Political Action & ACPAC
ACPAC, ACA’s political action committee, was established in the 1970s to pool contributions from ACA members interested in supporting candidates for federal office who understand and support important collection industry issues.
What is ACPAC?
ACPAC is ACA International's Political Action Committee (PAC). ACPAC was established in the 1970s to pool voluntary contributions from ACA members interested in supporting candidates for federal office with a pro-business message. Through this pooling of resources, members of ACA can build relationships with those office seekers who understand and support the needs of the credit and collection industry.
Why should I get involved with ACPAC?
Legislative affairs and political advocacy go hand in hand within the government affairs program. To have an impact on Capitol Hill, you must have strong grassroots communications and political influence enhanced by financial support. ACPAC is your resource to financially support candidates that advocate for positive public policy affecting the credit and collections industry, and the government affairs team at ACA is your foundation for legislative grassroots and lobbying efforts.
Why are members being asked to contribute?
Federal election laws prohibit corporations and membership associations from making contributions in connection with federal elections. However, political action committees are allowed to financially support candidates with money raised from voluntary, personal contributions from individual ACA members.
In addition, individual contributions to a federal candidate are limited by federal election law to $4,600 per two-year election cycle, but PACs may give a candidate up to $10,000 in the same period. Combining ACA member contributions through ACPAC increases the impact of your individual donation and helps to strengthen relationships with elected officials.
What are the benefits of joining ACPAC?
Your individual participation provides the collective means for ACA to be part of a larger group that is concerned about the future of the collections industry, giving ACA and its members a stronger voice in the legislative process.
If you haven't already, please consider printing and faxing back the Solicitation Release Form (SRF). Signing the form does not obligate you to contribute to ACPAC, but it will allow you to receive information on ACPAC news and events. MAP and CI members are not required to sign the SRF.
To whom does ACPAC contribute?
ACPAC is nonpartisan and financial support to candidates is based on the following criteria:
Voting Record and Prior Experience. Does the candidate present a strong commitment to ACA's agenda through a voting record on relevant legislation or prior related experience?
Relevance. Does the elected official hold a leadership position or sit on a committee of jurisdiction for legislation relating to the credit and collection industry?
Competitiveness. How competitive is the candidate's district? What key business issues are at play in the district? Does the candidate have a realistic chance of winning?
Need. How much cash does the candidate have on hand? What will the monetary need be to help ensure election?
How can my unit help?
Unit leaders, on behalf of ACPAC, can collect contributions for the PAC at unit events. In addition, unit members are encouraged to hold ACPAC fundraising events. For more information on holding an ACPAC event, please e-mail acpac@acainternational.org or call (952) 928-8000, ext. 104.
