Your web browser is not supported You're using Internet Explorer, some features might not work. Please switch to another browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for a better experience.


An official website of the United States government Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** ( A locked padlock ) or **https://** means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Federal Election Commission | United States of America Calendar
           Glossary
          Search
              Search


Menu
      Home
      Campaign finance data
        All data
            Raising
            Spending
            Loans and debts
            Filings and reports
            Candidates
            Committees
            Bulk data
            Campaign finance statistics
        Find elections. Search by state or ZIP code
          Look up contributions from specific individuals
      Help for candidates and committees
        All compliance resources
            Guides
            Forms
            Dates and deadlines
            Trainings
        Learn about electronic filing
          Find and contact your committee's analyst
      Legal resources
        All legal resources
            Advisory opinions
            Enforcement
            Statutes
            Legislation
            Regulations
            Court cases
            Policy and other guidance
        Search across all legal resources
          Search guidance documents
      About
        All about the FEC
            News and announcements
            Commission meetings
            Mission and history
            Leadership and structure
            Reports about the FEC
            Careers
            Working with the FEC
            Contact
        Introduction to campaign finance and elections


- Home
- ›
        Help for candidates and committees
- ›
        Making disbursements
- ›
      Fundraising for other candidates, committees and organizations

Fundraising for other candidates, committees and organizations Fundraising for state or local candidates and elections A federal candidate, officeholder or his or her agents, and any entity directly or indirectly established, financed, maintained or controlled by, or acting on behalf of, one or more federal candidates or officeholders, may raise funds in connection with a nonfederal election, but only in amounts consistent with state law and that do not exceed the Federal Election Campaign Act’s (the Act's) contribution limits or come from prohibited sources. Ballot initiatives In AO 2010-07, the Commission concluded that Members of Congress could solicit funds outside the Act's limits and prohibitions on behalf of a California ballot initiative committee during the time before the initiative qualified for the ballot, and afterward could solicit up to $20,000 from individuals on behalf of the committee. Candidates running for both federal and nonfederal office Commission regulations provide a limited exception for federal candidates and officeholders who seek state or local office. The restrictions on raising and spending funds outside the Act’s limitations and prohibitions do not apply to any federal candidate or officeholder who is or was also a candidate for state or local office so long as the raising or spending of funds: Is solely in connection with his or her state or local campaign;Refers only to him or her or to other candidates for that same state or local office; andIs permitted under state law. If the candidate or officeholder is simultaneously running for both federal and state or local offices, then the candidate or his or her agents may only raise and spend funds within the limits, prohibitions and reporting requirements of the Act for the federal election. Fundraising at nonfederal events A federal candidate or officeholder may attend, speak at and be a featured guest at a nonfederal fundraiser. He or she is also free to solicit funds at the fundraising event, provided that the solicitation for funds is within the limitations and prohibitions of the Act and consistent with state law. Such a solicitation should either be explicitly limited or should be limited by displaying at the fundraiser a clear and conspicuous written notice, or by making a clear and conspicuous oral statement, that the solicitation is not for Levin funds (when applicable) and does not seek funds in excess of federally permissible amounts or from corporations, labor organizations, national banks, federal government contractors and foreign nationals. If the federal candidate or officeholder chooses to make an oral statement, it need only be made once. Publicity for nonfederal fundraising events FEC regulations also address the publicity for nonfederal fundraisers including, but not limited to, ads, announcements or pre-event invitation materials, regardless of format or medium of the communication. If the publicity does not contain a solicitation or solicits only federally permissible funds, then the federal candidate or officeholder (or agent of either) is free to consent to the use of the name or likeness of the federal candidate or officeholder in the publicity for the nonfederal fundraiser. If the publicity contains a solicitation for funds outside the limitations or prohibitions of the Act or for Levin funds, the federal candidate or officeholder (or agent of either) may consent to the use of the name or likeness of the federal candidate or officeholder in the publicity, only if: The federal candidate or officeholder is identified in a manner not specifically related to fundraising, such as a featured guest, honored guest, special guest, featured speaker or honored speaker andThe publicity includes a clear and conspicuous oral or written disclaimer that the solicitation is not being made by the federal candidate or officeholder. Examples of disclaimers are provided in the regulation at 11 CFR 300.64(c)(3)(iv). However, a federal candidate or officeholder (or agent of either) may not agree to the use of his or her name or likeness in publicity that contains a solicitation of funds outside the limitations and prohibitions of the Act or of Levin funds if the federal candidate or officeholder: Is identified as serving in a manner specifically related to fundraising, such as honorary chairperson or member of a host committee;Is identified in the publicity as extending the invitation to the event; orSigns the communication. These restrictions apply even if the publicity contains a disclaimer. In addition, the federal candidate or officeholder is prohibited from disseminating publicity for nonfederal fundraisers that contains a solicitation of funds outside the limitations or prohibitions of the Act or of Levin funds. Supporting independent expenditure-only political committees Political committees that make only independent expenditures may solicit and accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor organizations and other political committees. They may not accept contributions from foreign nationals, federal contractors, national banks or federally chartered corporations. These committees, known as independent expenditure-only political committees (IEOPCs), must register with the Commission and comply with all applicable reporting requirements of the Act. Federal candidates and officeholders may raise funds on behalf of IEOPCs so long as they only solicit funds subject to the Act’s amount limitations and source prohibitions—i.e., up to $5,000 from individuals (and any other source not prohibited by the Act from making a contribution to a political committee). Individuals who are “agents” of federal candidates may solicit nonfederal funds on behalf of IEOPCs if the individuals act in their own capacities exclusively on behalf of the IEOPC, not on the authority of the candidates, and raise funds on behalf of the candidates and IEOPCs at different times. Additionally, federal candidates and officeholders may attend, speak at and be featured guests at fundraisers for IEOPCs at which unlimited individual, corporate and labor organization contributions are solicited, so long as they restrict any solicitation they make to funds subject to the limitations, prohibitions and reporting requirements of the Act.
 Read next
            
          
            
          Making contributions to other candidatesSupporting tax-exempt organizations From the FEC Record Fundraising by federal candidates and officeholders for other candidates and committees
 Need help? Get help from the FEC by phone or email
 Continue learning about this topic Candidate solicitations: Participation by federal candidates and officeholders at nonfederal fundraising events
 Legal citations Regulations 11 CFR 100.24Federal election activity 11 CFR 100.25Generic campaign activity 11 CFR 300.62Nonfederal elections 11 CFR 300.63Exception for state candidates 11 CFR 300.64(b)(1) and (2)Participation at nonfederal events 11 CFR 300.65(a)Exceptions for tax-exempt organizations; general solicitations 11 CFR 300.65(c)Voter registration, voter identification, get-out-the-vote activity and generic campaign activity 11 CFR 300.65(d)Prohibited solicitations 11 CFR 300.65(e) and (f)Safe harbor
 Advisory opinions AO 2015-09Interaction between independent-expenditure-only committees and federal candidates and prospective federal candidates AO 2011-12Candidate solicitations for independent expenditure-only committees AO 2010-11Nonconnected committee accepting corporate and union contributions to make independent expenditures AO 2010-07Federal candidate solicitation for a State ballot initiative committee under 2 U.S.C. 441i(e) (now 52 U.S.C. 30125(e)) AO 2007-28Federal officeholders fundraising for qualification and passage of ballot initiative regarding redistricting AO 2007-05Employee of Federal officeholder's congressional office seeking chairmanship of State party committee AO 2007-01Federal officeholder's ability to raise nonfederal funds to retire state campaign's debt AO 2006-04Candidate contributions to ballot initiative committee AO 2005-12Fundraising and spending by a federal candidate/officeholder for his nonfederal exploratory committee AO 2005-10Fundraising by federal candidates and officeholders for ballot initiative committees AO 2005-02Fundraising by federal officeholder for nonfederal campaigns. Superseded in part. AO 2004-33Corporate-sponsored ads as electioneering communications and coordinated communications AO 2004-29Federal candidate's support of ballot initiative committees AO 2003-12Federal candidate/officeholder's support of ballot initiative AO 2003-10Solicitation of nonfederal funds by relative of federal candidate or officeholder
 Litigation Citizens United v. FEC SpeechNow.org v. FEC
 Federal Register notices 75 Fed. Reg. 24375 (May 5, 2010) Final rules, Participation by federal candidates and officeholders at nonfederal fundraising events


This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public. The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.


About
          Careers
          Press
          Contact
   Privacy and security policy
          Plain language
          No FEAR Act
          Strategy, budget and performance
 Open government
          Protected Voices
          USA.gov
          Inspector General
          FOIA
 OpenFEC API
          GitHub repository
          Release notes
          FEC.gov status


Federal Election Commission
 The FEC's Twitter page
            The FEC's YouTube page Sign up for FECMail


Hide glossary Glossary Search terms