[Lnc-business] Colorado Membership Recruitment Effort

[Caryn Ann Harlos]

I’m a bit chagrined that there is a failure to recognize on the part of the
promoters that TIME is the issue and this gives an unfair national boost in
a competition to just one state.  Without a time machine, the same offer
cannot be given to other states.

-Caryn Ann

On Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 1:58 PM Daniel Fishman <dan.fishman at lphq.org> wrote:

> We are paying that bounty for the national membership, which I am doing
> everything I can to increase. We actually pay a much higher commissions to
> contractors via the referral program. I'm greatly appreciative to the
> states  for the cheap acquisition costs.
>
> And of course the same plan is available to other FEC filers. I have
> inquiries from DC and Georgia that are waiting on their copy to go live,
> which I anticipate happening *any day now*
>
> Dan
> ---
> Daniel Fishman
> Executive Director
> The Libertarian Party
> Join Us <http://www.lp.org/join>
>
>
> On Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 10:54 AM Caryn Ann Harlos via Lnc-business <
> lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>
>> While I am prejudiced in favor of Colorado, I agree with Ms. Mattson.
>>
>> On Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 4:07 AM Alicia Mattson via Lnc-business <
>> lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>>
>> > I am not convinced that this is not a special agreement with a state.
>> >
>> > My question about who is paying the credit card processing fees was not
>> > answered, so I presume that means that the LNC is eating that cost.
>> Let's
>> > suppose our discount rate is 4%.  If the LNC processes a $50 payment and
>> > sends a full $25 to the state, our own credit card processing fees just
>> > doubled to 8%.  In addition to that amount, which can potentially add
>> up to
>> > non-trivial money when you get a lot more states involved, we're also
>> > expending our staff time on the state's fundraiser, with all that
>> invested
>> > time eating into the $25 - $2 credit card fees = $23 donation that the
>> LNC
>> > received.  Our staff has to track the numbers, cut checks to each
>> > affiliate, etc.  Our staff routinely tells us they don't have time to do
>> > the things that the LNC has directed them to do, and this is tasking
>> them
>> > with an extra arrangement not even agreed to by the LNC.
>> >
>> > This free labor and free credit card processing deal is only being
>> offered
>> > to FEC filing affiliates, not to all our affiliates.  In this instance,
>> it
>> > was first offered to only one state right before a critical deadline in
>> > which they are competing with other states, and once other states found
>> out
>> > that it was available they will have little time to plan and make use of
>> > it.
>> >
>> > All of this feels like a special agreement to me.
>> >
>> > -Alicia
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, Oct 16, 2019 at 1:16 PM Nicholas Sarwark via Lnc-business <
>> > lnc-business at hq.lp.org> wrote:
>> >
>> > > Dear All,
>> > >
>> > > As you are aware, there is a deadline for convention delegate
>> allocation
>> > > that comes up at the end of this month.  Many of your state parties,
>> as
>> > > well as mine, are doing what they can to sign up additional national
>> > > members.
>> > >
>> > > A Colorado member contacted me around October 5 with a plan to solicit
>> > > registered Libertarian voters to encourage them to join both the
>> Colorado
>> > > and national Libertarian Party at the same time. The challenge he had
>> was
>> > > not soliciting the potential members, but having a way to make sure
>> that
>> > > they would also be able to sign the pledge to become sustaining
>> members
>> > of
>> > > the national party and not violate any FEC rules.
>> > >
>> > > Since there is not a legal barrier to transfers between FEC reporting
>> > party
>> > > committees, I suggested he contact Dan Fishman to figure out how to
>> get
>> > the
>> > > Colorado effort a mechanism to process these new memberships and
>> > renewals.
>> > >
>> > > The solution he came up allows the LNC to collect a minimum of $50,
>> with
>> > > the prospective donor being clearly informed that $25 of their
>> donation
>> > > will be given to the LPCO, which allows them to recoup their marketing
>> > > expenses. Since the Colorado group is soliciting the extra amount to
>> be
>> > > sent back to LPCO, there is no cost or loss to the party for sending
>> that
>> > > amount back, but it's logistically easier for the new member to only
>> have
>> > > to fill out one web form.
>> > >
>> > > Prior to this request, there was not a way for an FEC filing state to
>> > > solicit joint donations to the national party.  Now there is a
>> mechanism
>> > to
>> > > do so and Mr. Fishman also informs me that the same form can be
>> adapted
>> > for
>> > > any other FEC filing state affiliates. I do not interpret this as a
>> > special
>> > > agreement with with the state affiliate, just an implementation of a
>> > single
>> > > form that will allocate the donors funds as the donor wishes.
>> > >
>> > > The Colorado team took the initiative to recruit new members and have
>> > > started their work to mail and call people, including a link to the
>> web
>> > > form that was implemented. I will be instructing Mr. Fishman to
>> activate
>> > > that link as well as to make a similar form available to any other FEC
>> > > filing state affiliates who request it.
>> > >
>> > > Yours truly,
>> > > Nick
>> > >
>> >
>> --
>>
>> *In Liberty,*
>>
>> * Personal Note:  I have what is commonly known as Asperger's Syndrome
>> (part of the autism spectrum).  This can affect inter-personal
>> communication skills in both personal and electronic arenas.  If anyone
>> found anything offensive or overly off-putting (or some other social faux
>> pas), please contact me privately and let me know. *
>>
> --

*In Liberty,*

* Personal Note:  I have what is commonly known as Asperger's Syndrome
(part of the autism spectrum).  This can affect inter-personal
communication skills in both personal and electronic arenas.  If anyone
found anything offensive or overly off-putting (or some other social faux
pas), please contact me privately and let me know. *