Who can make a contribution:
You can accept contributions only from individuals who are normally resident in Ontario. Corporations and trade unions are no longer permitted to make contributions to candidates.
If your spouse is not normally a resident in Ontario, they can still make contributions to your campaign. They may not make contributions to any other candidate.
Groups such as clubs, associations or ratepayer’s groups are not eligible to make contributions. The members of these groups may make individual contributions from their personal funds (as long as they are residents of Ontario).
Who cannot make a contribution:
The following individuals and organizations are not permitted to make contributions to municipal council and school board campaigns:
a corporation
a trade union
an individual who is not normally resident in Ontario
a federal political party, constituency association, or a registered candidate in a federal election
a provincial political party, constituency association, or a registered candidate or leadership contestant
a federal or provincial government, a municipality or a school board
When you can receive contributions:
You can only accept contributions after you have filed your nomination, and you cannot accept contributions after your campaign period has finished. Any contributions received outside the campaign period must be returned to the contributor. If you cannot return the contribution to the contributor, you must turn it over to the clerk.
Contribution limits:
There is a $1,200 limit that applies to contributions from individuals. If a person makes more than 1 contribution (e.g. contributes money, contributes goods, and purchases a ticket to a fundraising event), the total value of all the contributions cannot exceed $1,200.
If you are running for mayor in the City of Toronto, the limit is $2,500.
The maximum total amount that a contributor can give to candidates in the same jurisdiction (i.e. running for the same council or the same school board) is $5,000.
You are required to inform every contributor of the contribution limits. An easy way to make sure that this is done is to include the contribution limits on the receipt that you provide for each contribution.
Only a contribution that is $25 or less can be made in cash. All contributions above $25 must be made by cheque, money order or by a method that clearly shows where the funds came from (such as certain debit, credit or electronic transfer transactions).
