Fund-raising lags, but organizers confident of reaching goal
Boston's Democratic National Convention host committee has raised only $1 million since the beginning of March and is still $6.5 million shy of its $39.5 million fund-raising target, officials said yesterday.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino and officials at the Boston 2004 host committee said they remain confident they will meet their fiscal goals well before the convention. But it was a disappointing showing in a month that was expected to be especially fruitful.
Organizers had predicted that once Senator John Kerry became the presumptive nominee, donations would pour in.
With the convention less than four months away, and with security and transportation costs expected to rise, pressure on fundraisers is mounting. Menino has pledged not to funnel city funds to the convention, but said yesterday that if costs balloon or if the host committee can't raise enough in private donations, he may be forced to.
"I'll never say never, but we'll continue to work hard," Menino said. "Senator [Edward M.] Kennedy, myself, and the candidate will continue to raise money as we move forward. Excitement is building. People are starting to step forward."
City Councilor Maureen Feeney, chairwoman of a committee overseeing the convention, said organizers should be able to raise enough money. But with 31 unions still working without contracts and the city budget tight, she said city officials should be reluctant to use city funds. "We need to get people to embrace this, to recognize it as a wonderful opportunity for everyone," she said. "We want to get people as excited about this as they are about sports in this town."
Organizers said they have $33 million in cash and in-kind donations. The total cost of the convention is projected to be $64.5 million, with the federal government picking up $25 million for security and transportation costs.
In contrast to Boston, the committee hosting the Republicans in New York City has already raised the private donations it was seeking for its Aug. 30 convention, more than $60 million, according to Paul Elliott, spokesman for the New York City host committee.
"New York is a different climate, a different city," Menino said. "Their mayor gave $5 million. I'll write a check for $5."
But Boston is closer to its goal than organizers of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles were at the same time in 2000, said Menino and the organizers.
"We're very pleased with what the host committee, the mayor's office, and Senator Kennedy have accomplished with their fund-raising so far," said Lina Garcia, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Convention Committee.
According to Boston 2004's website, two new "silver benefactors" have come forward pledging $250,000 to $500,000. They are both pharmaceutical companies:
"There is no significance, no rhyme or reason," said Boston 2004 spokeswoman Karen Grant. "These are all folks we've been working with, and they want to support this."
Political observers predicted that convention organizers will raise enough money to cover the convention costs, particularly if the race between Kerry and President Bush remains competitive.
"I can't believe they won't raise the money they need," said Dan Glickman, director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. "Kerry is a credible candidate and the polls are close. Knowing that many people in the private sector want to be part of the action, I think they'll find the resources."
Said Elaine Kamarck, another Kennedy School faculty member and a longtime Democratic activist: "My impression is that the Democratic party is always in a last-minute rush for convention money and then manages to pull it together. Nothing I've heard sounds different from things I've heard for the last five conventions.
"The Republicans have much more money and are more orderly about their money," she said. "They always have money, even when they have great big losers. They're rich people."
Globe correspondent Kevin Joy contributed to this report.
