Why are PAC donations so helpful for winning elections?

PAC dollars are the hardest to raise and the most effective for winning elections, because they can be spent 100% on partisan work. That lets organizers tell voters exactly which candidates to support and why.

PAC dollars are the hardest to raise

Every year, Americans donate hundreds of billions of dollars to charity. Only a fraction of that 501(c)(3) giving goes to voter engagement groups.

And, even that fraction far outweighs the 501(c)(4) dollars — which can only be used up to 40% for political purposes like having explicit conversations with voters about the candidates and political parties — and PAC dollars, which can be used for 100% political purposes by C4 and PAC organizations.

PAC dollars let organizers say what matters most

MVP’s Chief Development Officer, Hallie Montoya Tansey, explains it like this:

“In the game of Taboo, players try to get their partners to guess the word on their card — without using the word itself.

Trying to get someone to vote with C3 [and a majority of C4] money is like trying to communicate without being able to use the most obvious and important words to motivate action. PAC money allows us to tell them exactly what we hope they will do, and why.”

Simply put: With C3 and a majority of C4 money, organizers can talk about “saving democracy.” With PAC money, they can tell voters exactly which candidates to support and why — up and down the ballot.

A small shift can make a big difference

If we took even a small slice of overall 501(c)(3) charitable giving and shifted it to hard-hitting PAC giving, many more organizers could tell voters exactly who to vote for and why.

Ready to give?

Donate online to Movement Voter PAC →

For gifts of more than $10,000, or to give by check, wire, or stock, see our Donation Methods page.

To compare PAC, 501(c)(4), and 501(c)(3) giving, see Movement Voter Project vs. PAC vs. Fund: What’s the difference?.