Metro AtlantaRegional
Transportation Referendum
Fundraising Overview
GA Regional Referenda101 HB 277 passed in April, 2010
July 31, 2012 election, simple majority 10-year, 1 penny sales tax Georgia divided into 12 regions; regions vote separately Effort in metro Atlanta managed by MAVEN/CTM Other 11 regions managed by GA Chamber of Commerce
Metro-Atlanta 10-county region will generate $7.2 billion over 10 years
52% Transit 48% Roads, interchanges, bike/ped, aviation
Baseline Data May 2011 benchmark poll: majority of voters unaware or
undecided; balance favor the tax, by small margin. Overwhelming majority of Atlanta voters agree traffic
congestion is a serious problem, and if un-addressed, we will lose jobs, economy will suffer.
Large majority of voters plan their day to avoid congestion. 200,000+ citizens participated in outreach efforts to develop
the 157-project list. Consensus among Governor, Speaker, Mayor Reed, majority
of local elected leaders, biz community, 100+ org. coalition
MAVEN and CTM 501 (c)(3) MAVEN $2.0 million budget
Neutral, non-partisan education, research, etc. No limit on contributions Generally tax-deductible
501 (c)(4) CTM $6.8 million budget “Vote Yes” activities, persuasion and advocacy No limit on contributions Not tax-deductible Subject to state campaign disclosure requirements
Fundraising Sources MAVEN Donors $2.0m of $2.0m committed
Community Improvement Districts (BIDs) Corporate and family foundations, universities Individuals
CTM Donors $4.2m of $6.8m committed Public and private companies Associations, membership & industry organizations Individuals
CTM Structure Major targets: companies who “get it”
(engineering, consulting, construction, real estate, banking, technology, supply chain/logistics, etc.)
Finance Committee: peer-to-peer asks, targeting, triangulation
Geometry is important: associations, targeting within industries, special events, connectivity, etc.
Seth Godin, author of TRIBES: “best donors are the ones engaged in working toward the
mission of the enterprise”
Fundraising Learning Signature gifts- Set the bar high Special events- Create deadlines Fill up the room- Use peer pressure to your benefit Start at the top- The $ get smaller as you go down Don’t ask for no’s- Get the right person to ask Don’t get snoozed- Be persistent Water the flowers- Turn your donors into askers
Remember the Mission Win.
The ultimate currency of your campaign is VOTES, not dollars.
Use the fundraising effort to secure VOTES, not just dollars. (sell shares)
MAVEN Online Project List Tool
ARC Online Project List Tool
Project Data Sheets
Information Sources
TransformMetroAtlanta.com
AtlantaRegionalRoundtable.com
@TransformATL
Transform Metro Atlanta