There are hundreds of thousands of donors who prefer to write physical checks and mail them to campaigns or organizations to show their support.
Yes, it’s true.
But few people have the fundraising direct mail (FDM) experience to effectively reach these specialized donors. Few people know what response rate, average gift and other metrics to hit, what messaging resonates, and what lists are working at any given time.
FDM Connects Founder Mitchell Lester has that knowledge and has used it working for some of the highest profile candidates, campaigns and organizations in the nation. Mitchell pioneered the persuasion-style solicitation, which increases ROI, and developed new data systems to improve the tool’s bottom line.
The FDM Connects team will use their experience to develop and implement a successful program for you. And unlike other consultants in this industry, we’ll do it without charging a monthly retainer fee.
Rep. Adam Schiff with Founder Mitchell Lester
and Senior Account Executive Cami Warnken.
Clients 2023-2024
U.S. Senate
Adam Schiff for U.S. Senate (CA)
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for U.S. Senate (FL)
Jon Ossoff for U.S. Senate (GA)
Lucas Kunce for U.S. Senate (MO)
Martin Heinrich for U.S. Senate (NM)
Governor
Katie Hobbs for Governor (AZ)
Tim Walz for Governor (MN)
Tina Kotek for Governor (OR)
Tony Evers for Governor (WI)
Wes Moore for Governor (MD)
U.S. House
Adam Frisch for Congress (CO-03)
Christina Bohannan for Congress (IA-01)
Josh Harder for Congress (CA-09)
Organizations
AFSCME
California Democratic Party
Citizens Utility Board
Democratic Party of Wisconsin
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FOUNDER MITCHELL LESTER HAS PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH THE FOLLOWING CLIENTS
President
Amy Klobuchar for President
Cory Booker for President
U.S. Senate
Amy Klobuchar for U.S. Senate (MN)
Barbara Bollier for U.S. Senate (KS)
Bill Nelson for U.S. Senate (FL)
Cory Booker for U.S. Senate (NJ)
Debbie Stabenow for U.S. Senate (MI)
Deborah Ross for U.S. Senate (NC)
Doug Jones for U.S. Senate (AL)
Elizabeth Warren for U.S. Senate (MA)
Gary Peters for U.S. Senate (MI)
Jacky Rosen for U.S. Senate (NV)
Jeanne Shaheen for U.S. Senate (NH)
Katie McGinty for U.S. Senate (PA)
Maggie Hassan for U.S. Senate (NH)
Mark Kelly for U.S. Senate (AZ)
Mazie Hirono for U.S. Senate (HI)
Michelle Nunn for U.S. Senate (GA)
Patrick Leahy for U.S. Senate (VT)
Patrick Murphy for U.S. Senate (FL)
Sarah Godlewski for U.S. Senate (WI)
Shelley Berkley for U.S. Senate (NV)
Governor
Gwen Graham for Governor (FL)
Kate Brown for Governor (OR)
Nicole Galloway for Governor (MO)
Richard Cordray for Governor (OH)
Tom Wolf for Governor (PA)
Wendy Davis for Governor (TX)
U.S. House
Liz Mathis for Congress (IA-02)
Randy Bryce for Congress (WI-01)
Organizations
Democratic Legislative Campaign
Committee (DLCC)
Ditch Mitch
End Citizens United
Mitchell Lester
Founder, FDM Connects
Mitchell Lester has spent more than 25 years helping campaigns and organizations, including 12 years as a leader in the fundraising direct mail (FDM) space.
He launched FDM Connects in 2023 to use his deep knowledge of effective messaging and precision targeting to connect clients to contributions, to donors and to the resources needed to win races or achieve organizational goals.
Mitchell led other firms before launching FDM Connects. He joined a group of fellow strategists in October 2019 to co-found CleanSweep Campaigns, a company specializing in fundraising direct mail, persuasion direct mail, general consulting and communication services for Democratic campaigns, organizations, unions and independent expenditure committees. Among other achievements during his time there, Mitchell ran Sen. Jon Ossoff’s FDM program during his successful run for U.S. Senate in 2020 and built Rep. Adam Schiff’s FDM program into one of the largest in the nation.
Prior to launching CleanSweep Campaigns, Mitchell co-founded the FDM firm Rapid Returns in 2011. He soon was part of the robust FDM program for Elizabeth Warren’s first U.S. Senate campaign, and continued producing solicitations for the Senator until 2019. Mitchell’s work with Sen. Warren paved the way for him to work on FDM programs for dozens of incumbents and challengers running for U.S. Senate, U.S. House and governor. He was also part of FDM programs for both Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s and Sen. Cory Booker’s campaigns for president in the 2020 cycle.
Mitchell founded his first company, Lester Connect, in 2007 to provide consulting, direct mail and digital advertising services to California candidates and campaigns. Before going out on his own, he worked at the political consulting firm Terris, Barnes & Walters and in the EMILY’s List political department for eight years at the organization’s Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, California offices.
Mitchell was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, graduated from the University of Maryland and lived in San Francisco for 14 years. Today, he lives with his wife (who he met at EMILY’s List) and two children in Santa Monica, California.