A cash contribution is a monetary donation to a committee. For the full legal and procedural requirements for reporting campaign finance transactions, see the Campaign Finance Manual.

Required Information

To file a Cash Contribution transaction, you’ll need the following information:

• The date the contribution was received
• The amount of the contribution
• The name and address of the contributor
• For individual contributors, their occupational information

Steps to File a Cash Contribution

1. Log into ORESTAR and navigate to your committee’s Private Workshop.
2. Click on the Campaign Finance button to the right of the committee name. The page will default to the committee’s Account Summary page.
3. Click on the Transactions tab to go to your Transaction Queue.
4. Click on Add to enter a new transaction.
5. Enter the data into the fields from top to bottom.
6. Enter the transaction date by clicking the button to the right of the Transaction Date field. A calendar will appear. Use the arrows to navigate between months and years.
   1. The date of the contribution is the date it was received in the committee’s physical custody or the date the committee can access funds via an online merchant.
7. Select Transaction Type as Contribution and the Sub Type as Cash Contribution.
8. In the Contributor/Payee field, enter the name of the contributing entity. Contributors saved in the Address Book will display as you type. To add a new contributor, click Add.
9. In the Amount field, enter the amount of the contribution without a dollar sign.
10. A description and/or purpose is not required, but if entered, it will display to the public.
11. An Occupation Letter needs to be sent if a contribution is received without the required occupational information. The letter can be sent by mail or email within seven (7) calendar days after receiving the contribution. The letter’s purpose is to receive the missing Occupation information. 
12. If required, enter the Occupation Letter Date by clicking the button to the right of the field and selecting the date from the calendar.
13. The Notes field is not required and will not display to the public; it will only be visible to the committee and the Elections Division.
14. After all required fields for a transaction are complete, click on Validate near the top of the page.
15. Click File. Read the attestation and click File again.