Today, the Wall Street Journal published an article that demonstrates the power of community and it's ability to raise money, provide support, and harness emotions.  The article talked about Barack Obama's campaign and how he "raised $66 million from donors in August, shattering his own personal best of $55 million in February."   Whether Obama wins or not, the power of his community is mind-blowing and should be closely observed by endowments and organizations seeking to raise money to support their cause.

ARTICLE EXCERPT: The Obama campaign said Sunday that 500,000 new donors gave money in August, bringing the cumulative total of donors to 2.5 million people’ according to WSJ reports. ‘While Sen. Obama's cash haul is impressive by historical standards, the money race between him and Republican John McCain is likely to be tighter than many political observers had originally thought..given that Arizona Republican is also receiving $85 million in taxpayer matching funds for the campaign. He can also count on about $110 million that Republican operatives say the Republican Party will report having on hand at the beginning of September…contrast this to Sen. Obama … [who] became the first presidential candidate to opt out of public financing and the spending limits that go with it, on the belief that he could raise more on his own. While his monthly totals have consistently surpassed Sen. McCain's, it looks likely that the two will have similar amounts to spend in the weeks leading up to the November election. Sen. McCain can't spend more than $85 million of the money he raises, but party committees can spend whatever they raise.’ - Source

Now, not every organization needs to raise hundreds of millions during such a shorten period as McCain and Obama, and most organizations can’t tap into the power of the government like these two men can in order to find fund support. However, Obama’s campaign is a good one to understand if your company, association, sports team, religious or educational organization has an endowment or seeks to raise one.

HIs campaign is a testament to the willingness of a community to give back.  It's a key principle that all businesses need to understand if they're going to buy into the idea of developing a community of their own.  While the up front costs and uncertainty of ROI may cause some hesitation, there's evidence to show that community members are more than generous in terms of how they spend their money.  Whether it's members of a political party, campaign, online fan forum, or employee community - those who feel a sense of belonging and feel empowered as a result of having a voice are much more likelly to act generously.  In fact, community members spend 54% more than non-community members and are 2x more loyal. 

In short, build a community to support your efforts – the results might surprise you and surpass your expectations.  As for how this impacts future elections, future campaign managers might want to rethink traditional tactics and buy into the power of WE - raise the conversation, raise expectations, and reap the benefits.