Budget worksheet
From GOP Kit (https://gopkit.com). Free to copy and change. A first budget for a local race. The amounts are yours to fill in; this sheet gives you the lines and the order. Your treasurer keeps the official records; this is the planning copy.
Candidate: ______________________ Office: ______________________ Election Day: ____________
Dates that drive the budget
| What | Date | Money needed by |
|---|---|---|
| Committee registered | ||
| Filing deadline | ||
| Announcement | ||
| First finance report due | ||
| Yard signs ordered | ||
| First mailer drops | ||
| Early voting begins | ||
| Election Day | ||
| Final report due |
Report dates and what they require come from your state or county agency. Campaign Compliance Hub (https://campaigncompliancehub.com) links each one.
Money out
| Line | Estimate | Actual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filing fee | |||
| Website and domain | |||
| Campaign phone number | |||
| Photos | |||
| Palm cards / literature | |||
| Yard signs and stakes | |||
| Large signs or banner | |||
| Mailer 1 (print + postage) | |||
| Mailer 2 | |||
| Social media ads | |||
| Event costs (venue, food, coffee) | |||
| Donation processing fees | |||
| Bank fees | |||
| Election Day (food, gas, signs) | |||
| Thank-you notes and postage | |||
| Other | |||
| Total out |
Money in
| Source | Target | Raised so far | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate's own contribution | |||
| First twenty calls | |||
| House parties / coffees | |||
| Online giving | |||
| Events | |||
| Other | |||
| Total in |
The gap
Total in minus total out: ______________________
If the gap is negative, cut from the bottom of the money-out list first (ads and second mailers) and add calls to the top of the money-in list.
Weekly check (every Sunday)
- Every gift recorded with the donor fields your treasurer needs
- Every expense recorded with a receipt
- Next report date on the calendar and the records ready for it
- Estimate vs actual updated above
Keep in mind
Limits on what any one person can give, what you must report and when, and who you cannot take money from all depend on your office and your state. Read them from the official source, linked from Campaign Compliance Hub, before the first dollar arrives.