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For U.S. federal races, individuals may donate directly to a candidate committee, subject to contribution limits. A corporation generally may not give money from its treasury directly to a federal candidate. A company can instead create a separate segregated fund (SSF), commonly called a corporate PAC, that contributes under federal rules. A Super PAC may accept unlimited corporate money, but it cannot contribute to candidates; it can only finance independent expenditures.
Those are federal rules. Governors, state legislators, mayors and other nonfederal candidates follow the law of the relevant state or locality, where limits and corporate prohibitions vary.
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Quick answer: which donors can use which route?
| Donor or source of money | Can it give directly to a federal candidate committee? | What route may be available? | What the money can finance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | Yes, within the applicable per-election limit | Direct contribution to the candidate’s authorized committee | Candidate campaign activity |
| Corporate treasury | No | Corporate SSF (traditional corporate PAC), subject to eligibility and solicitation rules | Contributions to candidates and other federally permitted activity |
| Corporate SSF or traditional PAC | The fund, not the corporation’s treasury, may contribute within its limits | Candidate-contributing PAC | Contributions to candidate committees and other regulated activity |
| Super PAC (independent-expenditure-only committee) | No | Unlimited contributions, including from corporations, to the Super PAC | Independent expenditures, not contributions coordinated with candidates |
| Foreign national | No | No contribution route for U.S. elections | Federal law prohibits election-related contributions and expenditures by foreign nationals |
| Federal government contractor | No contribution to a federal candidate while subject to the contractor prohibition | Do not assume a PAC solves the restriction; obtain specialized compliance advice | Depends on the entity and activity |
The recipient matters as much as the donor. “PAC” can mean a traditional committee that contributes to candidates or a Super PAC that makes only independent expenditures. Always identify the committee type before deciding what a person or company may give.
Can an individual donate directly to a federal candidate?
Yes. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) states: “An individual may make contributions to candidates and their authorized committees, subject to limitations.” For the 2025–2026 federal election cycle, an individual may give $3,500 per candidate, per election. The primary and general election are separate elections for this limit, although special circumstances—such as a candidate who loses a primary or is unopposed—can affect how a contribution is designated. Check the FEC’s current table and explanations at FEC contribution limits.
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“Per election” does not mean $3,500 for an entire two-year cycle. A donor could generally make up to $3,500 for a primary and another $3,500 for the general election to the same federal candidate, provided the payments are properly designated and the candidate is eligible to receive them. The committee must count contributions using the FEC’s rules for designations, reattributions and redesignations.
What counts as a direct contribution?
A check, card payment, electronic transfer or other donation made to the candidate’s authorized committee is a contribution. Paying for campaign expenses at the candidate’s request, lending money on terms more favorable than normal commercial terms, or providing services without full payment can also create a contribution. The value of anything provided—not merely cash—may matter.
Do not give through another person to hide the true donor. Federal law prohibits making a contribution in the name of another person. The person whose money is used must be identified as the contributor, and a campaign cannot lawfully accept a contribution when it knows the named donor is only a front.
Can a corporation donate directly to a federal candidate?
Generally, no. The FEC’s federal guidance says: “Campaigns may not accept contributions from the treasury funds of corporations, labor organizations or national banks.” The prohibition applies to ordinary business corporations and incorporated nonprofit organizations. It concerns money held in the organization’s general treasury and paid directly to a federal candidate committee.
A corporation therefore cannot write a check from its operating account to a U.S. Senate or House campaign, even if the company’s directors, shareholders or employees support the candidate. Calling the payment a sponsorship, marketing expense or “donation” does not change its campaign-finance treatment when it is intended to support the candidate.
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The rule is federal. It should not be converted into a universal statement about every state or municipal race. State statutes may impose different corporate restrictions, contribution ceilings or reporting requirements.
Why a corporation’s PAC is different from its treasury
A corporation may establish a separate segregated fund (SSF), commonly called a corporate PAC. The SSF is legally separate from the corporation’s treasury for campaign-finance purposes. The corporation may pay the SSF’s establishment, administration and solicitation costs, but the fund’s political receipts and disbursements must be handled under federal rules.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe corporation does not simply transfer treasury money to a candidate through a label. Instead, the PAC receives permissible contributions from an eligible class of individuals and then decides which candidate committees to support. The PAC’s contributions are subject to applicable federal limits, source restrictions, reporting and recordkeeping.
Corporate PAC operations can involve detailed rules about whom the corporation may solicit, how solicitations are worded, the use of restricted class lists, and treatment of connected-organization expenses. A company should use the FEC’s current guidance and qualified campaign-finance counsel before soliciting or making disbursements.
Can a company donate through a Super PAC?
Yes, but the result is not a donation to a candidate. An independent-expenditure-only committee—usually called a Super PAC—may accept unlimited contributions from corporations, labor organizations and other permissible sources. It may then spend that money on communications or other expenditures that expressly advocate the election or defeat of candidates, provided those expenditures are independent.
A Super PAC may not make contributions to candidate committees. Its spending also cannot be coordinated with a candidate, the candidate’s campaign, a political party committee or their agents under the applicable federal coordination rules. If a Super PAC pays for an ad after agreeing on its content, audience, timing or placement with a campaign, the expenditure may be treated as a prohibited in-kind contribution rather than an independent expenditure.
That distinction answers the common question, “Are Super PAC donations the same as donations to a candidate?” No. A contribution to a Super PAC supports the committee’s independent spending. A contribution to a candidate goes into the candidate committee’s regulated account and is subject to the candidate-contribution limit and source rules.
Traditional PAC versus Super PAC
| Feature | Traditional candidate-contributing PAC | Super PAC |
|---|---|---|
| Can contribute directly to federal candidates? | Yes, within the committee’s applicable limits | No |
| Can accept corporate contributions? | A corporate SSF uses permissible solicitation and funding rules; an unaffiliated nonconnected PAC cannot accept prohibited corporate treasury contributions for candidate contributions | Yes, including unlimited corporate contributions |
| Contribution limit to the committee | Limits and source restrictions apply | Unlimited contributions from permissible sources, including corporations and labor organizations |
| Primary activity | Contributions to candidates and other regulated political activity | Independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates |
| Coordination with a candidate | Subject to federal contribution and coordination rules | Spending must remain independent; coordination can turn an expenditure into a prohibited contribution |
The FEC’s contribution-limits guidance distinguishes candidate-contributing PACs from independent-expenditure-only committees. The label “PAC” by itself is not enough to determine what a committee can receive or spend.
Other donor restrictions that can change the answer
Foreign nationals
Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions, donations, expenditures, independent expenditures or disbursements in connection with U.S. federal, state or local elections. “Foreign national” generally includes foreign governments, political parties, corporations and individuals who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. A U.S. subsidiary should not assume that its parent company can fund U.S. election activity.
Federal government contractors
Federal candidates may not accept contributions from federal government contractors during the period covered by the contractor prohibition. The restriction can apply to individuals, partnerships, corporations and other entities connected to a federal contract. The FEC’s donor-eligibility guidance explains the prohibition and related exceptions; review it at Who can and can’t contribute to a campaign.
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Partnerships and LLCs
Partnership and LLC treatment depends on the entity’s federal tax classification, ownership and the applicable FEC rules. Some entities are treated as partnerships, some as corporations and some as transparent entities whose members are treated as the donors. An LLC is not automatically treated like either an individual or a corporation. Confirm the classification before making or accepting a contribution, and preserve documentation showing how the contribution is allocated among owners when required.
Contributions in another person’s name
A donor cannot reimburse another person and have the campaign report the intermediary as the contributor. Likewise, an employer cannot provide money to an employee with instructions to donate in the employee’s name. The FEC’s donor guidance covers the ban on contributions in the name of another and other prohibited sources.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How state and local rules differ
Federal limits do not govern every candidate. State law controls elections for governors, state legislators, attorneys general and many local offices; municipal rules may add another layer. Differences can include whether corporations may contribute at all, the dollar limit, the limit period and the definition of a covered committee.
The National Conference of State Legislatures’ 2025–2026 state contribution-limit table, updated October 6, 2025, separates individual, PAC, corporate and union limits. Its overview page, accessed October 13, 2026, reports that 23 states completely prohibit corporations from contributing to political campaigns. That count is a dated comparison, not a permanent rule; verify the current statute and the state-specific table before relying on it.
State limits may be stated per contest, per election, per election cycle or per calendar year. A state may allow a corporate contribution to one office while prohibiting it for another, or may regulate ballot-measure spending differently from candidate contributions. To answer a state question accurately, identify the state, the office, the election date and the intended recipient.
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A practical decision process before giving money
- Identify the jurisdiction and office. Decide whether the recipient is a federal candidate or a state or local candidate. Do not apply the federal $3,500 figure to a state race.
- Identify the recipient committee. Confirm whether the payment goes to a candidate committee, a traditional PAC or a Super PAC. Ask for the committee’s legal name and registration information.
- Identify the true donor. Determine whether the funds belong to an individual, corporate treasury, corporate SSF, partnership, LLC or another entity. Do not use an intermediary to conceal the source.
- Check prohibited-source rules. Screen for foreign-national involvement, federal-contractor status and any entity-classification issue before sending money.
- Apply the correct limit period. For federal candidates, calculate the 2025–2026 individual limit per candidate, per election. For state and local races, use the jurisdiction’s stated period.
- Confirm independence if using a Super PAC. A Super PAC contribution can finance only independent activity. Keep decision-making, vendors, communications and campaign contacts within the applicable rules.
- Keep records. Retain the donor identity, amount, date, designation, committee receipt and any allocation or authorization documents needed for reporting.
Common misconceptions
“Citizens United lets corporations give directly to candidates.”
That is incorrect for federal candidate committees. The federal direct-contribution prohibition for corporate treasury funds remains, while corporations may finance certain independent expenditures and may support an SSF or Super PAC subject to the relevant rules.
“A Super PAC is just a bigger candidate PAC.”
No. A traditional PAC can make regulated candidate contributions. A Super PAC can accept unlimited contributions but cannot contribute to candidates. Its defining feature is independent spending.
“The same limit applies everywhere.”
No. The FEC’s 2025–2026 limits apply to federal elections. State and local limits differ by jurisdiction, office and limit period, and some states prohibit corporate contributions entirely.
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An individual can generally give directly to a federal candidate, up to the applicable limit—$3,500 per candidate, per election in 2025–2026. A corporation cannot use treasury funds to make that direct federal candidate contribution. It may establish a compliant SSF, while a Super PAC may accept unlimited corporate money only for independent expenditures, not candidate contributions. Before donating, identify the office, committee type, true source of funds and governing jurisdiction, then verify the current FEC or state election authority rules.
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