Today I received an email from the Obama campaign offering a free t-shirt for any donation of $30 or more. Although they surely do raise some money from this offer, with the cost of shirts and shipping it probably isn't that much from someone donating $30.

However, one of the reasons the Obama campaign has been so successful at fundraising is by aggregating small donations from many (over 1.5 million, I believe) supporters. One of the key benefits of this strategy versus getting maximum donations from fewer donors is the fact that small donors are able to give repeatedly over the course of the campaign.

So, with four months left to go in the campaign, there's a lot of potential lifetime value in new donors attracted by this offer. The low cost and high return on the first donation make them more comfortable taking that first step towards becoming a donor. As we move towards the election, the Obama campaign is likely to receive future donations from many of these new supporters as long as they can continue to give compelling reasons for people to remain involved and keep donating.

I think it's refreshing to see a sophisticated approach to fundraising like this, and I'd like to see it change how everyday Americans get involved in politics. I think there's also a great marketing lesson there for businesses - capitalize on the lifetime value of your customer and you can be more aggressive than you think to get people through the door the first time.