FUND OUR WORK

SUPPORT WORKING-CLASS LEADERS

Running for office costs money, and working-class candidates are often expected to figure everything out themselves. Community First gives them practical campaign support and shared resources. Your contribution helps pay for that work.

Your donation supports candidate assistance and the basic infrastructure Community First needs to provide it across New Hampshire.

JOIN THE COALITION

PUT MORE WORKING PEOPLE IN THE ROOM

Getting working-class people elected also takes people willing to help. Community First organizes volunteers across New Hampshire and connects them with candidates who need support.

Join us and help working people represent their communities.

JOIN THE VOLUNTEER ROSTER

frequently asked questions

Donations pay for candidate support, volunteer organizing, shared campaign tools, communications, printing, and the basic costs of running Community First.

No. Community First is a political organization, so contributions are not charitable donations and are not tax-deductible.

Yes. New Hampshire allows an individual or corporation to contribute up to $30,000 per election cycle to a non-candidate political committee like Community First.

Political committees report their contributions to the New Hampshire Secretary of State. If your total contributions are $50 or less during an election cycle, your personal identifying information is not made public in the state campaign finance system.

Yes. You do not need to live in New Hampshire. Federal law prohibits contributions from foreign nationals, though U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may contribute even if they live elsewhere.

Yes. Recurring donations help Community First cover ongoing expenses and plan support ahead of time. Your total contributions still count toward the applicable contribution limit. If you want to give monthly you can also signed up to be a Governing Member.

Donations to Community First support the coalition’s work as a whole. We decide where to use those resources based on our candidate support and endorsement process.

You should give directly to candidates you believe in.

A contribution to Community First does something different. It helps create resources that can serve many working-class candidates over time. A website system, volunteer network, campaign template, piece of equipment, or staff capacity can be used again instead of disappearing when one campaign ends.

Pooling contributions also lets us provide useful support to candidates who may not have enough money to purchase it themselves.

Giving a candidate money helps that campaign once. Shared infrastructure can help that candidate and the candidates who come after them. Community First pools contributions so campaign knowledge, tools, volunteer networks, and professional support can be used across campaigns instead of being rebuilt every election.

The political committee structure makes this possible because campaign support can take the form of services and other resources as well as direct financial contributions. This allows people with modest means to combine what they have and provide working-class candidates with support that would otherwise be available mainly to candidates with money or established political networks.

PAC is a legal structure for raising and spending money in elections. Some use that structure to give wealthy donors and private interests more influence over government.

Community First uses it to pool resources for working-class candidates. That can mean money, but it can also mean campaign tools, professional help, volunteers, printing, technology, and other support a candidate would otherwise have to pay for or build alone.

We disclose where our money comes from and where it goes. Donors do not control our endorsements or the candidates we support.

No. Governing Membership is a separate way to take part in Community First and includes a regular member contribution and voting rights. You can choose Governing Membership when you take the Community First Pledge.

Absolutely. Join the Volunteer Roster and we’ll connect you with Community First work and candidates who need help.

Sometimes. New Hampshire allows contributions from corporations, but different rules apply to partnerships, labor organizations, and some other entities. Contact us before making an organizational contribution so we can make sure it can be accepted. RSA 664:4 specifically says contributions may be made by an “individual or corporation,” while direct contributions by partnerships and labor unions are prohibited.