Fundraising is primarily done to cover the costs associated with running a campaign, such as advertising, travel, and staff salaries.

Government grants are not a source of campaign funds for federal elections. Individual contributions, PACs, and corporate donations are all common sources of campaign funds.

The maximum amount that an individual can contribute to a federal candidate's campaign is $2,900 per election.

The maximum amount that a PAC can contribute to a federal candidate's campaign is $5,000 per election.

Corporations are prohibited from contributing directly to federal candidates' campaigns.

Bundling is the practice of bundling individual contributions and donating them to a candidate in a single large sum.

A Super PAC is a political action committee that is not affiliated with a particular candidate or party.

An independent expenditure-only committee is a political action committee that can make independent expenditures but cannot coordinate with a candidate's campaign.

A 527 group is a political action committee that can make unlimited independent expenditures but must disclose its donors.

A dark money group is a political action committee that can make unlimited independent expenditures but does not have to disclose its donors.

Super PACs are political action committees that can raise unlimited amounts of money for a candidate's campaign.

Independent expenditures are political expenditures that are made independently of a candidate's campaign.

Dark money groups are political action committees that can make unlimited independent expenditures without disclosing the donors.

Dark money groups are political action committees that can make unlimited independent expenditures without disclosing the donors or the purpose of the expenditure.

Candidates face a number of challenges when fundraising for federal elections, including raising enough money to cover campaign expenses, complying with campaign finance laws, and dealing with negative attacks from opponents.