Putting your money where your values are

Here's the thing. Any good campaign - in politics or outside of politics - costs money. Campaigns on a national scale can cost a lot of money.

When the NDP announced the rules for its leadership race, there was a lot of chatter about the $100k entry fee. It's pretty steep, especially from the perspective of folks from working-class backgrounds, people from rural and remote ridings, people living on low incomes or dealing with the effects of the rising costs and precarious futures, thanks to tariff shenanigans and public service cuts. And for those who face additional barriers - young people, Indigenous people, Black and racialized people, trans and queer folk, people living with a disability and many others who form the grassroots of our party - the prospect of having to raise that can feel impossible.

However, I can appreciate the party's rationale. The costs of running a leadership race are considerable, especially if your process includes public events in different parts of the country, a convention, and a one-member-one-vote process that allows for different forms of voting. It's also crucial to ensure the security and integrity of the process, protect the privacy of members, prepare for potential attempts to hack or disrupt the voting... all of this in the wake of a disastrous federal election which has left the party in some challenging financial waters.

The candidates are able to pay their fee in installments, which does provide some breathing room and space to build momentum. However, it's an uphill battle for any candidate with a smaller profile, who doesn't have the connections, lists and relationships with established NDP donors that some of the more high-profile candidates might have. If they come from a low income background, or a rural community, the challenge is even greater.

Yet these candidates add so much to the race. Authenticity. Diverse Perspectives. Energy. Lived experience with many of the challenges that people in Canada are facing right now. It makes the leadership conversation so much richer, attracts new and different people to the party. That's the kind of race I want to see.

Of course, they need more than the entry fee to properly campaign. They need to get out to events, visit different parts of the country to connect with members and build their profile.

Can a grassroots leadership candidate raise $100,000? Absolutely. It sounds like a lot but it's actually less than what a riding-level federal campaign might cost in a place like Ottawa Centre.

Let's break it down:

If you happen to know 59 people who can donate the maximum of 1700, you reach your goal. This might not be the case for a lot of New Democrats, of course. But so many campaigns are fueled by small donations of people who give what they can.

To raise the goal, you need:
4000 people to give $25
or
2000 people to give $50
or
1000 people to give $100
or
400 people to give $250
or
200 people to give $500

It is possible. It takes energy, and it takes work. But it can be done.

Last week I went to a dinner for the Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation, which featured a fireside chat-style panel with a moderator and the candidates. Unfortunately, we were missing two: Tony McQuail and Tanille Johnston.

They sent videos, but really nothing compares to being in the room, meeting people and interacting with the other candidates

So if you - like me - want to see candidates stay in the race, now is the time to make a contribution.

As I said in my previous post, I haven't made a decision yet and I won't until much farther down the line. But I will and have donated to the women running (as is my practice). I've also signed a few nomination papers. Personally, I've been impressed by Tanille's energy and I think she adds a lot to the leadership conversation. I'd really like her to stick around. I know there are a lot of people who have been pleasantly surprised by Tony as well.

Unable to swing a donation? I am confident any of the campaigns would welcome volunteer help signing up members, making calls or many of the other tasks that need to be done for an effort of this scale.

A few other thoughts for those with the means to make a donation:

• any previous donations to the federal NDP or federal candidates during the 2025 election do not apply to this race. so if you’ve given the max already, not to fear! you can still donate!
• the donation limits reset in January 2026 so if you can afford it, you can donate again!

We all win if our leadership candidates reflect our party and our country, if their voices and ideas are heard in every event.

Who's with me?