On July 2, 2018 Democrats Abroad France’s Joan Jarowski wrote her friends that “Now is the time for all good men to come to aid of their country”. Joan was at the computer again to raise money for Democrats Abroad.
This July letter wasn’t the first time Joan’s friends had been asked for money, and it wouldn’t be the last time. Joan decided to use the resources she had and wrote home. By asking Americans in the United States she opened up and additional focus for fundraising.
Up until around 2016 Democrats Abroad had little way of tracking their influence on elections. There were good indications that DA played a role in the 2008 Minnesota Senate elections, but only in the following years could DA point to solid membership numbers and requested absentee ballots.
DA’s work getting American’s living outside the US to vote was finally being recognized. Joan pointed this out in her letters, and showed that dollars donated to Democrats Abroad make a big impact.
Letters Home is just one of many personal fundraising stories.