One time when I ran for office, I asked people to donate, and I got stony sullen looks. But them I asked people to donate $1, and a bunch of people did, and some put in $5 or $10. Small donations from lots of people adds up to more than big donations from a few people.
I became a donor here because of one of my fans, and I wouldn't have been comfortable asking her for a lot of money, so we tested it with a small amount.