Financial details about Dean For America

The Rutland Herald carries an AP report about the financial health of the Dean Campaign - its short, so I'll reproduce it in its entirety:

MONTPELIER — Former Gov. Howard Dean started this year with roughly $200,000 on hand for his presidential campaign.

Reports filed Friday with the Federal Election Committee showed that Dean’s campaign committee, “Dean for America,” raised $314,052 last year and spent $148,340, leaving him with $156,812 at the end of the year.

In addition, Dean’s political action committee, “Fund for A Healthy America” ended the year with $50,297, according to its FEC report. Dean spent $149,509 from the “Fund for A Healthy America” last year, which raises the total campaign-related spending last year to $297,849.

Dean has conceded from the start that he will run last among the other major Democratic presidential hopefuls in the money hunt.

The initial reporting Friday seems to prove that prediction true: Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry reported $3 million in his presidential fund as of Dec. 31, about $2.6 million of it from his Senate campaign.

Dean’s major fund-raising campaign just began at the start of this year when fund-raising became eligible for federal matching funds. Reports reflecting January fund raising will not be filed with the FEC until April.

Dean’s campaign fund raising picked up at the end of last year: In the final three months of the year he raised $169,657 and spent $97,867.

Dean set up the “Fund for A Healthy America” in 2001 to finance his travels as he explored a possible 2004 presidential bid. He also used the fund to support U.S. House and U.S. Senate candidates who “support the principles of fiscal stability, universal health insurance, better environmental protection, and equality for all Americans.”

In May of last year, however, he decided to be more direct about his presidential ambitions and formed “Dean for America,” which is designed to finance his presidential campaign travels and campaign staff.

It is essential that Dean raise money for simple survival. To that end, I think that the Meetups can greatly help. As MG pointed out in the comments:

Just a thought, and not to take the fun out of the upcoming Meetups for Dean. There are close to 500 people signed up for dean2004 meetup as of today. If 500 dedicated people meet once a month for the next 10 months, each contributing a nominal $25 a month at the meetups, thats $125,000. But with Federal matching funds it would amount to $250,000! I know I will probably spend $25 in food and beer alone! Its also a good way for someone to spread out their support that can't do the $100, $200, $500 a pop contributons. Just a thought, lets put our money where our mouths... and hearts are....

This is brilliant strategy advice. $25 might be a bit much for everyone, but every little bit helps. Note that Dean supporters outnumber the other candidates on Meetup.com -as of this writing, there are 501 Deanites, 227 Edwardians, and 295 Kerrys. Leveraging these numbers, even by as little as $10 a person per meeting, can mean a huge boost.