Track political gifts online

Let's say you find out the company that makes your favorite jeans supports a candidate you oppose. Do you still buy the jeans?

Target Corp. recently faced threats of a boycott when its $150,000 donation to a pro-business group in Minnesota came to light. Gay rights advocates were angered because the group backs a candidate for governor who opposes same-sex marriage. Target's CEO has apologized, noting that the move was intended to back the candidate's position on economic matters.

It's the kind of situation that may leave you wondering whether you're inadvertently supporting certain candidates or issues. Here's how to find out more about the political contributions companies make.

A little background

Unlike individuals, companies can't contribute directly to candidates in federal elections. Most states also ban or limit direct contributions to candidates in local races. But there are myriad other ways companies can give a candidate financial support. Some are more easily traceable than others.

Companies can set up political action committees as a way to let top officers and other employees provide donations beyond their $2,400 limits as individuals.

There also are big gaps in tracking donations on the federal and local levels; companies don't have to disclose donations to special interest groups.

State elections

To see how companies and their political action committees contribute in local races, start at FollowtheMoney.org. The site is run by The National Institute on Money in State Politics, a nonpartisan group based in Helena, Mont.

Under the "Advanced Search" option on the site, type in a company's name to see a detailed breakout of its contributions to candidates and ballot measures in any given state. To see trends nationally, leave all states unchecked before hitting the search button.

For instance, the site shows that The Gap spent $106,650 in local races from 2003 through 2010.

The site breaks down the portion of contributions that went to each party, what portion went to incumbents and what portion ultimately went to winners. The trend? Companies generally support incumbents.

"It's a wise investment if they want access later," said Denise Roth Barber, research director for the site.

Be aware that states aren't always prompt about posting forms. Some states also make it easier than others to search for a particular company.

Federal elections

To get your feet wet learning about corporate donations on a federal level, start with the "Heavy Hitters" list on Open Secrets.org. The site is run by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics and analyzes campaign finance disclosure forms.

The "Heavy Hitters" list, which can be found at www.tinyurl.com/cr8j7y, includes the top 125 or so biggest contributors to federal elections from 1989 through 2010.

The site also lists the top recipients of the heavy hitter's donations. For example, it shows that AT&T contributed $30,000 to Harry Reid this year.

Another option is to search the site to see whether a company sponsors a political action committee. You can do this at www.tinyurl .com/2ac8we8. Records date to 1990. The search will show which employees contributed and which candidates for the House and Senate benefited. You also can see how the company spent the rest of its money.

Another option is to look up the disclosure forms of a particular group on the Federal Election Commission's website. Keep in mind that not all groups have to disclose their spending activities.