A discussion was had at Tuesday’s meeting that was prompted by our Treasurer’s report and that deserves special mention. There was some confusion about committee membership and how the BoxfordDems is funded. (Bernadette Girasek’s insightful presentation on Haverhill Mutual Aid is covered elsewhere.)

Funding

Boxford was Republican until very recently—an anomaly in Massachusetts. A lot of work went into turning the town from solid Red to purple and we hope to paint it solid blue this fall

That requires a lot of volunteers and some funds. The BoxfordDems don’t receive any financial support from the Democratic Party, and we have generally been cautious about soliciting financial support from our supporters. Times are hard and, frankly, people are turned off by constant requests for donations. We don’t want to add to the cacophany, especially in an election year where so many candidates and causes and worthy organizations need money.

Policy is specific; town committees are amorphous

Here’s the dilemma—it is difficult to persuade people to donate to something as amorphuous as a town committee; it’s radically easier to donate to a specific policy initiative, a candidate, or a cause.

But funds donated to the BoxfordDems and other town committees are well-spent and go a long way.

We form the first level of community organization; we know the neighborhoods and local conditions; we’re all-volunteer driven; and we operate on a shoestring budget. We’re tactically dedicated to market ourselves so that we can put a network in place that eases the way for existing candidates or, for example, young up-and-comers who might lack the resources to stand for political office but are dedicated, hard-working, and have new ideas.

Where does your money go?

Our expenses are incurred powering our many initiatives and projects; Maintaining a website; Email hosting; Printing doorhangers, postcards, palmcards, and other materials; Buying pens and paper; Subscribing to contact-management platform (Mailchimp); Cider and apples for Boxford Apple Festival; Democracy donuts for No Kings; Buying clipboards for signature gathering; Buying refreshments for committee meetings; and Licensing images for marketing materials,

More money means greater reach

It’s quite simple really. The more money we have on hand, the more outreach initiatives we can execute. Individuals can contribute up to $5,000 in a calendar year to local party committees.

You can donate here via ActBlue or send us a check payable to “Boxford Democratic Town Committee.”