Running a Successful Fundraising Campaign

Fundraising Fundamentals

Political fundraising in Canada is highly regulated. Understanding the rules is just as important as raising the money.

Setting Up Online Donations

1. RidingDesk integrates with Stripe to accept online donations:
2. Connect your Stripe account in Settings → Integrations
3. Create a donation landing page with your campaign branding
4. Share the link via email, social media, and your website
5. Donations are automatically tracked with proper tax receipt data

Contribution Limits

• Know your limits:
• Federal: $1,700/year per party, $1,700/election per candidate
• 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