If you’re a political nerd like me, you follow all the political races with enjoyment. You peruse the newspaper for political stories and keep abreast of every political update in social media. You actually read all the correspondence you receive from the candidates. And, to that end, I have to admit that I was very busy last week reading all my mail and email. Yes, I felt very important. I woke up to find my email inbox full – really full – for the last few days of March.

It was the end of the fundraising quarter for political campaigns. This meant that candidates were appealing for those last-minute donations. Campaigns are expensive and candidates have to raise money. So, the end of the fundraising quarter always brings a lot of activity to political campaigns. And, this is not a new concept. Marcus Alonzo “Mark” Hanna (1837-1904) was a Republican U.S. Senator from Ohio and the friend and political manager of President William McKinley. He is quoted as saying, “There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can’t remember what the second one is.”

So, although I knew why I was so popular, I was still excited to see what the candidates had to say. Most emails started off with, “close to goal” or “please help us reach our goal.” I especially liked the emails that were sent from supporters or family members of the candidate. I think these emails have a personal touch that resonates with recipients. These emails allow us to see the candidate as a regular person.

Some candidates used a logical appeal. They attempted to appeal to me using logic. They provided facts and statistics to illustrate how close they are to goal, or how they are faring in the polls. In these instances, the candidate wants the recipient to realize that donating to this campaign makes good sense. Other candidates used an emotional appeal. They attempted to appeal to me using personal stories and compelling anecdotes about the candidate and campaign. When a candidate uses this type of appeal, they are hoping to persuade us to donate by appealing to our core human emotions. They make a personal connection and attempt to strike an emotional chord with prospects.

Usually a fundraising email will also highlight the candidate’s qualifications and qualities. It may contain information about the candidate’s platform or the main issues that this candidate is championing. And a few emails also included a video message from the candidate or a supporter, so I could hear it right from the candidate. I like the way that technology has made it possible for candidates to “talk” with constituents this way.

Yes, there was certainly a flurry of messages. And it made me feel important to know that everyone wants my donation. But, as I step back and think for a moment, I have to wonder how effective these emails are. I have not done my usual Facebook survey, so I am just going on personal opinion here. I would guess that they are helpful, they probably remind a supporter to make a donation if they haven’t already. But are they actually persuading others to donate? I am not so sure about that.

I do know one thing for sure. If the email starts off with “dear friend,” then it is probably not going to be that effective. In this day of technology, it should be easy for a candidate to personalize the email with my name. So if the candidate does not know my name, it’s not really a great way to connect with me. Why would I donate to someone who doesn’t know my name?

Now that the quarter is over, my email inbox will probably be a bit empty. But not for long, I suspect. I would hope to see it full of new email messages from candidates focused on telling me about them, their philosophy, platform and ideas for office. Because, after all, isn’t the whole point of raising money? Isn’t fundraising about allowing candidates to bring their message to the voters? Raising money can be a competitive sport in itself, with candidates competing over who raises the most. But, at its very core, the purpose of raising money is to spend it on the campaign – to use those donations to get the candidate message out to voters. So it is possible to win the fundraising battle, but lose the election. Once the funds are collected, then the real hard work of the campaign must continue. The campaign must focus on getting the message out and connecting with voters. And, by the way, if you want to connect with me, please be sure to start the email with my name.