If you think presidential fundraising is different than the way you raise money think again. There are lots of similarities. The one I’d like to discuss today is the need to bring star power to your fundraising event.

Apparently former President Bill Clinton has agreed to make joint appearances with President Barack Obama at a series of campaign fundraisers. One would think having the current President present would be enough for any fundraiser. But the people in charge of raising money understand the need for even more star power.

So the handlers have arranged for President Clinton to join Obama on the fundraising trail. They must figure that the former president is more impactful with certain donors than the current president. That the combination of the two will bring an electricity that will fire up their donor base differently than if either man worked independently.

The lesson for us, then, is how do we fire up our donor bases? What can we do to bring excitement and publicity to our cause. What can we do to broaden our donor base and bring in more money?

Those are questions that need to be asked and that can only be answered on an organization by organization basis. You need to think outside the box. The problem many groups have is they are uncomfortable or unwilling to go outside their organization for help. But just consider presidential campaign and its understanding that by itself it could raise money but by partnering with others the end results could possibly be much higher.

Would that work for you as well?