Billionaires and influencers: Republicans Eye Fundraising Future
President Donald Trump’s time as a political candidate – and the flood of campaign cash that came with it – have come and gone, but Republicans say there are still ways to grow their donor base.
At the 2025 Reed Awards in Austin, Texas, Republican digital and voter engagement strategists dismissed concerns that the GOP was on the cusp of a fundraising crisis in the post-Trump campaign era. They argued that the party and its candidates are eyeing a reliable mix of donors and funders, including billionaires and an expanding universe of grassroots givers whom Republicans had previously neglected.
“It’s no secret that president Trump built the grassroots, small-dollar donations for the entire party,” Daria Grastara, the CEO of Direct Persuasion, said during a panel discussion on Thursday. “But I think what happened most notably in 2024 was for the first time ever Republicans didn’t need to solely rely on small-dollar fundraising. We had the entrance of the billionaires, who were no longer scared to be aligned with us.”
Those ultra-wealthy donors, Grastara said, are also bringing new political tech and “big brains” into play.
Audience First
When it comes to bringing in new grassroots donors, Grastara said, Republicans need to consider “audience first.” Instead of starting with a budget and “working backwards” to reach various voter groups, she said, identify target audiences and figure out the best way to engage them.
Aaron Evans, the president of Winning Republican Strategies, said that Trump paved the way for Republicans to speak to a wider group of voters and donors – most notably blue-collar Americans, but also younger people. Evans said influencer marketing is key to building out those relationships.
“One of the things we’re really involved in right now is influencer marketing and figuring out how to use the influencer network around the country,” Evans said during the panel discussion. “We’re getting in front of the audiences that do not have a voice; that we have not been talking to, we’re utilizing influencers, we’re utilizing smart, innovative ways to build relationships.”
Mike Hahn, the president of digital at Frontline Strategies, acknowledged that there’s going to be “a huge vacuum that candidates have to fill” without Trump on the ticket, and encouraged Republicans to rev up their fundraising operations early. He said that it’s up to Republicans to create a sense of urgency for their donors – many of whom are still riding high after Trump’s victory in November.
“It’s definitely hard to fundraise when you’re winning and you don’t have anything to be outraged about,” Hahn said. “But I think for us, if president Trump doesn’t have a Republican House or a Republican Senate, then that’s kind of effectively the end of the Trump era.”
“If down ballot candidates aren’t successful, what’s not to say they won’t impeach him one last time? What’s not to say they’re not going to pass any more of his agenda?” Hahn said.
