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Download FEC Donation Data

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FEC handles federal elections only (not state or local).

The FEC provides two main ways to access detailed itemized donations:

  • Searchable/browse/download small-to-medium datasets (easiest for specific candidates/committees; CSV exports up to thousands of rows).
  • Bulk downloads (best for large-scale or historical analysis; full datasets in CSV/pipe-delimited format).

Data includes donor name, amount, date, occupation/employer (for individuals over certain thresholds), city/state/zip, and more. Note: Contributions under $200 may be aggregated without full donor details in some views; full itemization is available in bulk/raw files.

1. Quick Search & Download Itemized Contributions (Recommended for Most Users)

Use the FEC's modern data portal for targeted searches and easy CSV exports.

  1. Go to the official FEC data site: https://www.fec.gov/data/
  2. Under "Browse data" or use the search bar, select relevant categories:
  3. Apply filters (e.g., election cycle/year, contributor state, min/max amount).
  4. Once results load:
    • View tables with donor details.
    • Click Download this data as .CSV (available on most pages; exports filtered results directly to CSV for Excel/Google Sheets).
  5. Open the CSV in a spreadsheet tool to sort/filter (columns include contributor_name, contribution_receipt_date, contribution_receipt_amount, contributor_occupation, contributor_employer, etc.).

This method is free, no registration required, and ideal for downloading donations to a single candidate or small group.

2. Bulk Downloads for Full/Historical Detailed Data (Large-Scale or All Donations)

For complete datasets (millions of records across cycles):

  1. Visit https://www.fec.gov/data/browse-data/?tab=bulk-data (or from fec.gov/data → "Download bulk data").
  2. Choose the relevant bulk file type:
    • Individual contributions — Key file: itcont.zip or similar (Schedule A itemized receipts from individuals).
    • Committee receipts — Includes all incoming funds (individuals + PACs + loans).
    • Other useful: itoth.zip (other itemized receipts), cmte.zip (committee summaries).
    • Files are zipped CSV or pipe-delimited (.txt); cover multiple election cycles (1979–present, updated nightly).
  3. Click the download link for the file(s) you need.
  4. Unzip the file(s) on your computer.
  5. Import into Excel/Google Sheets or a database tool:
    • For CSV: Open directly.
    • For pipe-delimited (.txt): Use "Text to Columns" in Excel (delimiter: | pipe symbol).
  6. Key files for donations:
    • itcont.txt/csv — Detailed individual contributions (donor name, amount, date, recipient committee, etc.).
    • Filter by recipient_cmte_id (committee ID) or candidate_id to focus on specific politicians.

Bulk data is free, public domain, and best for comprehensive analysis (e.g., all donations nationwide).

3. Advanced/Alternative Options

Tips & Notes

  • Data updates nightly; check for the latest cycles (e.g., 2024, 2026).
  • Privacy: Donor info for small contributions (<$200) may be limited.
  • Help: FEC support at info@fec.gov or 1-800-424-9530.
  • Legal: FEC data is public; cite https://www.fec.gov/data/ when using.

 

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