California committees that receive large contributions must notify those donors that they may have a filing obligation of their own. This page explains the requirements and how to handle the notification using ISP tools.
What is the major donor notification requirement?
If your committee receives one or more contributions totaling $5,000 or more in a calendar year from a single source, you must send that contributor written notice that they may have a filing obligation. The notice must generally be sent within two weeks of receiving the contributions. If a contribution of $10,000 or more is received within 90 days before the election or on election day, the notice must be sent within 1 week.
Donors whose contributions to California state or local committees total $10,000 or more in a calendar year must file a Major Donor Committee Campaign Statement, Form 461. For full details, see the FPPC’s campaign manual guidance on major donors.
How does ISP handle the notification?
The Send Major Donor Notice setting in ai@ISP automatically sends the required notice email when a donor crosses the threshold, and logs a communication on the donor’s record with the type Major Donor Notice for that year. For setup details, see What Is ai@ISP?
To review the exact email a donor received, open the donor’s record and find the Communications section. Click the email icon next to the Major Donor Notice communication to view the full message that was sent.
To confirm no one was missed, go to Reports, then Compliance Tools, and run the Major Donors With Communications report. It identifies major donors who have not received a notice. See About Compliance Tools for more.
If your firm files Form 461 on behalf of major donor committees, see How to Set a Major Donor Filer.
