A Federal candidate, an individual holding Federal office, and an individual agent acting on behalf of either may make the following solicitations of funds on behalf of any organization described in 26 U.S.C. 501(c) and exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501(a), or an organization that has submitted an application for determination of tax-exempt status under 26 U.S.C. 501(c):

(a) General solicitations. A Federal candidate, an individual holding Federal office, or an individual agent acting on behalf of either, may make a general solicitation of funds, without regard to source or amount limitation, if:

(1) The organization does not engage in activities in connection with an election, including any activity described in paragraph (c) of this section; or

(2)

(i) The organization conducts activities in connection with an election, but the organization's principal purpose is not to conduct election activities or any activity described in paragraph (c) of this section; and

(ii) The solicitation is not to obtain funds for activities in connection with an election or any activity described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(b) Specific solicitations. A Federal candidate, an individual holding Federal office, or an individual agent acting on behalf of either, may make a solicitation explicitly to obtain funds for any activity described in paragraph (c) of this section or for an organization whose principal purpose is to conduct that activity, if:

(1) The solicitation is made only to individuals; and

(2) The amount solicited from any individual does not exceed $20,000 during any calendar year.

(c) Voter registration, voter identification, get-out-the-vote activity and generic campaign activity. This section applies to only the following types of Federal election activity:

(1) Voter registration activity, as described in 11 CFR 100.24(a)(2), during the period that begins on the date that is 120 days before the date a regularly scheduled Federal election is held and ends on the date of the election; or

(2) The following activities conducted in connection with an election in which one or more Federal candidates appear on the ballot (see 11 CFR 100.24(a)(1)), regardless of whether one or more State candidates also appears on the ballot:

(i) Voter identification as described in 11 CFR 100.24(a)(4);

(ii) Get-out-the-vote activity as described in 11 CFR 100.24(a)(3); or

(iii) Generic campaign activity as defined in 11 CFR 100.25.

(d) Prohibited solicitations. A Federal candidate, an individual holding Federal office, and an individual who is an agent acting on behalf of either, must not make any solicitation on behalf of any organization described in 26 U.S.C. 501(c) and exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. 501(a), or an organization that has submitted an application for determination of tax-exempt status under 26 U.S.C. 501(c) for any election activity other than a Federal election activity as described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(e) Safe Harbor. In determining whether a 501(c) organization is one whose principal purpose is to conduct election activities, including activity described in paragraph (c) of this section, a Federal candidate, an individual holding Federal office, or an individual agent acting on behalf of either, may obtain and rely upon a certification from the organization that satisfies the following criteria:

(1) The certification is a signed written statement by an officer or other authorized representative of the organization with knowledge of the organization's activities;

(2) The certification states that the organization's principal purpose is not to conduct election activities, including election activity described in paragraph (c) of this section; and

(3) The certification states that the organization does not intend to pay debts incurred from the making of expenditures or disbursements in connection with an election for Federal office (including for Federal election activity) in a prior election cycle.

(f) If a Federal candidate, an individual holding Federal office, or an individual agent acting on behalf of either has actual knowledge that the certification is false, the certification may not be relied upon.

[67 FR 49120, July 29, 2002, as amended at 79 FR 77850, Dec. 29, 2014]