Volunteering
Personal Services
An individual may help candidates and committees by volunteering personal services. For example, you may want to take part in a voter drive or offer your skills to a political committee. Your services are not considered contributions as long as you are not paid by anyone. (If your services are compensated by someone other than the committee itself, the payment is considered a contribution by that person to the committee.)
As a volunteer, you may spend unlimited money for normal living expenses.
Home Events
In volunteering your services, you may use your home for activities benefiting a candidate or political party without making a contribution. If you live in an apartment complex, you may use the recreation room; any small fee you pay is not considered a contribution. You may also use a church or community room, if the room is regularly made available for noncommercial purposes, without regard to political affiliation. Any nominal rental fee you pay is not considered a contribution.
You might want to hold a fundraising party or reception in your home, or in a church or community room. Your costs for invitations and for food and beverages served at the event are not considered contributions if they remain under certain limits. These expenses on behalf of a candidate are limited to $1,000 per election; expenses on behalf of a political party are limited to $2,000 per year. (A husband and wife may each spend up to the limit. Their combined limits would be: $2,000 per candidate, per election, and $4,000 per year for a political party.) Any amount spent in excess of the limits is a contribution to the candidate or party committee.4
Corporate/Union Facilities
If you are an employee, stockholder or member of a corporation or labor union, you may use the organization's facilities--for example, the phone--in connection with your volunteer activities, subject to the rules and practices of the organization. The activity, however, cannot prevent an employee from completing normal work; nor can it interfere with the organization's normal activity.
If your activity exceeds "incidental use" of the facilities--one hour a week or four hours a month--you must reimburse the corporation or union the normal rental charge within a commercially reasonable time. If you use the organization's equipment to produce campaign materials, you must reimburse the organization regardless of how much time you spend. Any reimbursement for your use of facilities is considered a contribution from you to the political committee that you are helping.