The REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC)
is the nation’s largest, most successful, and most bipartisan political action committee. Your voluntary investment is used to improve your bottom line in several ways: Through issues mobilization, political advocacy, and by directly supporting candidates at the local, state, and federal levels of government who champion the ideals and principles of REALTORS®. RPAC is your best investment in real estate!
RPAC provides you with the opportunity to have a collective impact on the election of officials who will shape legislation that affects your livelihood and the way real estate professionals do business.
RPAC exists to give a voice to the policy interests of REALTORS® because where the voices of individuals can often be ignored, our cumulative voices provide the opportunity to inform our elected officials of the impact their legislative actions have on our business. It is important to get involved with RPAC as, like it or not, government and the political process directly impacts the ability of real estate professionals to be profitable. RPAC is the largest, most successful and most bipartisan PAC in the nation. As REALTORS®, we have two choices: We can either be players in the political process, or become victims of it. RPAC is how REALTORS® get and keep a seat at the table.
70% of each contribution is used by MASS RPAC to support state and local candidates. 30% is sent to National RPAC to support Federal candidates and is charged against your limits under 2 U.S.C. 441a. After the state PAC reaches its RPAC goal it will retain 100% of your contribution for use in supporting state and local candidates. “Contributions cannot exceed $500.00 to Mass RPAC, but you may contribute additional funds directly to NAR RPAC. Under federal and state law, only personal contributions can be for RPAC. If you wish to pay with corporate funds, 100% of your contribution will be directed to the NAR PAF, NAR’s Political Advocacy Fund, which utilizes the funds to support legislative advocacy efforts, other political and related administrative costs.
Contributions to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors® Political Action Committee (Mass RPAC) are not deductible for State and Federal income tax purposes. Contributions to RPAC are voluntary and are used for political purposes. The National Association of REALTORS® and its state and local associations will not favor or disadvantage any member because of the amount contributed or a decision not to contribute. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal. 100% of each personal contribution up to $500 is used by Mass RPAC to support state and local candidates. Any amount over $500 is sent to National RPAC to support Federal candidates and is charged against your limits under 52 U.S.C. § 30116. State regulations limit contributions to $500 maximum per individual to MASS RPAC in any calendar year. Under both Federal and State Law only personal contributions (checks not drawn from corporate accounts) can be donated to RPAC. If you wish to pay with corporate funds, 100% of your contribution will be directed to NAR’s Political Advocacy Fund, which utilizes the funds to engage in other federal political activities. Please call the Association Headquarters if you would like to make a corporate contribution.
RPACs have been around since 1944, when the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) formed the first one to raise money for the re-election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a popular term for a political committee organized by like-minded people for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. The PAC’s money must come from voluntary contributions from members rather than the member’s dues treasury. PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general, run-off or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee,and $5,000 annually to any other PAC. PACs may receive up to $5,000 from any one individual.
RPAC is the muscle behind MAR and NAR. RPAC represents over 352,000 politically active REALTORS around the country that are the voice of real estate on Beacon and Capitol Hill. Legislative and regulatory successes include:
The continued preservation of the mortgage interest
Tax relief benefiting the real estate
Improving federal mortgage programs, allowing more families to join the ranks of home
Eliminating burdensome regulations inhibiting environmental quality and healthy real estate markets.
Investing in RPAC at the state level ensures that the over 200 State Senators and Representatives hear the REALTOR® voice at the local level and represent the interests of real estate professionals and home owners. Massachusetts has PAC laws limiting contributions from individuals to $500, encouraging grassroots-level political action such as RPAC. That is why every investment to RPAC, from $1 to $500, makes a difference and helps preserves property rights in the Commonwealth.
100% of your contribution is used to elect pro-REALTOR® candidates: 70% remains in the state to be used in state and local elections. 30% of your contribution will be forwarded to National RPAC to fund key U.S. House and Senate races.Until your state PAC reaches its RPAC goal 30% is sent to National RPAC to support federal candidates and is charged against your limits under 2 U.S.C. 441a; after the state PAC reaches its RPAC goal it may elect to retain your entire contribution for use in supporting state and local candidates. RPAC is neither a Republican nor a Democratic organization. Instead, your contribution to RPAC is a vote for the REALTOR® Party
The dollar goal of the National RPAC, set by the National Trustees, is $15 per year per NAR member. At least $4.50 of that goes to the National RPAC. This goal is called a “fair share.” To ensure that all states contribute their fair share to the RPAC effort, a states’ annual goal is determined by the number of members in that state based on the November 30 membership report. The National RPAC accounting year runs from January 1 to December 31.
According to federal election law, RPAC can solicit only individual members — i.e., non-corporate members of NAR and their families. The term “members” means all individuals who currently satisfy the requirements for membership in any one of the local, state, and/or the National Association and regularly pay dues.Executive, administrative and management personnel of the local, state and/or national associations are also considered under the NAR constitution to be members of the association and are solicitable even though they may not pay association dues.
No. Contributions used for political purposes are not tax deductible on your federal income taxes.
Under the cooperative agreements in effect between the National RPAC and the state association’s Political Action Committees, the responsibility for making contributions to federal candidates is assigned to the national RPAC, while state association’s Political Action Committees decide which state and local candidates to support.
No. Under federal election law, the earmarking of contributions is illegal.If you are interested in directly giving to a candidate as an individual, click here to find out more about the President’s Circle and Direct Giver Programs.
The National Trustees’ policy is to act only on requests sent from state associations and signed off on by the state trustees. Once the national trustees receive these requests, they have four options: Amend, Approve, Deny or Defer.
Recommendations from State RPAC Trustees
NAR congressional voting records and analyses of incumbent members of Congress
Campaign intelligence reports provided by the NAR political and legislative staff.
No. The National RPAC Trustees’ policy is to only contribute to one candidate in any given election. However, the use of In-State Reception funds and D.C. Reception Funds does not necessarily count as a dual contribution if a challenger is supported by the National RPAC. Again, these are relationship-building monies.
The National RPAC maintains voluntary cooperative agreements with the state association’s Political Action Committees. States retain 70% of the money they collect for the support of state and local candidates and send 30% to the national RPAC for use in supporting federal candidates. Until your state PAC reaches its RPAC goal 30% is sent to National RPAC to support federal candidates and is charged against your limits under 2 U.S.C. 441a; after the state PAC reaches its RPAC goal it may elect to retain your entire contribution for use in supporting state and local candidates.
Hard money has many restrictions on how it is raised and spent and must be fully reported to the Federal Election Commission. Hard money is raised from individuals, who can contribute up to $1,000 directly to a federal candidate per election and $5,000 to a Political Action Committee, like RPAC, per year. RPAC can contribute $5,000 to a federal candidate per election. RPAC can only accept money from individuals. Soft money is raised from corporations, unions and individuals. Federal candidates cannot accept soft money.
Soft money is raised by party organizations, unions, corporations and associations. There are no limitations on the amount of soft money a corporation or individual can contribute, nor any limitation on the amount of soft money an organization can spend. Unlike RPAC, NAR can accept corporate contributions, which can then be used to communicate with our membership about a candidate through opportunity races or used for issue advocacy.
REALTOR® Association of Central Massachusetts
492 Washington St, Auburn, MA 01501
(508) 832 – 6600
Copyright 2024
RACM’s MISSION: Empower members with the resources to achieve professional success.
RACM’s VISION: The benchmark for excellence in the real estate industry.
The term REALTOR® is a registered, collective membership mark that identifies members as a professional who subscribes to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice set forth by the National Association of REALTORS®.
