Conduit Account Management & Finances (Raise by ActBlue)

In this article

1. Manage your conduit account
2. Set up direct deposit
3. Conduit account payouts and fees
4. Conduit account FAQs

Manage your conduit account

If you have a conduit account, you’ll automatically receive your payouts as checks. Each week, you’ll receive a check containing funds from the previous week at the mailing address listed on your account. (Make sure that your mailing address is accurate.) You can also choose to set up direct deposit, which eliminates the need to receive physical checks by mail. Learn how to set up direct deposit here.

Please email us for help managing or updating your conduit account. Make sure you reach out from the same email address you use to log into ActBlue, and let us know specifically what updates you need. An ActBlue team member will make these changes for you on the backend of our platform as promptly as possible!

Contact us for help with updating the following:

• Viewing or updating your payout schedule.
• Missing checks: If you’re receiving payouts by check and you don’t receive the check you’re expecting in the mail, just reach out to the team. 

Set up direct deposit

If you are currently receiving Raise payouts in the form of physical checks, setting up direct deposit means you don’t have to wait for checks to be mailed to you.

To set up direct deposit, navigate to the “Settings” drop-down menu in the right-hand corner of your Dashboard and choose “Financial Settings.”

From the Financial Settings page, click “Add account info” to get started. 

On the next page, click “Connect to bank account” and follow the prompts to connect to your banking institution. Once you’ve logged in and verified your account, you’re all set to receive direct deposit. 

If you don’t see your bank listed, click “link your bank account another way.” On the next page, add your banking information manually. You’ll also need to upload a picture of a bank document, such as a bank statement. Make sure the document is not handwritten and includes the following:

• Your full bank account number
• Your bank’s nine-digit routing number
• The name of the banking institution
• The name of the account owner (i.e., your committee name)

About direct deposit disbursements:

• ActBlue is unable to issue direct deposit disbursements for amounts exceeding $100,000. If you have enrolled in direct deposit and your pending funds exceed $100,000 on your scheduled disbursement day, we will issue your disbursement as a check.
• Once a direct deposit disbursement is issued, it cannot be voided or canceled, and we can’t reissue the funds until ActBlue receives confirmation from our bank that the direct deposit failed, which could take up to a week from the issue date.
• It may take 2-4 business days for your disbursement funds to be available in your bank account. If your campaign finance regulators require that funds be physically in your bank account to report them, you may need them disbursed via a different transfer method. You can request this by contacting us at least two business days in advance to ensure we can accommodate your request.

Conduit account payouts & fees

By default, you’ll receive a check each week containing funds from the previous week at the mailing address listed on your account. (Make sure that your mailing address is accurate.) We cut and mail checks every Monday, containing funds through Sunday at midnight.

If you have direct deposit set up, deposits will go through as soon as possible, but it may take 2-4 business days for your funds to be available in your bank account. If your campaign finance regulators require that funds be physically in your bank account to report them, you may need them paid out via a different transfer method. You can request this by contacting us at least two business days in advance to ensure we can accommodate your request.

A 3.95% processing fee will be deducted from each donation you receive through Raise. ActBlue is a nonprofit and does not make money off of donations: completing a contribution involves expenses to process your credit card. We’re legally required to pass along processing costs to the campaign so that we do not make in-kind contributions to them.

Conduit account FAQs

How can I request a check/get my money faster?

If you receive checks from us, reach out here! We can cut and mail you a check any day of the week, containing funds raised through midnight of the day before.

I just received an ActBlue check and I don’t know who contributed. What should I do?

To access information about your most recent check payout, click on the Reporting tab of your Dashboard. You’ll be able to download a report for a custom date range that includes all contributions included in the check you received. Learn how to download a report here.

I see a deficit disbursement on my Dashboard. What is that?

When your account is left with a negative balance due to refunds, subsequent disbursement(s) will not be disbursed to you and will instead go towards recovering the funds. These are listed as "Deficit Disbursements" in your ActBlue reporting center. Once you fundraise beyond that amount, your disbursements will resume as normal again. Please email us if you have questions about accessing or reporting deficit disbursement data.

I have a negative balance in my account. What does this mean?

All donor refunds and chargebacks are subtracted from the pending funds we are waiting to send to you each week, so it is possible your refund or chargeback amount may surpass your pending amount. This means you will see a negative balance in your account. If this happens, we must wait for you to raise enough money to bring your account to at least net zero before sending your payout.

Sometimes, campaigns have a negative balance after they are done with their races and have deactivated Raise accounts. We can reactivate your account so you can raise enough funds to bring your account to at least net zero. 

If you are finished fundraising and decide not to reactivate your account, please email us, and we’ll be happy to help you with the next steps! Whether you have questions or have a deactivated account with a negative balance, you can always reach out to us for the help you need.