Curley’s past campaign shows it doesn’t take much to get contributions

Surprise. Wealthy homeowners, primarily white, are funding political campaigns in Seattle.

Sightline Institute, a nonprofit, mapped contributions to candidates for the Seattle City Council, mayor and city attorney for the 2013 election, The Seattle Times reports. About half the money contributed for the elections came from 1,683 donors, a quarter came from 391 people, the Times reports.

Those donors are primarily wealthy people living in a home with views.

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But it’s not difficult to raise money for a campaign, you just need the right strategy. Take KIRO Radio’s John Curley, for example. Curley raised about $22,000 during a political campaign, nearly half of that was from a simple letter.

“My letter said: ‘I’ve never asked you for a ride to the airport, or to carry out a badly stained mattress, that has to be worth at least ten dollars,'” Curley recalled.

He sent the letter out to about 3,000 people and raised about $9,000.

Later, he sent out another letter that said for every yard sign people pay for, he will plant a tree.

Curley ran in 2008 for Sammamish City Council. He served one-term.

However, most people don’t want to donate to a political campaign, because they don’t have a direct connection to it, Curley said. Or, people might not like how campaigns operate or flat out not like politicians, he added.

“Contributing makes them feel weird,” Curley said.