Omar Bennett
Political campaigns are funded by donations from individuals, corporations, and other organizations. These donations can influence policies and elections, and it is important to understand who is funding political campaigns and how this money is spent. In the United States, donations made to political campaigns are public records, and there are several tools and databases available to track and search campaign donations. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees, and organizations like OpenSecrets and FollowTheMoney.org provide searchable databases to trace donations to politicians and political committees at the federal and state levels. These tools can be used to see the donation histories of political campaigns and to understand the financial forces behind political decisions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Search by | Individual contributor's name, employer, occupation, city, state, zip code, contribution date, amount, or committee receiving the contribution |
| Sources | Federal Election Commission (FEC) database, OpenSecrets, FollowTheMoney.org, DonorSearch, The Virginia Public Access Project |
| Additional information | Donations under $200 are not part of the public record; donations under $50 do not require any identifiable information about the donor |
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What You'll Learn
Using the FEC database
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. The FEC website, FEC.gov, allows users to search for individual contributors by their first and/or last name, employer, occupation, city, state, zip code, date of the contribution, and amount of the contribution. Individual contributor searches can be filtered to narrow the search. For example, you can search for all contributions to a particular committee on a specific date or all contributions to a candidate's committee from contributors who share the same employer.
The FEC database also allows users to search for contributions to national party committee accounts, including presidential nominating conventions, national party headquarters buildings, election recounts, and legal proceedings. The FEC website provides downloadable bulk data files that contain transaction-level data from statements and reports filed with the Commission. These files can be very large and are updated daily or weekly.
In addition to the FEC database, there are other tools available to track campaign donations. OpenSecrets (formerly known as the Center for Responsive Politics) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that tracks money in U.S. politics and provides a searchable campaign donation database. OpenSecrets allows users to sort by recipient or donor data, including occupation, employer, and zip code. The Get Local! tool enables users to select a state and pull up reports by donor, candidate, metro area, and more.
Another resource for tracking donations is FollowTheMoney.org, a website from the National Institute on Money in Politics that provides state campaign finance data. On this website, users can select a state from the map and then narrow down to specific office types to view donation details for specific races. Users can also use the drop-down menus to select a state and election cycle or enter a name into the search bar to find an individual's contributions.
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State-level data
At the state level, each state may have its own tools and databases for tracking campaign donations. For example, California provides a Power Search tool on the Secretary of State's website, which allows users to search for contributors by name, company, organization, or recipient committee ID. Illinois offers a similar tool, providing data on campaign contributions by PACs and donations to PACs, broken down by sector, industry, and unique PAC.
In addition to official government sources, there are also independent organizations that track state-level political campaign donations. The Sunlight Organization, hosted by the National Institute on Money in State Politics, documents campaign spending by industries, businesses, political groups, and lobbyists. This website allows users to search and view submitted forms, track contributions to individual candidates and ballot measures, and access state profiles of funds raised during election cycles dating back to 1986.
Another resource is OpenSecrets.org, a collaboration between the National Institute on Money in Politics and the Center for Responsive Politics. This website provides state campaign finance data, including profiles of over 20,000 organizations that have made federal election campaign contributions.
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Nonprofit organisations
There is no comprehensive source that reveals who gives to a specific charity, as the IRS does not require most nonprofits to disclose their donors. However, there are some ways to find out about donations to a particular nonprofit. Firstly, private foundations, including private corporate foundations, must publicly disclose all grants in their annual tax filings (Form 990-PF). These forms, submitted to the IRS, include the grantee's name, the grant amount, and sometimes a brief description of the grant's purpose. This information can be found using the Foundation Directory search tool. Additionally, some nonprofits may choose to thank their donors in annual reports, newsletters, or on their websites, although this may not be comprehensive, as some donors may request anonymity.
Websites like Charity Navigator and GuideStar provide valuable insights into nonprofit organizations. Charity Navigator offers ratings and curated lists of charities, allowing donors to discover and support organizations that match their passions and interests. It also provides resources and strategies for maximizing donations and making informed giving decisions. GuideStar, on the other hand, offers nonprofit data and insights to donors, grantmakers, and businesses. It provides information on IRS-recognized tax-exempt organizations, financials, leadership, and mission statements. Nonprofits can also claim and update their profiles on GuideStar to earn a Seal of Transparency and provide valuable information to potential donors.
Additionally, some websites and applications specialize in providing data and insights on nonprofit organizations and their donation histories. These platforms power their systems with premier nonprofit data, offering knowledge and analysis to help users make informed decisions. They may provide search tools to find private foundations' contact information and web addresses, track nonprofit news, and set up alerts for grant notices.
While finding comprehensive information on nonprofit donation histories can be challenging due to privacy and anonymity considerations, utilizing these resources can provide valuable insights into the funding and operations of nonprofit organizations. These tools empower donors, grantmakers, and the general public with knowledge to make informed decisions and support organizations that align with their values and goals.
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Individual contribution history
Political contribution searches can be an effective way to learn more about someone's politics and the issues they care about. Donation records can also help identify potential donors for a campaign or fundraising project.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a database of individuals who have made contributions to federally registered political committees. The FEC database can be searched by an individual contributor's first and/or last name, employer, occupation, city, state, zip code, date of contribution, or amount of contribution. The FEC database also allows you to search by the committee receiving the contribution and use filters to narrow your search.
In addition to the FEC database, there are several other tools and websites that provide information on individual political contributions:
- OpenSecrets (formerly known as the Center for Responsive Politics) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that tracks money in U.S. politics and compiles reports on spending by lobbyists, political action committees (PACs), interest groups, and other donors. OpenSecrets has a searchable campaign donation database that includes Federal Election Commission records of receipts from individuals who contribute at least $200 (smaller contributions are not part of the public record). OpenSecrets also offers access to state and federal datasets on political contributions, expenditures, personal financial disclosures, candidate lists, and lobbying activities.
- DonorSearch is a prospecting tool that provides access to political contribution data, full philanthropic giving information, and professional histories. This tool can be used to identify potential donors for a campaign or fundraising project and to screen prospects for wealth markers and statistics.
- FollowTheMoney.org is a tool from the National Institute on Money in Politics that tracks donations to state and local campaigns. On this website, you can select a state and office type to narrow down donation details for specific races.
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Corporate giving
Political campaign donations are a matter of public record in the US, and there are several ways to view the donation histories of political campaigns. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) maintains a database of individuals and organizations that have donated to federally registered political committees. The FEC website allows users to search for contributors by name, employer, occupation, location, date of contribution, and amount contributed.
In addition to the FEC, there are several other organizations that track corporate political donations. One notable example is OpenSecrets, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that compiles data on campaign contributions from thousands of corporations, trade associations, labor unions, and other advocacy groups. OpenSecrets allows users to search for specific companies or organizations to understand their political spending. The website also includes a “Lobbying & Groups" section that provides information on lobbying efforts and the influence of industries and special interest groups.
Another resource for tracking corporate political donations is FollowTheMoney.org, a website run by the National Institute on Money in Politics. This website provides state-level campaign finance data and allows users to select a specific state and office type to narrow down donation details for specific races.
It is worth noting that reporting requirements for political donations vary based on the amount contributed and state laws. For example, campaigns may not need to disclose donor identities for small-dollar contributions. Additionally, there are "dark money" groups that spend money on elections without revealing the source of their funds. Despite these challenges, the resources mentioned above provide valuable insights into the world of corporate political donations.
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Frequently asked questions
You can search for donations made to a political campaign by using online tools such as FollowTheMoney.org, DonorSearch, or OpenSecrets. These websites allow you to search for donations by recipient, donor, or location.
You can search for an individual's donation history by using the database provided by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). This database allows you to search by name, location, employer, and contribution date and amount.
Yes, you can also use online tools such as those provided by OpenSecrets, which has a searchable donor database that includes Federal Election Commission records of receipts from individuals who contribute at least $200.
Looking up an individual's donation history can provide insight into their political affiliations and the issues they care about. This information can be useful for prospect development and fundraising strategies.
