ActBlue Account Use Policy

The Account Use Policy (AUP) gives ActBlue users guidelines on who is eligible to use ActBlue’s platform, making it easier for groups to know if they can use our tools. You can read the policy below.

Account Use Policy 

The information in the list below is an account use policy for any entity or individual that fundraises through the ActBlue, ActBlue Civics, and ActBlue Charities tools and platforms. Donors make their own decisions about which candidates and causes they want to support. ActBlue does not endorse or support any candidates or organizations. Rather, we aim to provide a platform for Democratic candidates, progressive organizations, and nonprofits to build small-dollar fundraising programs. We believe that by working with a wide array of candidates and organizations, we provide the best possible opportunity for donors to make an impact on the causes that matter most to them.

ActBlue reserves the right to alter this policy or make decisions about an entity’s access to the platform on a discretionary basis. ActBlue does not endorse candidates or issues. Unforeseen situations could lead to the creation of additional guidelines.

Criteria for using ActBlue: 

1. Candidates

A candidate meeting any of the following criteria is impermissible:

• A registered Republican and/or candidate running or filed as a Republican
• A candidate for a partisan office running as an independent or undeclared, or a write-in and there is a Democrat(s) running,  unless:
  • The candidate is running in a multi-seat primary, or
  • The candidate is an incumbent and has a proven history of caucusing with Democrats 
•  A candidate in a nonpartisan race affiliated with the Republican Party
• A candidate that is not eligible to run for or hold the office they are attempting to run for
• A candidate running for foreign, non-U.S. or non-U.S. territory office

A candidate must meet one of the following criteria to be permissible: 

• A candidate registered as a Democrat
• A candidate running or filed as a Democrat
• A Democratic write-in candidate provided there is not another registered and properly filed Democrat on the ballot in a partisan general election
• A candidate in a nonpartisan race affiliated with Democrats or endorsed by the Democratic Party 
• A Democratic candidate running on multiple party lines where permitted

Independent or third-party candidates running in partisan races will be considered on a case-by-case basis, with the following criteria as major factors:

• Whether a Democratic candidate is in the race
• Whether the candidate has a Democratic Party endorsement
• Whether the candidate can demonstrate they align with Democratic policies and priorities

2. Committees, Political Action Committees (PACs), and 501(c)(4) Organizations

Our goal in working with committees, PACS, or other organizations is to help provide tools to groups that are mainly working with Democrats or working to advance any Democratic policy or other progressive outcomes. Entities must demonstrate responsible stewardship of donor contributions and commit to using funds effectively to advance their stated mission and organizational goals.

When evaluating whether an entity is a responsible steward of donor dollars, ActBlue considers:

• The entity’s stage of development and operational needs
• The entity’s track record and pattern of behavior
• The specific context and circumstances
• Donor feedback and complaint patterns

A political action committee, party committee, 501(c)(4), or other organization that meets any of the following criteria is impermissible:

• Any Republican committee, PAC, or organization
• With the exception of primaries, a committee, 501(c)(4), or organization that has been set up solely to oppose one specific Democratic candidate
• Any candidate-focused PAC or organization that spends against the Democratic nominee in a partisan general election
• Any entity or campaign committee that is directly influencing a foreign election
• Any entity whose fundraising or spending does not match its stated mission
• Any entity that changes its mission without prior notification
• Any entity that uses donor funds primarily for the self-enrichment of officers, staff, or related vendors
• Any entity that fails to provide ActBlue with financial documentation demonstrating responsible use of donor funds upon request, including but not limited to impact statements detailing how contributions have been utilized to advance stated organizational goals
• Any entity that is unable to produce publicly available documentation, including but not limited to a website or Form 990 tax returns (if applicable), upon request 

3. AB Charities: 501(C)3 ORGANIZATIONS

All 501(c)(3) organizations are listed at the discretion of ActBlue Charities.

ActBlue Charities is open to 501(c)(3) organizations that meet both of the following criteria:

• Engaged in grassroots fundraising
• Their work is not at odds with values including, but not limited to, social equality; women’s rights; LGBTQIA2S+ rights; racial justice; diversity; freedom of speech; disability rights; and respect for scientific inquiry, discovery, and data 

In addition, entities that meet any of the following criteria are impermissible:

• Non-501(c)(3) entities
• Any entity that is unable to produce publicly available documentation, including but not limited to Form 990 tax returns and a website, upon request or fails to provide nonpublic IRS documentation, including but not limited to Form 1023 application materials or determination letter, at the onboarding stage
• Any entity whose fundraising or spending does not match its stated mission
• Any entity that changes its mission without prior notification
• Any fiscally sponsored organization that fails to have its sponsoring entity confirm the fiscal sponsorship relationship in writing during the onboarding process

4. LLCs and For-Profit Entities

For-profit business entities, including LLCs, may be listed at our discretion if they meet the following criteria:

• The entity is engaged in work that is aligned with our mission and values; and,
  • The entity is not engaged in paid consulting. Consulting LLCs may be granted an exception if they have a proven history of fundraising only for other entities on the ActBlue platform
• Preference is given to LLCs that focus on producing news content

5. Compliance and Fiscal Sponsorship Issues

ActBlue requires committees and organizations to be registered with an applicable regulatory body or bodies and make every effort to remain in good standing with said agencies, including filing financial disclosures as required.

Entities that meet any of the following criteria are impermissible:

• An entity that does not have an EIN or a fiscal sponsor with an EIN
• A committee that does not register with the appropriate regulatory body, and does not have a campaign finance ID in a jurisdiction where such an ID is required
• An entity that has had its committee terminated by a relevant Board of Elections, Secretary of State, or the IRS 
• An entity that has been determined to have misappropriated funds
• An entity that carries a negative balance in its ActBlue account and does not provide a recovery upon invoicing
  • This includes failure to reimburse ActBlue for refunds of contributions, failure to reimburse ActBlue for merchant account fees upon invoicing
• A candidate that uses their ActBlue account associated with one office to fundraise for a different office

6. Criminal Activities and Misuse of Office

ActBlue requires individuals, committees, and organizations to fundraise for and engage in legal activities in compliance with federal, state, and local laws; regulations and ethics rules; and in furtherance of their stated tax-exempt purpose. Should ActBlue suspect that an individual, committee, or organization is using our platform to fundraise for or engage in illegal, unethical, or related activities, ActBlue reserves the right to suspend or terminate that individual or entity’s access to its platform. 

If candidates or organizations have been said to recently or repeatedly engage in criminal activity, ActBlue will gather the necessary information to make a decision case-by-case.

7. Improper Use of ActBlue Name and Technology

All entities must be committed to fostering sustainable, long-term fundraising programs with ActBlue donors through respectful and transparent fundraising practices. 

When evaluating whether an entity uses respectful and transparent fundraising practices, ActBlue considers:

• The entity’s stage of development and operational needs
• The entity’s track record and pattern of behavior
• The specific context and circumstances
• Donor feedback and complaint patterns

Entities that meet any of the following criteria are impermissible:

• An organization that violates our legal terms, policies, or public-facing guidelines
• An organization or candidate that uses the name “ActBlue” inappropriately, or in a disparaging manner, to raise money or in communication with their supporters, including:
  • Misrepresenting communications from ActBlue as being its own or pretending to speak on behalf of ActBlue
  • Undermining ActBlue by misrepresenting that a security or technical problem exists with the ActBlue platform 
  • An entity that uses ActBlue tools to commit fraud
• An entity that is out of compliance with acceptable use of ActBlue’s tools, including but not limited to ActBlue’s pre-set recurring form policy and ActBlue Express Lane tools
• An entity that breaches ActBlue security protocol
• An entity raising funds for or spending money on illegal activities 
• An entity that uses illegal, obscene, threatening, or defamatory content or content otherwise injurious to third parties

Entities must adhere to the following solicitation criteria. If an entity is the subject of repeated donor complaints about excessive or aggressive solicitations, the entity will be investigated and subject to appropriate corrective action:

• Entities must not misrepresent themselves as being another entity or use the name or likeness of any candidate, elected official, or organization in a manner that implies endorsement, affiliation, or authorization without documented written permission of that candidate, elected official, or organization
• Entities must not misrepresent that donations will directly benefit specific individuals
• All text and email fundraising solicitations must include the full name of the entity or established organizational acronym. Other abbreviations are not acceptable.
• Fundraising solicitations must make clear whether the donation is going to an organization or a candidate. 
• All contribution forms must include branding that contains the entity’s logo or name, and the form link must not be misleading.
  • If the entity is a PAC, contribution forms must make it clear that the donation is going to a PAC.
• All text and email fundraising solicitations may not include false or unsubstantiated claims, including references to fake voting records, insinuate expiration of non-existent memberships or subscriptions, or promote unverified matching programs.
  • If an entity advertises a matching program for contributions made through ActBlue, the entity must be able to provide documentation to ActBlue of such a program, upon request.

8. International Work, Sanctions, and Anti-Terrorism Policy

ActBlue vets all entities that engage in international work and could be sending funds raised through the platform to non-U.S. beneficiaries.

Entities engaging in international work need to meet the following criteria to be permissible: 

• Entities must have their own U.S. EIN (not operating via a fiscal sponsor)
• Entities must be headquartered (and have a mailing address) within the United States or its territories
• Entities must not fundraise directly or indirectly for foreign elections, government, military, or on behalf of international political parties or organizations
• Entities must not fundraise, directly or indirectly, on behalf of entities or individuals that are the target of U.S. sanctions or anti-terrorism measures. See ActBlue’s Terms of Service for more details

ActBlue requires all individuals and entities seeking to use our platform to comply with all applicable trade controls and anti-terrorism laws in their use of ActBlue’s platform. ActBlue follows all applicable international trade controls and anti-terrorism laws, regulations, rules, and executive orders.

The following are prohibited from using ActBlue’s platform or benefitting from fundraising undertaken through the platform, directly or indirectly:

• Entities designated on any restricted party list maintained by U.S. authorities that administer applicable international trade controls
• Entities affiliated with any person or entity designated on any restricted party list
• Entities that are operating in a country or territory that is subject to comprehensive country-wide or territory-wide sanctions, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, and Crimea regions of Ukraine.

Should ActBlue suspect that an individual or entity is using our platform in violation of trade controls or anti-terrorism laws, ActBlue reserves the right to suspend or terminate that entity’s access to its platform. See ActBlue’s Terms of Service for further details.

8. Anti-Harassment Policy

ActBlue deeply values taking care of and creating a safe, inclusive workplace for employees. ActBlue expects all entities that utilize its site and tools to treat employees with dignity, decency, and respect. Interactions between entity representatives and ActBlue employees must be absent of intimidation, oppression, and exploitation. ActBlue will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or repeated abusive behavior of any kind.

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*Entities= candidate and issue campaigns, committees, 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and other permissible organizations.

If you would like to report a possible violation of the Account Use Policy, please visit this page to learn more.