Online Fundraising
Funds processed through ActBlue and WinRed by U.S. election cycle, 2006–2024
ActBlue processed $4.3 billion during the 2019–2020 presidential election cycle, the highest single-cycle total for either platform
ActBlue processed $3.8 billion in the 2023–2024 cycle, its second-highest total
WinRed processed $1.8 billion in its third full election cycle, up 50% from the 2022 midterms
ActBlue processed $16 million in its first full election cycle, two years after its founding in 2004
Funds Processed by Election Cycle ($ Millions)
Comparative Dataset
Context
ActBlue launched in 2004 as an online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates and progressive organizations. It operates as a conduit: donors contribute directly to campaigns through the platform, and all donations are reported as individual contributions under FEC rules. In its first full election cycle (2006), ActBlue processed $16 million. By 2020, that figure had grown to $4.3 billion, a more than 250-fold increase over fourteen years.
WinRed launched in June 2019 as the Republican counterpart to ActBlue, after years in which Republican candidates relied on a patchwork of smaller online fundraising tools. In its first presidential cycle (2020), WinRed processed approximately $2.1 billion. The platform's total grew to $1.8 billion in the 2024 cycle, a 50% increase over the $1.2 billion raised in the 2022 midterms.
Both platforms experienced sharp swings between presidential and midterm cycles. ActBlue's total fell 48% from $4.3 billion in 2020 to $2.2 billion in 2022, then rebounded to $3.8 billion in 2024. WinRed followed a similar pattern, dropping 43% from 2020 to 2022 before recovering in 2024. Presidential cycles consistently generate higher online fundraising totals, reflecting broader voter engagement and higher-profile races.
Citations & Data Sources
- 01.
Federal Election Commission. ActBlue Committee Overview — 2005–2006 Cycle. FEC filing for ActBlue (C00401224) showing $16.0 million in total receipts for the 2005–2006 election cycle
www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00401224/?cycle=2006 - 02.
Federal Election Commission. ActBlue Committee Overview — 2007–2008 Cycle. FEC filing for ActBlue (C00401224) showing $54.6 million in total receipts for the 2007–2008 election cycle
www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00401224/?cycle=2008 - 03.
Ballotpedia. ActBlue — Revenue by Election Cycle. Revenue table compiled from FEC filings: $63.9M (2010), $151.1M (2012), $280.3M (2014), $694.7M (2016), $1,262M (2018), $4,318M (2020), $2,227M (2022), $3,821M (2024)
ballotpedia.org/ActBlue - 04.
ActBlue. Celebrating ActBlue's 20th Year Anniversary. ActBlue's own account of its history, noting $19 million raised in its first three years (2004–2007) and more than $13.6 billion cumulative through mid-2024
www.actblue.com/posts/celebrating-actblues-20th-year-anniversary - 05.
WinRed. WinRed Processes $3.3 Billion Since Launch. WinRed reported processing $1.2 billion from 2.5 million donors in the 2022 midterm cycle. Cumulative total of $3.3 billion since the platform's June 2019 launch, implying approximately $2.1 billion in the 2020 cycle
winred.com/blog/2022-cycle-numbers - 06.
WinRed. 2024 Cycle Recap — $1.8B Raised By Republicans. WinRed processed $1.8 billion from 4.5 million donors in the 2024 cycle, a 50% increase over the 2022 midterms and 68% more donors than the prior cycle
winred.com/blog/2024-cycle - 07.
Ballotpedia. WinRed — Financial Summary. FEC-filed receipts for WinRed (C00694323): $2.14B (2020), $662.2M (2022), $1.26B (2024). Note: FEC receipts may differ from self-reported processing totals due to conduit reporting differences
ballotpedia.org/WinRed