WeLobby

Put your money where your heart is

 Money in Politics

Politicians are more accountable to the dollars

they raise than to the voters that elect them.
What it takes to win: 2008 election
• House
– Average spending, candidates: $681,000
– Average spending, winners: $1.37 million
• Senate
– Average spending, candidates: $2.49 million
– Average spending, winners: $7.54 million
 WeLobby
An aggregator for contingent political donations

WeLobby empowers ordinary citizens to

demand results from their representatives and
lets politicians know what’s at stake when
they vote.
 How it works
• Pick your issue
• Create or join a group and pledge to donate
• Spread the word and aggregate pledges
• Make your voice heard – and have politicians
listen
 Opportunity
• From 2000 to 2008, money raised for
Congressional campaigns rose from over $1.01
billion to more than $1.35 billion
Rising Donation Participation
 Opportunity
• From 2000 to 2008, money raised for
Congressional campaigns rose from over $1.01
billion to more than $1.35 billion
 Revenue models
• Flat $1 transaction fee per pledge
• 4% percentage processing fee per donation
• Direct donations
 Outreach
• Social network integration
– Facebook app, WordPress plugin, etc.
• Partnerships with political figures and blogs
 Competition
• Candidates themselves
• Political advocacy organizations

What makes WeLobby different?

• WeLobby fosters political accountability.
• Get what you want – or get your money back.
 Team
• Leonard Hyman
– Concept and Policy Analyst
• Dave McDougall
– Media Strategist
• Devang Negandhi and Lingyi Chen
– Web and Interface Designers
 Next Steps
• Legal Research
• User Interface & Back-End Design
• Political & Community Outreach
• Accounting and Financial Management
 Summary
• WeLobby transforms politics by making
politicians accountable to voters