Though “Major Donor” campaign reports are typically only due on a semi-annual basis, quarterly reports may be due in April and/or October 2025 (in addition to the mid-year report due in July 2025 and the year-end report due in January 2026).
Specifically, if you make $10,000 or more in campaign contributions to California state and local candidates and committees during the first quarter of an odd-year (such as 2025), thereby qualifying as a Major Donor, and your contributions during the first quarter include at least $10,000 to state-level officials or committees supporting or opposing state-level officials, then you will have to file a report by April 30, disclosing your contributions through March 31. (The mid-year report you file in July will then cover the period from April 1 through June 30.) The same analysis applies to the third quarter; i.e., a report will be due by October 31 if you have reached the Major Donor threshold and made $10,000 or more in contributions to state-level officials or committees supporting or opposing state officials during that quarter.
If Rutan & Tucker prepares and files your Major Donor Reports, we will be sending you an e-mail with a list of all of your contributions made between January 1 and March 31, 2025 listed in our database and asking you to confirm whether you have made any additional contributions, so that we can determine whether a special odd-year 1st quarter report is due. Please respond to this e-mail as soon as possible so that we can determine if you are required to file this report.
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Feel free to contact a Rutan & Tucker attorney or Political Compliance Specialist if you have any questions regarding California Major Donor Reporting.
