This guide was written to help corporations (including incorporated trade associations and membership organizations) and labor organizations comply with the Federal Election Campaign Act and FEC regulations. This publication provides guidance on certain aspects of federal campaign finance law. It is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this publication create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public.
CHAPTER 1
Getting started 1
1. Registering with the FEC 2
2. Treasurer 3
3. Naming the SSF 4
4. Filling out the Statement of Organization (Form 1) 5
5. Filing the form 8
6. Amending registration information 9
7. Notification of multicandidate status 9
8. Affiliation 11
9. Operating costs 12
10. Incorporating the SSF 12
11. Compliance with tax laws 13
12. Limited liability companies and SSFs 13
CHAPTER 2
Understanding contributions 15
1. What is a contribution? 15
2. Types of contributions 15
3. Limits on contributions received by the SSF 18
4. Limits on contributions made by the SSF 21
5. Designation of contributions made by SSF 23
6. Date contribution is made vs. date of receipt 24
7. Handling excessive contributions made to the SSF 26
8. Remedying an excessive contribution made by the SSF 27
9. Affiliation and contribution limits 28
10. Prohibited corporate and labor contributions 28
11. Other prohibited contributions 31
12. Handling prohibited contributions 33
CHAPTER 3
Fundraising for the SSF 35
1. Rules for SSF solicitations 35
2. Voluntary contributions only 35
3. Required notices on solicitations 36
4. Limited solicitees 37
5. Corporations: solicitable class 37
6. Labor organizations: solicitable class 40
7. Membership organizations: solicitable class 40
8. Trade associations: solicitable class 43
9. What constitutes a solicitation 44
10. Solicitation methods 44
11. Fundraising events and special promotions – the "one-third rule" 48
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12. Payroll deduction 50
13. Corporate collection methods used by labor organizations 51
14. Combined dues/solicitation statements 52
15. Collecting and forwarding contributions – collecting agents 52
CHAPTER 4
Managing the SSF 57
1. Affiliation 57
2. SSFs and nonconnected PACs 61
3. Other receipts 62
4. Non-election related disbursements 64
5. SSF involvement in nonfederal elections 64
6. Internal controls for SSFs 66
CHAPTER 5
Supporting candidates 69
1. Contributions 69
2. Public communications 72
3. Coordinated communications 72
4. Independent expenditures 77
5. Disclaimer notices on communications 79
CHAPTER 6
Use of resources and facilities 83
1. Individual volunteer activity 83
2. Use of facilities and resources by persons other than individual volunteers 85
3. Use of resources in fundraising 86
4. Transportation 88
CHAPTER 7
Other uses of corporate and union funds 93
1. Legal and accounting services 93
2. Donations to nonfederal candidates and committees 93
3. Donations for party office building 94
4. Corporate food/beverage vendor discounts 94
5. Employee participation plans 94
6. Donations by businesses and unions for presidential conventions 95
7. Donations by commercial vendors for presidential conventions 96
CHAPTER 8
Corporate and labor communications to the restricted class 99
1. Restricted class 99
2. Types of communications 101
3. Voter registration and Get-Out-the-Vote drives 104
4. Reporting communications to the restricted class 105
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CHAPTER 9
Keeping records 107
1. Three-year retention of records 107
2. Recording receipts 107
3. Recording contributions 109
4. Recording disbursements 110
5. Treasurer’s best efforts 112
CHAPTER 10
Filing FEC reports 115
1. Treasurer’s duties 115
2. Where to file 115
3. When to file reports 116
4. Administrative fines for late filers and nonfilers 121
5. Electronic filing 122
6. Public inspection of reports 124
CHAPTER 11
Completing FEC Form 3X 127
1. Reporting forms and formats 127
2. Special rules for first report 129
3. Categorizing receipts 129
4. How to itemize receipts 130
5. When to itemize receipts 130
6. Reporting contributions received 132
7. Reporting other categories of receipts 139
8. Categorizing disbursements 140
9. How to itemize disbursements 141
10. When to itemize disbursements 141
11. Reporting contributions made 142
12. Reporting other categories of disbursements 149
13. Investments 152
14. Independent expenditures 153
15. Reporting loans 160
16. Reporting debts other than loans 161
17. Completing the report 163
18. The Detailed Summary Page 163
19. The Summary Page 166
20. Filing amendments 167
CHAPTER 12
Termination and debt settlement 169
1. Terminating the committee 169
2. Debt settlement 171
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APPENDIX A
Allocable federal and nonfederal activities 177
corporations (including incorporated trade associations and membership organizations) and labor organizations.
