How to … Use Bad News as a Fundraising Tool

Last week the New York Times published an incendiary piece that suggested Republican presidential candidate John McCain had had an affair with a lobbyist and had pulled strings on her behalf. Among a party faithful that places a premium on what are commonly called “family values,” the news could have been disastrous for the Arizona senator. Instead, it has been a windfall: The McCain campaign immediately began using the story as the basis for a pitch to donors, and the Times reported that the “campaign announced Friday afternoon that it had just recorded its single-best 24 hours in online fund-raising, although it declined to provide numbers.”

The lesson for nonprofits? Bad news can be a fundraising tool.

Oh, sure, it’ll help if the story is problematic journalistically. Beyond that, though, some tactics can be discerned:

Deny the allegations. There was no wishy-washy apologizing, no contrite confessions, from McCain. Instead, he stood in front of the cameras and said he had neither had an affair with the lobbyist nor tried to exert his influence on her behalf.
Enlist your most ardent supporters. Conservative talk-radio hosts and bloggers leaped to McCain’s defense, blasting the Times for what they saw as a liberal smear, and the campaign’s skillful use of the story paid literal dividends.
Along those lines, play the victim: “Poor Senator McCain, minding his own business, running his campaign, was completely ambushed by those bullies in New York. Please give to help him fight back.”

It almost makes you want to go out and do something improper so that the press will notice and report on it, doesn’t it?

Well, maybe not. But the last few days have been a fascinating case study in how to rally the troops in support of your mission when powerful outsiders are raising uncomfortable questions. In the end, of course, a nonprofit is better off keeping its nose clean and avoiding even the hint of impropriety. Should the need arise, however, it’s worth keeping in mind that sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

“How to …” appears Mondays at the 501(c) Files. | 501(c)