Deposit BEFORE you spend! Hey candidates! Before you buy campaign signs, business cards, or even a coffee for your kickoff meeting — make sure your campaign account is open and the money is in the bank. 🔑 Key Points: - Never spend personal money expecting reimbursement. - If you must cover costs upfront, make it an official loan to your campaign. - You CAN contribute to your own campaign — just remember contributions are not loans and can't be paid back. 🧠 Pro Tip: Filing fees are the only exception — candidates can be reimbursed for those! Once you've completed this step, be sure to click the "Mark as Done" check mark in the upper right corner to show this lesson complete.

Received a check? The "date received" is important to track. It is NOT always the date on the check! It is the date the campaign has it in hand. Don't just smile — document it properly. COPY the check BEFORE you deposit it in the bank. And document, document, document.... ✍️ What to do: - Save everything — check, envelope, and any supporting docs. - Write the date received in pencil on the envelope (that’s the real reportable date) - Keep track of who signed the check and from what entity 🏢 Entity Breakdown: - Individual check? Use the name of the signer. If joint account, the contributor is the person signing, even if the spouse/partner comes to the event. Both people have their own contribution limit. Which means, you can take money from them both. But ONLY if they each sign different checks! - Business check? Use the business name. - LLC? Report the name and principal officer. And quick reminder, LLC's also might have other reporting obligations. Check out the Form 409!

Campaigns can reimburse volunteers or even your spouse — but NOT you, the candidate! Here’s the breakdown: 💳 Allowed: - Reimburse others within 45 days - Use a zero-balance personal card (but no mixing personal/campaign charges!) - Spouse’s credit card (if in their name) can be reimbursed 🚫 Not Allowed: - No reimbursements to the candidate (except filing fees) - Don’t mix personal and campaign purchases on the same credit card after campaign use begins 📌 Important: Reimbursements are a hot spot for FPPC audits. Keep records clean!

It's time for a new year of reporting for political committees in California. We'd love to hear where you are from, what office you are running for or already were elected for and whether you are your own treasurer or if you have someone helping you.