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      Raising and spending funds for the national party's nominating  convention

Raising and spending funds for the national party's nominating  convention Between 1976 and 2012, the major parties’ presidential nominating conventions were publicly funded. In 2014, however, legislation was enacted to end public funding of conventions and to enable national party committees to establish a separate account to defray certain expenses incurred with respect to presidential nominating conventions. Currently, national nominating conventions are funded through contributions made to the national party committees’ convention accounts. Certain supplemental services, however, may be provided by the host state and city governments and by groups such as retail businesses and labor organizations: Government agencies and municipal corporations may use tax revenues or privately raised funds to provide facilities and services for the convention;Retail businesses may offer discounts to the national party for goods or services related to the convention, and free samples and promotional materials to convention attendees. Finally, individual candidates and delegates may also raise and spend funds for their travel and other expenses related to the convention.
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      Reports filed by host and convention committees
            
             Raising and spending funds for delegate activity
 Contributions to the national party committee's convention account
          
            Donations to host committees and convention committees
          
            Donations by commercial vendors
          
            Convention-related expenditures by candidates and delegates
          
          
            Legal citations
 Contributions to the national party committee's convention account

  
  
    The contribution limits applicable to the national party committee’s convention account are 300 percent of the limits on contributions to national party committees. Such contributions may not be made by sources prohibited from making contributions to a party committee. The national party committee may transfer the funds raised by the convention account into its convention committee (a committee that represents a political party in making arrangements for that party's convention to nominate a candidate for the office of President and Vice President.)
      
      Learn more about the national party committee’s convention account
 Donations to host committees and convention committees

  
  
    The principal purpose of a host committee (any not for profit local organization such as a local civic association, business league, chamber of commerce, real estate board, board of trade, or convention bureau, whose net earnings do not inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual) or, alternatively, of a municipal fund (any fund or account of a government agency, municipality, or municipal corporation, the receipt and use of funds of which is subject to the control of officials of the state or local government), is the encouragement of commerce in the convention city and the projection of a favorable image of the city to convention attendees.Host committees must register and file reports with the FEC, disclosing all of their receipts and disbursements.
      
      Businesses (including banks and other corporations), labor organizations, other organizations and individuals may donate funds or make in-kind donations to a host committee or municipal fund for the following purposes:To promote the suitability of the city as a convention site;To welcome convention attendees (for example, by providing information booths, receptions, tours or promotional items);To facilitate commerce (for example, by providing convention attendees with shopping or entertainment guides, samples, maps, pens, pencils or other items of de minimis value);To defray the host committee’s administrative expenses (for example, salaries, rent, travel or liability insurance);To provide the national committee use of an auditorium or convention center and to provide related services (for example, construction of podiums, press tables, camera platforms, lighting and electrical systems; offices; office equipment; and/or decorations);To defray the cost of local transportation services (for example, by providing buses and automobiles);To defray the cost of law enforcement services;To defray the cost of using central housing and reservation services;To provide hotel rooms at no charge or a reduced rate on the basis of number of rooms actually booked for the convention;To provide accommodations and hospitality for committees of the parties responsible for choosing the sites of the conventions; andTo provide other similar convention-related facilities and services.
 Donations by commercial vendors

  
  
    Under limited circumstances, commercial vendors may provide goods and services in connection with the presidential nominating convention, without the value counting as either a contribution or an expenditure.Discounts provided to national committees and host committeesCommercial vendors may provide goods and services to the national convention committee and host committees at a discount or for free if this arrangement is made in the ordinary course of business. "In the ordinary course of business" means:The vendor has an established practice of providing such discounts to nonpolitical clients; orThe reduction is consistent with an established practice of the vendor’s trade or industry.Permissible discounts include standard volume discounts and reduced rates for corporate, governmental or preferred customers.Samples and items provided to national committees and host committeesCommercial vendors (including banks) may provide items of de minimis value at nominal or no charge. For example, samples, discount coupons, maps, pens, pencils, tote bags or other items may be distributed to convention attendees. Discounts and items of de minimis value as described above do not have to be reported.Promotional arrangementsCommercial vendors also may, in the ordinary course of business, provide the convention committee and the host committee with goods and services in exchange for promotional consideration. The value of these goods and services may not exceed the commercial benefit reasonably expected to be derived from the promotional opportunity the convention presents. (Note, however, that these arrangements are not limited to manufacturers recognized by the party or host committee as "official providers," but also include a variety of promotional arrangements.)Reporting promotional arrangementsThe convention and host committees must disclose, as memo entries, any promotional arrangements with commercial vendors in its FEC reports.
      
      Learn more about reports filed by host and convention committees
 Convention-related expenditures by candidates and delegates

  
  
    Presidential candidatesPresidential candidates (including those no longer actively seeking their party’s nomination at the time of its national convention) may use campaign funds from other, non-presidential committees to pay for convention expenses involved in fundraising for these committees without violating the prohibition against the personal use of campaign funds, including:Attending receptions hosted by the presidential campaign to thank delegates and supporters and to encourage their continued support;Attend fundraising events to retire the presidential campaign’s primary election debts; andParticipate in the official proceedings of the convention.Additionally, publicly funded presidential candidates may use federal matching funds to pay for travel and other expenses associated with their parties' national conventions, so long as their convention expenses are "qualified campaign expenses" directed toward fundraising efforts to pay down their campaigns’ outstanding obligations.
      
      House and Senate candidatesThe Commission has issued advisory opinions clarifying that federal candidates and officeholders may also use campaign funds to pay the travel and subsistence expenses of other individuals (for example, spouse, child, congressional staff person) in connection with the convention if the individual will be engaging in significant campaign-related or officeholder-related activity on the candidate's behalf during the convention.Although the use of campaign funds to pay someone's personal expenses is a violation of the personal use prohibition, when travel involves both personal activities and campaign (or officeholder) activities, campaign funds may be used to pay the personal portion of travel and subsistence costs if the individual reimburses the campaign within 30 days.
      
      Learn more about travel expenses paid by individuals
      
      Certain national party convention-related activities, including private receptions honoring Members of Congress, are subject to House and Senate Ethics rules.DelegatesExpenditures made by delegates (including federal candidates serving as convention delegates) and delegate committees solely to further their selection, including travel and subsistence expenses related to the delegate selection process and the national nominating convention are not considered contributions to any candidate and are not chargeable to a publicly funded candidate’s spending limits.
      
      Learn more about the rules for delegate activity
 Legal citations Regulations 11 CFR 110.14(c) and (e)Funds received and expended; prohibited funds; expenditures by delegate to advocate only his or her selection 11 CFR 113.1(g)Personal use of campaign funds 11 CFR 113.2Permissible non-campaign use of funds 11 CFR 9008.9Receipt of goods and services from commercial vendors 11 CFR 9008.50Host committees and municipal funds representing a convention city; scope and definitions 11 CFR 9008.51Registration and reports 11 CFR 9008.52Receipts and disbursements of host committees 11 CFR 9008.53Receipts and disbursements of municipal funds 11 CFR 9008.54Examination and audits
 Advisory opinions AO 2014-12Contributions raised by national party committees to fund presidential nominating conventions AO 2000-12Using campaign funds to pay convention expenses of former presidential candidates AOs 1996-34, 1996-20, 1996-19 and 1995-47Use of campaign funds for travel to presidential nominating convention AO 1996-17Cars provided as official vehicles of convention AOs 1995-32, 1995-31, 1980-53 and 1980-21Donations to host committees
 Statute 52 U.S.C. § 30116(a)(1)(B), (a)(2)(B) and (a)(9)Separate contribution limits for contributions made to national parties to support presidential nominating conventions, national party headquarters buildings, and recounts


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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.


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