Peer to Peer Fundraising, Part 3

This blog is for thoughts regarding the National Association of Home Builders, which includes local and state HBAs. The opinions posted in this blog are NOT OFFICIAL NAHB opinions nor is this blog owned by NAHB but it is intended for NAHB members and staff use.

 

Peer to Peer Fundraising: Part 3 "Why Should YOU Care?"

"The Great Housing Industry Depression" has taught us quite a lot but the most important lesson will help us deliver a better explanation on why members should care about political investing. That lesson is what happens when some initiative tries to slow down or stop housing.                                                

This post, which will be short but extremely to the point, should help the general member clearly understand the reasons why they should care as we hope to stop the apathy attached to investing in our PAC.

Part 3 "Why Should You Care?"

In our last post we brought political synergy to the forefront and explained the working parts of a cohesive effort. Now we will show you exactly why you, the builder member should care.

Let's list for the builder the "problem" areas:

1. Government legislation

2. EPA regulations
3. Environmental organizations
4. The N.I.M.B.Y. (not in my back yard) mentality
5. Or any other anti-housing group

Pick anyone, combine a few or just add them all together. They have one thing in common; the desire, obsession in some cases,  to slow down or completely shut down home building. 

What we are experiencing right now is not necessarily the affects of any of the 5 listed items, but number 1 can most certainly HELP our efforts to get back to work sooner rather than later. 

Quite a few builders have been in this business most of their adult lives. Some are second or third generation builders. That is a testament to their love of home building.


The affects of legislation or regulation certainly can hurt us at any time if we are not a sturdy Three-Legged Stool (see Political Synergy post). Builders pay for many types of insurance but the majority seem to have an "I could care less" attitude about investing in the PAC which is like a political insurance. 

Why should associate members care? 

Take a really hard look at the picture above with the "sorry, we're closed" sign. Exactly what our industry has been experiencing.

Now take a look at this picture below:

Dramatic? Yes. Is it realistic? Unfortunately for quite a few, yes.


We have stressed in multiple posts before this; "if 'it' affects a builder 'it' will affect associates." We stressed this for a reason and we are all living it right now with lack of sales. "Why SHOULDN'T you care" is the question I have for you. This is harsh, I know. I fully expect some members to be taken aback by the "out of work associate" picture. However, if I turned one associate around by this by lifting the political apathy, well then I have brought one more passionate member into our grass roots efforts. I'm quite positive that I have more than one associate thinking about all of this.

Finally the ULTIMATE reason why you, the member, should care:

There are 4 types of members in our Federation:

1. Those who make things happen

2. Those who watch things happen

3. Those who wonder what happened

4. And the worst of all; those who sit back and watch things happen and then complain the loudest when those things do happen.

Which type of member do you want to be? Do you care?

Next week’s blog post will be about common objections to investing and how to turn those objections into non issues.

Submitted by: Michael Kurpiel, CGA, CGP

2011 NAHB Associate Members Committee Chair

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTE: This article is based on a section from The NAHB Associates presentation "Peer to Peer Fundraising." 
This type of fundraising will work on all of your HBA events or fundraising initiatives you may have; you just have the supply the core reason for the fundraiser and demonstrate