The treasurer of a political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission is legally responsible for that committee's compliance with the federal campaign finance laws. The Commission has developed this page to help treasurers fulfill that responsibility.
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As you'll see, this page not only provides links to an array of helpful publications, online presentations and other pages, it also offers timely tips and reminders to help treasurers meet their obligations under the law. As an added feature, you can subscribe to receive automatic notification of updates to this page via RSS. We also invite you to ask questions, provide feedback and offer your own compliance tips by e-mail to info@fec.gov.
In addition to these online resources, the FEC staffs a toll-free information hotline (800-424-9530), and offers periodic educational workshops for treasurers. Please visit our Outreach page for details, and sign-up to receive program updates by e-mail at Conferences@fec.gov.
This section offers helpful tips -- both from the FEC and from your fellow treasurers -- to help you meet your obligations under the federal campaign finance law. To suggest a tip, please e-mail us at info@fec.gov. Click here to receive the tips as an RSS feed.
| February 6, 2012 | The Reports Analysis Division is Now Online! The Reports Analysis Division (RAD) - the FEC division that reviews your campaign finance reports - now has its own home page on the agency's website. This new web page describes the RAD review process and includes frequently asked questions (FAQ's) on reporting issues, Requests for Additional Information (RFAI's) and other RAD processes. The page has been organized by committee type (candidate, party, PAC) to help filers find the resources most relevant to them, all in one place. |
| January 30, 2012 | Year-End Reporting Due January 31. All committees are reminded that the Year-End report is due Tuesday, January 31, covering from the date your last report left off through December 31. Staff in the Reports Analysis Division and Electronic Filing Office will be available until 8:00 pm EST on January 31 to answer questions regarding the content and filing of reports. To reach RAD, call 1-800-424-9530 (press 5) or 202-694-1130. For help with technical issues relating to electronic filing, dial the same toll-free number and press 4. The E-Filing Office can also be reached locally at 202-694-1307. |
| January 23, 2012 | Register Now for the FEC's ONLY Two-Day Conference in 2012! There is still time to register for the FEC's two-day conference in Miami, Florida, February 22-23. Treasurers and others looking for our most comprehensive training on federal campaign finance law requirements will want to attend this conference, because this will be the only full two-day training conference offered by the FEC in 2012. Register now before the price goes up on January 27! |
| January 17, 2012 | Date Made / Date Received. Under FEC rules, the date a donor makes a contribution to a candidate and the date the campaign receives it are both important, but for different reasons.
The date a contribution is made determines which per-election limit the contribution counts against. For example, an undesignated contribution made (i.e., postmarked or hand-delivered) on or before the date of the primary election counts against the donor’s limit for that election. Undesignated contributions made after that date count toward the limit for the candidate’s next election (e.g., the general election). The date a campaign receives a contribution is the date it lists on its FEC reports. For example, campaigns will include on their upcoming Year-End reports (due January 31) only those contributions received by December 31 (the close of books for that report). A contribution received on January 1 will be reported on the committee's first report covering 2012 activity, even if the contribution was made in 2011. More information on "Date Made" and "Date Received" may be found on page 23 of the Campaign Guide for Congressional Candidates. |
For more, visit our Timely Tips Archive.
This section provides links to publications designed specifically for committee treasurers. Additional publications are available in the FEC Library, through our Quick Answers pages and on our Publications page.
FEC Record News Page
Reading articles posted on the FEC Record news page is one of the best ways to stay current on the law and your obligations as a treasurer. At the beginning of each month, the Commission compiles the previous month's articles into a print-friendly document and e-mails treasurers to let them know it's available. Additionally, an archive of every monthly Record from 1984 - present is available online. Sign-up to receive email notification when a new articles are posted.
Campaign Guides
Campaign Guides are compliance manuals for committees registered with the FEC. The guide supplements summarize relevant post-publication rules and opinions.
- Campaign Guide for Congressional Candidates and Committees (August 2011) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Corporations and Labor Organizations (January 2007) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Nonconnected Committees (May 2008) [PDF]
- Campaign Guide for Political Party Committees (July 2009) [PDF]
- Notice to All Campaign Guide Users (October 2011)
Brochures and Handouts
Technical Information: The PDF files may be viewed or printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. The video presentations and interactive tutorials are available as either MPEG or SWF files. MPEG files may be viewed using a media player, such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime. SWF files may be viewed using Adobe Flash Player.
Brochure Title Advisory Opinions Best Practices for Committee Management Candidate Registration Committee Treasurers Compliance with Laws Outside the FEC's Jurisdiction HTML Contributions FEC and the Federal Campaign Finance Law La CEF y la Ley para las Campañas de Elecciones Federales
(en Español)Federal and State Campaign Finance Laws Filing a Complaint Foreign Nationals Independent and Coordinated Expenditures Internet Communications and Activity Local Party Activity Special Notices on Political Ads and Solicitations Separate Segregated Funds and Nonconnected PACs Testing the Waters Volunteer Activity Actividades Voluntarias
(en Español)Other
- Compliance Map
Click on your state to access reporting dates and other applicable compliance information, including independent expenditure periods, coordination timeframes, FEA and EC periods, as well as disclosure reports and ballot access information.
- Guideline for Presentation in Good Order (2008) (for Presidential campaigns seeking public funding) [PDF] [Word] [Appendices]
- Guidebook for Complainants and Respondents on the FEC Enforcement Process [PDF; 22 pages]
A summary of the FEC ’s general enforcement policies and procedures that provides a step-by-step guide through the agency’s enforcement process.
- Enforcement Procedures - FEC Directive 68 [PDF; 4 pages]
This section supplements the reporting and filing information contained in the publications listed above with links to additional information. Treasurers may also seek reporting and filing assistance from the Campaign Finance Analyst who reviews the committee's reports. To reach the Reports Analysis Division, call 1-800-424-9530 (press 5).