When support is given to a non-party campaigner to help them meet certain costs, this is defined as sponsorship. Under the law, different rules apply to these donations.
Sponsorship is support given to a non-party campaigner that helps them meet the costs of:
any conference, meeting or other event (including digital conferences or events)
the preparation, production, or distribution of a publication (print or digital), or
admission charges for conferences, meetings or other event
the purchase price of any publication
commercial rate payments for adverts in publications
The exemption only applies up to the commercial value of adverts which appear in publications. An example of this exemption is a publication which sets out a non-party campaigner’s aims, such as a manifesto ahead of an election.
Payments for any other type of advertising, such as banners at an event or digital advertising at a virtual event, should be treated as sponsorship if they help meet the cost of the event.
Advertising payments that do not help to meet the costs of an event or publication in any way do not count as sponsorship. For example, if you sell advertising space for your online event and do not incur any direct costs for the event.
However, if someone pays more than the commercial value of an advert, the difference between what they pay, and the commercial value will be a donation. Any amounts paid for adverts in publications above the commercial rate will not be exempt and will be considered a donation if the value exceeds £500.3
Where a payment does not amount to sponsorship, it may still be a donation if it meets the definition of a donation under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).
1. Schedule 11, paragraph 3(1) & (2) Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA)↩ Back to content at footnote 1