FEC filings through Sep 30, 2026 · FEC bulk filing data · committee C00853010 · files quarterly
SummaryAt a glance
Why it exists
No statement of purpose found on its site.
Money
$455.4K raised, $428.2K spent, $3.1K cash on hand (through Sep 30, 2026). Where it comes from
Who funds it
99.9% filed as other receipts · largest donor Caroline Welles, $283.6K. See who funds it
Its wordsWhat does this committee say it is for?
No published list of positions
This committee’s site publishes no list of positions we could read, and we found no statement of why it exists. We do not write one for it.
Who it gives toWhich candidates and committees get its money?
Each part reads different filings, so counts and totals can differ.
Party support distribution
Direct PAC contributions and independent expenditures explicitly reported as support, by the party of the candidate they went to.
No candidate-directed contributions or explicitly supportive independent expenditures were returned.
Contributions are reported money, not endorsements; a PAC giving to both parties is common.
Who this PAC gave to
Every contribution on line 23 of the committee’s own Schedule B, which is the filing its summary totals are built from. That line covers federal candidates, party committees and other political committees alike, so a super PAC funding other super PACs appears here rather than under candidate giving.
No contributions itemized
No candidate contributions were itemized by this committee in the selected cycle.
Show candidate activity and the money network
Candidate and election activity as the recipients filed it
Nothing loaded
No candidate committee activity was returned for this PAC.
Candidate contribution rows come from candidate committee Schedule A filings, the same rows the party chart above counts.
Money inWho funds the PAC?
Where the money came from $455,355 reported receipts
Tap a row with to see who gave.
Other receiptsWhere a super PAC files what corporations, unions and other organizations give it, since they have no line of their own. Hybrid PACs, and some super PACs, file individuals' unlimited gifts here too, along with any interest or dividends.$455,29099.9%
Where it came from
Caroline Welles31 contributions, latest Sep 25, 2026 · EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · THE FIRST ASK · WASHINGTON, DC$283,625
Catherine Whitney Welles10 contributions, latest Jun 30, 2026 · NOT EMPLOYED · WENHAM, MA$27,760
Ellen Charles21 contributions, latest Sep 2, 2026 · NOT EMPLOYED · WASHINGTON, DC$10,500
Caroline Welles6 contributions, latest Jun 30, 2026 · EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · THE FIRST ASK · WASHINGTON, DC$9,300
The First ASK1 receipt, latest Sep 30, 2026 · WASHINGTON, District of Columbia$2,708
Katharine Dixon18 contributions, latest Sep 30, 2026 · BUSINESS OWNER · BENCHMARKENVIROANALYTICAL INC. · OSPREY, FL$2,250
Carl PinskeyOne contribution on Sep 30, 2026 · CONSULTANT · LEIDOS · SILVER SPRING, MD$1,000
Nina SweetlOne contribution on Mar 2, 2025 · NOT-EMPLOYED · NEW YORK, NY$1,000
William Fenical25 contributions, latest May 12, 2025 · PROFESSOR · UNIV OF CALIFORNIA · DEL MAR, CA$650
Tim Byrne12 contributions, latest Dec 31, 2025 · PROFESSOR · UNIV. OF CONN · WEST HARTFORD, CT$600
Earl Johnson12 contributions, latest Dec 4, 2025 · NOT-EMPLOYED · LOS ANGELES, CA$600
Maurice ZeitlinOne contribution on Apr 16, 2026 · NOT EMPLOYED · SANTA MONICA, CA$599
The 13 largest sources are listed. Each as the committee named it on this line, with its largest individual donors, whose gifts it files here too. Individuals' gifts on this line are not itemized in the data the site holds, so the list need not add up to the row.
Not itemized by sourceReported receipts that none of the summary's lines accounts for.$65<0.1%
Total reported receipts $455,355
Every dollar the committee reported receiving this cycle, split by the source the FEC filing attributes it to. FEC filings through Sep 30, 2026.
Who donated: where they live, their employers and jobs
Where the donors live $355,722 placed by state
Loading the map
Tap or hover over a state, or focus the map and use the arrow keys, to read its total. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll to zoom.
under $12.1K
$12.1K+
$48.5K+
$109.2K+
$194.2K+
none
Top states
Top donor states
Name
Amount
District of Columbia58 contributions · 85%
$303,425
Massachusetts138 contributions · 8.3%
$29,454
California129 contributions · 1.4%
$5,141
Florida36 contributions · 0.8%
$2,920
New York59 contributions · 0.5%
$1,934
SpendingWhere does the money go?
How the spending splits $428,208 reported
Tap a row with to see who was paid.
Other disbursementsEverything the committee reports outside the lines above.$351,65482%
DC Government3 payments · latest Jun 2, 2026 · EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS$1,734
DC Government - Department of Employment Services3 payments · latest Sep 14, 2026 · EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS - NON-CONTRIBUTION ACCOUNT$1,734
Amalgamated Bank11 payments · latest Sep 29, 2026 · BANK SERVICE CHARGES$1,053
Contribution refundsMoney returned to the people and committees that gave it.$381<0.1%
Total reported disbursements $428,208
Every dollar this committee reported spending this cycle, split by the lines it reports against. Open a line to see who was actually paid on it. FEC filings through Sep 30, 2026.
What the payments were for $424,052 itemized
Tap a row with to see what was paid for.
Given to othersContributions to other candidates, party committees, and PACs.$346,82782%
DIGITAL CONSULTING - NON-CONTRIBUTION ACCOUNT$22,005
COMPUTER SOFTWARE - NON-CONTRIBUTION ACCOUNT
Spending over time
$428.2K spent from Jan 2025 to Sep 2026. Most in one report: $201.7K, Jul 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
$428.2K
Jan 2025Sep 2026
The running total of what the committee’s FEC reports say it spent, independent expenditures included, with a point at the end of each report. The line is straight between reports because a report gives one total for its whole period.
Each report’s total
Jul 1 – Sep 30, 2026$44,398
Apr 1 – Jun 30, 2026$31,988
Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026$0
Jul 1 – Dec 31, 2025$201,735
Jan 1 – Jun 30, 2025$150,088
Show other payments: transfers, refunds and the rest
A name search for “FIRST ASK” in Lobbying Disclosure Act filings found no issues reported. FEC and the Senate share no organization identifier, so lobbying is matched by name; a sponsor that lobbies under another name is not found.
Nothing from this committee’s or its sponsor’s site is quoted yet.
Linked public records
No approved organization identity yet
The official FEC committee record remains available under Filings.
Maryland12 contributions · 0.5%
$1,704
Texas65 contributions · 0.4%
$1,375
Ohio37 contributions · 0.3%
$1,211
By the state each contributor wrote on the filing. The FEC aggregates every Schedule A line together, so one committee or organization transfer can account for a whole state. Contributors who have given $200 or less this cycle are not itemized and cannot be placed on a map. The FEC’s grouping also counts joint-fundraising memo lines, so these rows can add up to more than the itemized total.
Donors’ employers as filed
Donors’ employers
Employer as filed
Amount
The First ASK37 contributions · 82% of ranked
$292,925
Not employedWritten instead of an employer · 715 contributions · 15% of ranked
$54,846
Benchmarkenviroanalytical INC18 contributions · 0.6% of ranked
$2,250
Leidos1 contribution · 0.3% of ranked
$1,000
Univ Of California25 contributions · 0.2% of ranked
$650
Univ Of Conn12 contributions · 0.2% of ranked
$600
Ucsd20 contributions · 0.1% of ranked
$500
Self-employedWritten instead of an employer · 16 contributions · 0.1% of ranked
$387
Itemized receipts grouped by the words contributors filed. The FEC aggregates every Schedule A line here, so committee and organization money sits alongside individuals; this is not an industry classification. The FEC’s grouping also counts joint-fundraising memo lines, so these rows can add up to more than the itemized total.
Donors’ occupations as filed
Donors’ occupations
Occupation as filed
Amount
Executive Director37 contributions · 82% of ranked
$292,925
Not employedWritten instead of an occupation · 715 contributions · 15% of ranked
$54,846
Business Owner18 contributions · 0.6% of ranked
$2,250
Professor59 contributions · 0.5% of ranked
$1,900
Consultant1 contribution · 0.3% of ranked
$1,000
Assistant Professor17 contributions · 0.1% of ranked
$375
Teacher4 contributions · 0.1% of ranked
$375
Boston Children's Hospital13 contributions · <0.1% of ranked
$310
Itemized receipts grouped by the words contributors filed. The FEC aggregates every Schedule A line here, so committee and organization money sits alongside individuals; this is not an industry classification. The FEC’s grouping also counts joint-fundraising memo lines, so these rows can add up to more than the itemized total.
$16,158
LIST ACQUISITION - NON-CONTRIBUTION ACCOUNT$10,000
Not broken out by the committeeReported as a lump sum, with memo entries pointed to for the detail. Where those entries were filed and read, this page counts the payees they name instead; what is left here was never itemised.$27,1186.4%
Filed as
PAYROLL PROCESSING: SEE BELOW$27,118
Paid to
Gusto Inc.$27,118
Fundraising and eventsThe cost of raising money: finance consultants, donor list rental and acquisition, event venues, catering, and donor processing.$25,0255.9%
Filed as
FUNDRAISING CONSULTING$25,025
Paid to
Welles, Caroline$25,025
Digital and technologyWebsites, hosting, software subscriptions, databases, email, and texting platforms.$9,6402.3%
Filed as
SMS TEXTING$9,640
Paid to
Welles, Caroline$9,640
Office and administrativeRent, utilities, phones, supplies, equipment, security, food, and campaign merchandise.$6,0001.4%
Filed as
OFFICE RENT$6,000
Paid to
Welles, Caroline$6,000
Card paymentsPaid to a card processor with no itemisation filed beneath it, so the purchases behind it are not on the record.$3,9600.9%
Refunds and redesignationsContributions returned to donors or reassigned to another election.$2,0840.5%
Filed as
REFUND OF DONATION - NON-CONTRIBUTION ACCOUNT$2,084
Paid to
Sweetl, Nina$1,000
Riddle, Marilyn$500
Goodman, Elaine$349
Kilpatric, Gary$235
Payroll and staffSalaries, wages, benefits, and payroll services.$1,7340.4%
Filed as
EMPLOYEE HEALTH BENEFITS$1,734
Paid to
DC Government$1,734
Printing, mail, and shippingPrinted literature, direct mail, postage, design, and delivery.$1,0000.2%
Filed as
WEBSITE REDESIGN$1,000
Paid to
Bradley, Brandon$1,000
OtherPayments whose filed description does not match any category above. Every one is listed so it can be read directly.$6630.2%
Filed as
BANK SERVICE CHARGES$663
Paid to
Amalgamated Bank$663
Total itemized disbursements $424,052
Every itemized payment the committee reported this cycle, sorted by what it said each one was for. The categories are ours; the wording they are matched against is the committee’s own. Open a category to read the filed descriptions and who was paid. FEC filings through Sep 30, 2026.
All 409 itemized payments filed this cycle. Spending below the itemization threshold is not filed line by line.
2 payments were reported as a lump sum, such as a card or payroll bill, with the detail filed underneath as memo entries. Those entries, $4,134 in all, are counted under the payee and purpose they name rather than under the processor that was paid. The total is the same either way.
Largest vendors
Largest vendors
Name
Amount
Gusto Inc.23 payments · 15% of all spending
$65,578
Walter, Eleanor24 payments · 12% of all spending
$51,900
VAN Ness Creative Strategies11 payments · 11% of all spending
$48,997
BEE Compliance LLC11 payments · 11% of all spending
$48,503
Contrast Campaigns LLC5 payments · 11% of all spending
$45,000
Welles, Caroline8 payments · 10% of all spending
$42,732
Gusto44 payments · 8.2% of all spending
$35,166
Authentic Campaigns4 payments · 5.2% of all spending
$22,095
The people, firms and committees paid the most, across every kind of payment. Each share is of everything the committee reported spending this cycle, not only the itemized payments above. A payee that is itself a committee links to its own profile.
Walter, Eleanor24 payments, latest Dec 31, 2025PAYROLL - NON-CONTRIBUTION ACCOUNT$51.9K
VAN Ness Creative Strategies11 payments, latest Jun 2, 2025SMS TEXTING - NON-CONTRIBUTION ACCOUNT$49K