mention key metrics like donor retention rate, average gift size, email response rates, recurring donor growth, and return on investment for different fundraising approaches.

Q: What techniques have you found effective for converting one-time donors to monthly donors?

Expected Answer: Should discuss email nurture sequences, donor benefits, strategic asking amounts, and timing of recurring donor asks.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What platforms have you used for small-dollar donor fundraising?

Expected Answer: Should be familiar with common tools like ActBlue, WinRed, or NGP VAN, and basic email platforms. Should understand how these tools work together.

Q: How would you write an effective fundraising email?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate knowledge of basic email fundraising principles like clear call-to-action, urgency, personalization, and appropriate asking amounts.