A “money bomb” is an intense grassroots online fundraising effort over a brief fixed time period to support a candidate for election.
This technique is often used by political candidates or organizations in order to raise a significant amount of money quickly, typically for a specific purpose or campaign.
In modern politics, it can be much more effective than traditional bundling.
Origin of “Money Bomb”
The term was first applied to a fundraising effort on behalf of the 2008 presidential campaign of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) which the San Jose Mercury News described at the time as “a one-day fundraising frenzy.”
Political consultant Ed Rollins described the effectiveness of Paul’s money bomb to the Washington Post: “I’ll tell you, I’ve been in politics for 40 years, and these days everything I’ve learned about politics is totally irrelevant because there’s this uncontrollable thing like the Internet. Washington insiders don’t know what to make of it.”
Money bombs are typically organized through online platforms, such as websites or social media, which allow individuals to make donations easily and quickly.
This can allow them to fund ads, mailers, or other campaign materials in a short period of time, giving them a significant advantage over their opponents. Additionally, money bombs can be an effective way to engage small donors and build support for a campaign, as they allow individuals to make relatively small donations that can add up to a significant amount of money.
The organizers of a money bomb will often set a specific goal for the campaign, such as raising a certain amount of money within a certain time frame, and will use various techniques to encourage people to make donations.
For example, they may offer incentives, such as special merchandise or experiences, to donors who give a certain amount of money.
However, money bombs can also have some drawbacks.
For one thing, they are often highly dependent on media attention and social media buzz in order to be successful. If a money bomb does not generate enough interest, it may not raise as much money as the organizers had hoped.
Additionally, money bombs can be vulnerable to fraud or abuse, as the large number of small transactions can make it difficult to track and verify the donations.
Use of “Money Bomb” in a sentence
- The candidate’s campaign raised over $1 million in a single day through a successful money bomb campaign.
- Many political activists have criticized the use of money bombs, arguing that they give wealthy donors too much influence in elections.
- The political organization’s money bomb campaign fell short of its goal, raising only half of the money it had hoped to collect.