Fundraising Fundamentals
Political fundraising in Canada is highly regulated. Understanding the rules is just as important as raising the money.
Setting Up Online Donations
- RidingDesk can accept online card donations through Stripe, paid straight into your campaign's own Stripe account:
- Connect your campaign's Stripe account under Settings → Payments (Stripe asks for the campaign's details and bank account; RidingDesk never holds the money and takes no fee). Interac e-Transfer pledges work alongside cards
- Create a donation landing page with your campaign branding
- Share the link via email, social media, and your website
- Donations are automatically tracked with proper tax receipt data
Contribution Limits
- Know your limits:
- Federal: $1,775 (2026) per year to each registered party, and $1,775 (2026) per year combined to each party's candidates, riding associations and nomination contestants (indexed +$25 each January 1)
- Ontario: $1,697/year per party, $1,697/period per candidate
- Quebec: $100/year total
- Check your provincial election authority for specific limits
RidingDesk automatically warns you when a donor approaches their contribution limit.
Tax Receipts
- Issue tax receipts promptly:
- Federal political donations qualify for a generous tax credit
- Receipts must include: donor name, address, amount, date, receipt number
- RidingDesk generates compliant receipts with sequential numbering
Fundraising Events
- In-person events remain powerful fundraising tools:
- House parties: Low-cost, high-intimacy events
- Dinners and galas: Larger events for major donors
- Community BBQs: Affordable events that double as voter contact
Tracking and Reporting
- All donations must be reported to your election authority. RidingDesk tracks:
- Individual donor totals (for limit tracking)
- Donation method breakdown
- Receipt issuance status
- Export reports in the format required by your election authority