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What is a PAC Solicitation?

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Corporations and trade associations may solicit funds for their PACs only from a restricted class of employees or members.

So just what is a “solicitation”? (I’ll address “restricted class” in a subsequent post.)

Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules and court decisions construing what constitutes a solicitation for the PAC are surprisingly broad. An e-mail or letter asking employees or members to write a check or sign up for payroll deduction is clearly a solicitation. But many other activities such as routine government relations or grassroots web sites or newsletters and conference or meeting invitations can easily include inadvertent PAC solicitations.FEC4

Among the examples the FEC has concluded are solicitations are:

• A simple announcement of the time, location, and featured guest for a PAC fundraiser (AO 1976-27);
• Disclosure of the fact that the PAC may accept unsolicited contributions;
• Mentioning a PAC fundraiser in a convention mailing (AO 1976-27);
• Setting up a PAC Booth at a convention (unless contributions from non-restricted class members are declined)(AO 1976-96 and TK);
• Praising employees who have contributed to the PAC (AO 1979-13).

The FEC recently summed up its PAC solicitation rule by saying that communications that “encourage” or “facilitate” contributions to a PAC are solicitations.

In a somewhat surprising development a U.S. District Court recently concluded the “encourage or facilitate” test may not go far enough. The court ordered the FEC to explain why it did not also prohibit communications merely “informing” persons of fundraising activity as solicitations. (Utility Workers v. FEC, DDC 2010)

These rules can be particularly problematic for trade associations due to the “prior approval” requirement for soliciting employees of member corporations. Many announcements that association managers might consider routine (and even necessary) communications with members (such as publicly thanking members who contributed to the PAC) can run afoul of the very broad solicitation standard.

Aristotle’s professional services professionals can assist PACs in navigating the solicitation rules in their fundraising campaigns, web sites, newsletters, and other communications, helping craft effective and fully compliant PAC campaigns. Please contact Jeff Ashe (803-524-2198), Katie Anderson (202-758-9218) or Dave Mason (202-543-8345, x 242) on the professional services team for a review of your PAC communications and advice about making your PAC more effective while keeping it compliant.

David M. Mason, J.D.,
Senior Vice President, Compliance Services

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PAC reporting tools to manage your data with ease

Friday, August 27th, 2010

Aristotle 360 has an effective system tool called the PAC Management Reports. To get there, navigate to “PAC Management Reports” under the Reporting tab and you will see five new reports that can help you quickly assess your PAC data.

Mgmt reports edited

The Payroll Variance Report allows you to compare your member’s contributions to the PAC from a specified date range. This has been very useful for clients who like to check on the monthly progress of the PAC contributions. The PDF output file is clean and crisp, which comes in handy for those unexpected presentations.  Each report can be exported into PDF or CSV(Comma Separated Value) files for easy output.

Another useful report is the PAC Summary Report. It gives you both an analysis and a breakdown of money being contributed to your PAC as well as money that you are spending and disbursing to candidate committees.

These reports are great features that simplify your data management. We encourage all PAC Software clients to check them out. Feel free to contact us with any questions!

Shawn Rahmani
Senior Project Manager, PAC Software

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It’s All in the Details – Helpful Hint #1 from Your Aristotle Support Staff

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

How many times has someone told you a story and at the end of it, having not understood any of it, your first thought was, “Hmm, a little more details would have been nice”?

Yes, it has happened to most of us, even those of us on the story-telling side. Those of you nodding your head, either flush with guilt or experiencing a sudden sense of déjà vu, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Those of you not nodding your head, probably because you’ve somehow been able to avoid a situation like that, consider yourselves lucky.

Well, this type of situation happens here in Support, too. One of the best ways to help us be prepared when we contact you, as well as even help expedite a solution, is to be as detailed as possible when you are contacting us. If we receive an email with a question but no mention of the campaign or PAC you are with, or even the software you are working with, it’s hard sometimes for us to quickly and effectively determine a forward moving direction towards a solution.

So when you send an email to us here in Support, please include those important details, such as your name and contact information, which campaign or PAC you’re with, the software you’re using, and a brief explanation of the issue you are having.

We are always there for your questions and concerns, and the more we know right from the top, the quicker we can get to the bottom of a successful solution.

Adam Greenfield
Technical Support Representative

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Post-Conference Blues

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

In the past, when I would get home from the annual PAC Conference or Innovate to Motivate, I would go through a series of withdrawal emotions – first, exhaustion.

Sessions all day and “networking” all night, I always needed to catch up on sleep. Once I was back at work, I would feel overwhelmed. There on my desk would be the large binder with notes, session information, legal questions and contacts I didn’t want to forget. Anxiety would set in, then reality – I had a job to do and I needed to catch up on emails, so I would push that large pile over to the corner until I had time.

We never have time. Our jobs, especially in light of the last year, have increasingly become more hectic and multidimensional. After almost 10 years of attending the winter conferences, I have some advice to pass along that I was given while I was managing the U.S. Chamber’s PAC.

  1. Make the effort to stay in touch with new contacts. Even something as simple as friending new contacts on Facebook helps. You never know if you will need something, or more importantly, can help someone else. Or who will become your friends outside of the industry. In 2002, I was six months on the job, just out of college and arrived to my first conference early. I had lunch with Sheree Anne Kelly with the Public Affairs Council to learn more about the conference. Eight years later, I am still grateful for that lunch and the natural friendship that followed. PS. Congrats to SA for her recent promotion!!
  2. Read your notes again. This may seem weird but I would take the notes from sessions and open up a document and type. What this did was allow me to see what I thought was important to remember and to look at that piece of information, after the conference, to see if it really was still relevant to what my PAC could do and what it was already doing. There are so many great ideas but you can’t incorporate them all. Take the top few and think about how to make them work for your PAC.
  3. Audit. There are more audits than just financial. Have an outsider look at what you do – communicating with PAC members, how you raise money, which events work, who you write checks to and the effect it has for your organization. I would ask someone from the outside to look in – either a recent contact or, if you really want to jumpstart your PACs potential, an organization with experience, such as Aristotle. Our PAC staff has actively managed some of the most successful PACs in the country and the knowledge pooled together has had amazing results for our clients.

Lastly, I still have my notes from the last nine years of conferences and all the binders and session handouts that seemed relevant to my career. Yes, I’m a proud nerd. My last suggestion is to keep what matters and what you can see yourself using over the years. Although I was sad to miss my first conference season in my career, I am thoroughly enjoying my newest challenge, motherhood. And I can’t wait to bring the little man along next year to meet all of the amazing friends I have made over the years.

Theresa Brown

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Posted in Events, Fundraising, Grassroots, PAC, Staff | No Comments »

Support Women in Public Office: WUFPAC

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

One of my dearest friends and former Aristotle colleague, Jessica Grounds, is President of WUFPAC (Women Under Forty Political Action Committee).  WUFPAC is known for supporting women forty years of age and under running for state and federal public office.  WUFPAC is a wonderful group to support and if you have not done so, try to attend one of their events this fall. 

WUFPAC’s mission is twofold:

 * To help elect more young women to elected office so that young women have an equal voice in shaping public policy.

* To build the seniority of women in Congress by electing women at a young age.

 WUFPAC supports candidates who are committed to empowering young women to succeed.  They are hosting an event, in September, celebrating 10 years of supporting women.  The event will be held on September 24th from 6:30pm-8:30pm.  Wear your best Alma mater gear to the event!

Date: September 24, 2009

Where: 230 2nd Street, SE Washington, DC

Costs:  Individuals- $35.00

Hosts-$500.00

PAC’s-$1,000

PAC Event Sponsor-$5,000

Tickets: Can be purchased at www.wufpac.org

Hope to see you there! Feel free to email me with questions.

- Lindsey Brooks

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We’re Hiring: Compliance and Technical Support

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Help us spread the word! E-mail all resumes to careers@aristotle.com.

Compliance Specialist (San Diego, CA or Washington, DC)

The Compliance Specialist researches new and changing requirements for the filing of federal and state political financial disclosure reports.  The Compliance Specialist drafts documentation and specifications for the programming team to update reports within Aristotle’s proprietary software products.       

  • Participates in quality assurance testing
  • Interfaces with state and federal election and campaign finance officials
  • Provides technical guidance to staff and customers regarding compliance matters
  • Creates and manages technical compliance documentation
  • Works closely with programmers, support teams and customers to identify and resolve compliance questions

Job Requirements:

  • College degree
  • Previous experience in election/finance compliance operations
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work in a deadline driven environment
  • Extreme attention to detail
  • Any programming experience is a plus

Technical Support Representative (Washington, DC)

The Technical Support Representative provides phone and e-mail support for issues pertaining to Aristotle software and data products.  Moreover, they serve as a front line support professional helping candidate committees, state parties, political action committees and voter data users troubleshoot and solve problems.

Job Functions:

  • Troubleshoot, resolve and respond to client questions received via phone and e-mail
  • Provide quality telephone and e-mail support with a high degree of customer service, technical expertise and timeliness
  • Display teamwork with Senior Tech Support Representatives and other departments
  • Maintain current knowledge of all product offerings and technical support procedures in order to provide accurate and timely information and solutions to customers
  • Accurately document client information and detailed problem/issue description(s) as well as troubleshooting steps and resolutions
  • Provide training on specific tasks in Aristotle applications
  • Available to work extended and weekend hours as needed

Job Requirements:

  • Minimum two years software help desk experience
  • BA/BS preferred
  • Microsoft or similar computer-related certifications a plus
  • Knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server, FoxPro and SQL a plus
  • Excellent troubleshooting, problem solving, judgment and communication a must
  • Ability to present technical information to non-technical audiences a must
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Want to Join our Team?

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Help us spread the word — we are hiring for PAC professionals!  Please see the description below and if you are interested, let me know or tell a friend.  Join a fun, extremely intelligent team of public affairs professionals — and be featured on this very blog!

Senior PAC Outsourcing Manager and PAC Outsourcing Manager positions available!

Responsibilities

Perform day-to-day compliance manager activities required to effectively manage our client’s PACs, including handling all client communications, approving checks, importing data, reviewing federal and state compliance reports, compiling management reports and performing compliance research.  Provide outstanding customer service, establish positive relationships with clients and continuously meet their expectations for PAC outsourcing needs.  Takes initiative in fulfilling assignments in deadline driven environment, actively seeks ways to accomplish tasks, and is proactive.  Ability to manage multiple accounts and juggle several responsibilities at one time.  Great position for former FEC analysts, PAC Managers, and financial managers.

Requirements

  • 2-4+ years experience in campaign finance, bookkeeping and/or disclosure filing.
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
  • Extensive knowledge and understanding of FEC/State disclosure and compliance issues.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Outstanding customer service skills.
  • Experience in FEC file, Aristotle 360 or PAC Manager a plus.

Please send salary requirements with resume and cover letter directly to: theresa.brown@aristotle.com.

For a complete list of openings at Aristotle, click here.

– Theresa Brown

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Princeton in DC

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

I’m constantly humbled and impressed by the talent at Aristotle. One of the best parts of my job is welcoming new team members into the fold.

This summer, we brought five young men and women from Princeton University on board for our summer intern program. As a Princeton alum myself I’m probably biased (go tigers!), but I’m pretty sure we have the brightest team of DC summer interns around:

 
Aristotle hosts a Princeton-in-Washington Intern Lunch, July 14, 2009

Aristotle hosts a Princeton-in-Washington Intern Lunch, July 14, 2009

 

From left to right:

Ting Lin (Marketing) was born in China but grew up in New York City. She will graduate in June 2010 from Princeton University with a Bachelors Degree in Economics with a minor in East Asian Studies. She spent the last two summers in China and Japan studying Chinese and Japanese. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, cooking and singing. Through her internship with Aristotle, Ting hopes to entertain the entire staff with her great sense of humor, but also gain insights into politics and marketing, as well as a personal assessment of her own career goals.

Emily Reynolds (Professional Services) is a Politics major with a certificate in European Cultural Studies. She is a gifted athlete with the Princeton Crew team, having earned a Gold Medal in the Junior World Championship for rowing in Austria. In her spare time, Emily enjoys tennis, sailing, reading and traveling.

Sarah Cornfeld (Marketing) is a rising star, a junior at Princeton University, majoring in Politics with a focus on the American political system. Her experience conducting research for the CBS Evening News at the DC News Bureau last summer convinced her to study political science and to return to the nation’s capital. When not in the library, Sarah can be found playing soccer, registering students to vote, meeting up with friends, or visiting her family in Bethesda, Maryland.

Sauhard Sahi (R&D) is entering his senior year this fall at Princeton University, pursuing a Bachelor of Science & Engineering degree in Computer Science. He is passionate about new and emerging technologies, and likes to read about and discuss politics. In the past, he has interned in the Applied Computer Science & Mathematics division of Merck & Co, as well as two research labs at Princeton. In his free time, he enjoys watching movies, playing video games, talking to friends, meeting new people, and visiting new places!

Huanqi Deng (R&D) is an ORFE major at Princeton University. He has lived in Northern Virginia for over a decade, and his passions include ballroom dance, running, and photography. Huanqi’s previous work experience consisted of analyzing brain imaging data at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. This summer, Huanqi helped build out the voter-facing web services of Aristotle’s 360.

All – thanks for your hard work this summer. It’s been great to have you on board.

If you’re interested in intern opportunities or learning more about Aristotle, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@aristotle.com.

And as a final note about my college days, remind me to tell you the story of my old job as the Princeton Tigers mascot. Until then, I leave you with this:

John Aristotle Phillips at Princeton

John Aristotle Phillips at Princeton

John Aristotle Phillips, CEO

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Happy Birthday Theresa!

Monday, July 27th, 2009

Scott Castleman with his wife, Jill, and their daughter, Sadie

Scott Castleman with his wife, Jill, and their daughter, Sadie

Theresa has two cakes!

Theresa has two cakes!

Members of the Aristotle Professional Services Department attended a fun evening with lots of great food at Theresa Kuhns‘ 30th birthday bash last Saturday.  A seafood boil, hot dogs, corn on the cob and macaroni salad were on the menu — and don’t forget the s’mores!  The kids played with sidewalk chalk and amused themselves with the hammock.

Happy birthday Theresa!

Amy Meli and her husband, Brian

Amy Meli and her husband, Brian

The kids play in the hammock.

The kids play in the hammock.

– Stephanie Mikos

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Professional Services Family Update

Friday, July 10th, 2009

In past jobs, I have found the team you work with can make or break your experience. Your colleagues become a second family and Aristotle is no exception. As with every family, there are causes for celebration and tears throughout the year.

Here is a Q2 update on the Professional Services family at Aristotle:

Our newest members

We welcomed a new addition, Cali Christ, to the family on May 4th. Cali was 7 lbs and 10 oz. Congratulations to Rob and Sarah; we can’t wait to meet the little one in August!

Cali-christ

Expect more newborn pictures this fall as the department has two baby bumps. Kristi Yarnell and her husband Derrick are expecting their second child, a little boy, this October to join their daughter Sara.

Meanwhile, yours truly and my husband Alex expect our first this Thanksgiving.

Wedding bells will ring

Congratulations to our grassroots guru Francoise and her fiancé Jefferson on their recent engagement! The wedding is expected to take place in late 2009. Love birds won’t be the only ones tweeting as we’ll try to bring the event live via Twitter.

francoise-jefferson

Now the tears

It’s nearly impossible to say goodbye to a talented, highly professional colleague and, most importantly, a great friend. We’re sad to see Kristi move on, but we are excited about her opportunity and hope we will work together again in the future. If nothing else, we do expect visitation rights with little Dyson. Best of luck Kristi, you will do a superb job.

kristi-family

Article by Theresa Brown Kuhns – Director of PAC Outsourcing

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