Making in-kind contributions

In addition to contributing money, an SSF may contribute goods or services to candidates and their committees. An SSF may contribute goods and services only if it has purchased them with its own funds or if an individual (not the sponsoring organization) has lawfully contributed them to the SSF. However, corporations and labor organizations may provide some goods and services that are exempt from the definitions of "contribution" and "expenditure."

Gifts of goods or services are in-kind contributions. As examples, an SSF makes an in-kind contribution when it:

• Pays for consulting, polling or printing services provided to a candidate committee;
• Contributes office supplies or mailing lists to a campaign;
• Sponsors a fundraising event benefiting a candidate; or
• Pays for a campaign advertisement on behalf of a candidate (if the advertisement does not qualify as an independent expenditure).

In-kind contributions designated for more than one election

The Commission has advised that in-kind contributions of goods may be designated for more than one election within an election cycle provided that:

• The goods contributed have a long-term useful life expectancy, extending over all the elections for which the contribution was made (for example, computer equipment);
• The candidate actually runs in all the elections for which the contribution is given; and,
• The contributor provides a written, signed designation at the time of the contribution – or provides a proper redesignation within 60 days of the contribution.