About Manchester NH Ron Paul 2008 Meetup

Ron Paul?s Grass Roots Guidelines

Those engaging in grass roots activities for the Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign Committee should understand and agree to the following:

* Grass roots activists volunteer their time and efforts.
* Grass roots activists are not authorized agents of the campaign, should not represent to others that they are, and should not otherwise engage in activities as though they act on behalf of the official campaign.
* Federal law regulates the amounts and means by which funds may be legally contributed to a federal election campaign. As such, contributions to the Ron Paul Campaign may be made directly to the official campaign committee through the secure Official Donation Webpage. Grass roots activists may not raise money on the campaign?s behalf in any way that violates federal campaign contribution limits or prohibitions. Before organizing an event, grass roots activists should become familiar with these guidelines and the limits and prohibitions, some of which are detailed below. Additional information can be found at www.fec.gov.
* Grass roots activists have found that ?house parties? are an enjoyable and popular means of raising money for Dr. Paul?s presidential campaign. The raising of funds at ?house parties,? however, is also subject to federal regulation, some of which are outlined below. Additional information can be found at http://www.fec.gov/pa... .
* Grass roots activities may also significantly assist the campaign by directing newfound supporters to the official campaign website . Through this website, newfound supporters can register as volunteers, make donations directly to Dr. Paul?s campaign, and e-mail other potential supporters about Ron Paul 2008.

Contribution Rules for Grass Roots Activists:

* Contributions made using a credit card must utilize a personal credit or debit card for which the contributor has the legal obligation to pay. Contributions may not be made using a corporate or business entity card or on the card of another.
* Ron Paul 2008 may only accept contributions from U.S. citizens or lawfully-admitted permanent residents. Ron Paul 2008 may only accept contributions from the contributor?s own personal funds and not using funds provided by any other person or from any corporation, labor union or national bank.
* Ron Paul 2008 may not accept contributions from a federal government contractor (i.e. the personal or business funds of an individual or sole proprietor who is a federal contractor). Personal contributions, however, are allowed from employees, partners, shareholders and officers of businesses with government contracts.
* Contributions made by minors to Ron Paul 2008 may only be made voluntarily; that is, those consisting of funds not controlled by another individual or made from a gift given for the purpose of making such a contribution.

Grass Roots Member Hosted Events

House Parties

How much money may I spend on my grass roots member hosted event?

An individual may buy food, beverage and invitations used in connection with candidate- or party-related activity conducted in his/her home or in a church or community room. The individual may spend up to $1,000 per candidate, per election, for these items, and up to $2,000 on behalf of all political committees of each party in a calendar year. A spouse may separately spend up to $1,000 in connection with the same event. These monies do not count against either individual's contribution limit and are not disclosed to the Federal Election Commission, but you must keep records of these expenses. This exemption is cumulative for all events in connection with the same election; therefore, if you host more than one event for Ron Paul 2008 P.C.C. during the primary campaign, you may only spend up to $1,000 in total on food, beverages and invitations without your expenses being considered an in-kind contribution. If an individual exceeds these limits, the excess amount would be a reportable in-kind contribution and would count against that individual's contribution limit. This exemption does not apply if you co-host an event in a home in which you are not a resident, thus, if an individual who is not a resident of the home co-hosts the event, his or her expenditures are considered contributions to the committee benefiting from the event.

What if my food, beverages, and invitations cost more than $1,000?

Event expenses not subject to the exceptions above will normally be considered in-kind contributions and count against the event host's contribution limits. Assuming no other prohibitions (i.e. foreign citizen), a host may contribute up to a total of $2,300 to the primary campaign. If your contribution exceeds the $1,000 limit (resulting in an in-kind contribution), the event host must fill out a contribution form and send it to the campaign.

May vendors give discounts on food and beverages for my house party?

Yes. A vendor (whether or not it is incorporated) may sell food and beverages to you for your event at a discount as long as the amount is at least equal to the vendor's cost for the items. The cumulative value of any such discounts (i.e., the difference between the normal charge and the amount paid by the committee) must not exceed $1,000 per candidate, per election, or $2,000 on behalf of all political committees of each political party in a calendar year. If an unincorporated vendor exceeds these limits, the excess amount would be a reportable in-kind contribution and would count against that vendor's contribution limit. An unincorporated vendor may also sell food and beverages to a candidate's campaign or to a political party committee below cost, but the value of the portion of the discount that is below cost would be a reportable in-kind contribution and would count against that vendor's contribution limit.

How much may a house party attendee contribute to Ron Paul 2008 P.C.C.?

An individual may contribute up to a total of $2,300 for each campaign (i.e. primary, general).

What other rules must I follow when accepting contributions?

Each individual who contributes must fill out a contribution card. These cards are available from Ron Paul 2008 and should be ordered or downloaded & printed prior to your event. This form will keep you compliant with contribution regulations as the card?s completion will satisfy the collection of employer/occupation information and additional information as required by Federal law. Individuals may donate via check, money order, credit card, or cash. Cash contributions, however, must be accompanied by a contribution card and be attributed to the individual donor. For this reason, ?pass-the-hat? contribution systems should not be utilized. Moreover, no anonymous cash contributions are allowed and you may not accept more than $100 in cash from any individual. Cash contributions may also not be bundled.

How do I accept credit card contributions?

The contribution card mentioned above will allow your guests to fill in their credit card information which, when sent to Ron Paul 2008, will be processed by the campaign office. A host could also make their computer available to guests so that charge card contributions can be made online during the event at the secure Official Donation Webpage .

What should I do with the contributions I collect at my house party?

Within ten days, send all contributions with the accompanying contribution cards to:

Ron Paul 2008 P.C.C.
837 W Plantation Drive
Clute, TX 77531