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How to read a funding disclosure

Last checked 6 November 2026 · 10 sources

Short answer

Read a funding disclosure by checking five things: the threshold that triggers a report, the period it covers, whether amounts are exact or in bands, what the law keeps off the public record, and who filed it. UK parties report donations above £11,180 each quarter 1. German lobby entries show spending in EUR 10,000 bands 5. US nonprofits other than private foundations need not name contributors 7. The UK foreign influence register leaves out enhanced tier details 8.
UK donation threshold, central party
Above £11,180 1
Australia federal threshold to 31 December 2026
More than $17,300 3
German lobby spending shown in
EUR 10,000 bands 5
US lobbying report cycle
Quarterly LD-2, semiannual LD-203 4
Open Payments release
On or by 30 June each year 10

1. Find the threshold

Every regime has a floor below which nothing is reported. A gap in a register can mean no money changed hands, or that each gift fell below the floor. UK parties report donations above £11,180, and several smaller gifts from one donor must be reported once together they pass the threshold 1. Australia's federal threshold is more than $17,300 to 31 December 2026 3. A US lobbying firm need not register for a client whose lobbying income stays at or below $3,500 a quarter 4.

2. Check the period

Disclosures cover set periods, and periods differ. UK party donations are filed quarterly 1. US lobbying activity reports are quarterly, and contribution reports cover half-years 4. Open Payments data covers a calendar program year and is released by 30 June of the next year 10. Compare like periods only. A quarterly figure and an annual figure cannot be set side by side without saying so.

3. Exact amounts or bands

Some registers publish exact sums. Others use ranges. Germany's lobby register shows lobbying spending in EUR 10,000 bands and funds from each client in EUR 50,000 bands 5. The EU Transparency Register asks registrants how they are funded and what resources they devote to lobbying 6. A band tells you the order of size, not the precise figure.

4. Know what the law keeps private

Each regime leaves some facts off the public record by design. The IRS says an exempt organization other than a private foundation is not required to disclose contributor names and addresses 7. The UK foreign influence register omits enhanced tier information except where it covers political influence 8. The UK company register never shows a person with significant control's home address 9. Northern Ireland donation data is published only from 1 July 2017 2.

5. Separate funding from ownership and control

A funding record shows who paid. It does not show who owns or directs the recipient. Ownership and control come from company registers, such as the UK test of more than 25% of shares or votes or the power to appoint most directors 9. Direction by a foreign power comes from foreign influence registers 8.

A short checklist

  • Who filed the record, and with which body? 2,4
  • What threshold applies, and for which period? 1,3
  • Are amounts exact or banded? 5
  • What does the law leave out? 7,8
  • Does the record show funding, ownership or control? 9

Common questions

Why is a donor missing from a register?

The gift may be below the threshold. UK parties report donations above £11,180, or above £2,230 for accounting units 1.

Are lobbying amounts exact?

Not always. Germany's register shows lobbying spending in EUR 10,000 bands 5.

Can I compare a quarterly and an annual figure?

Only with care. UK donation returns are quarterly 1, and Open Payments covers a full program year 10.

Does a funding record show who controls an organisation?

No. Control is shown in company registers, such as the UK people with significant control register 9.

Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@whofundswhat.com.

Sources

  1. Electoral Commission, republished by Wired-Gov: Political parties accept almost £65m in donations in 2025 (5 March 2026)
  2. Electoral Commission: Donations and loans
  3. Australian Electoral Commission: Disclosure threshold (updated 10 July 2025)
  4. Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House: Lobbying Disclosure Act Guidance (revised 28 February 2025)
  5. Gesetze im Internet: Gesetz zur Einführung eines Lobbyregisters für die Interessenvertretung gegenüber dem Deutschen Bundestag und gegenüber der Bundesregierung (Lobbyregistergesetz, LobbyRG)
  6. European Union: Transparency Register, Home
  7. Internal Revenue Service: Public disclosure and availability of exempt organizations returns and applications, Documents subject to public disclosure (reviewed 28 June 2026)
  8. Home Office: Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, registration and public register (updated 24 July 2025)
  9. Companies House: People with significant control (PSCs) (updated 30 July 2026)
  10. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: What is Open Payments?

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