An examination of the 20 years of financial information in the group's US filings shows the success the party has enjoyed in tapping the Irish-American community and beyond in the US, as well as the significance of the party's deep support in and around New York City.
The state of New York accounts for a large part of the donations raised by Friends of Sinn Féin over the past two decades. It accounted for the largest contribution by far; almost $6.3 million was raised from the state followed by neighbouring New Jersey with over $1 million and California with $613,804.
Based on population sizes, Washington DC had the highest number of donations with $394 per head of population, owing to the large number of political groups and trade unions based in the US capital, followed by New York at $318 a head.
"It is both interesting and some political analysts would say that it is ironic that we draw our support almost equally from American Republicans and American Democrats," said James Cullen, president and chairman of Friends of Sinn Féin.
“The range on the business side is drawn heavily from the construction industry, from entertainment [pubs, restaurants and hotels], from labour unions and from individuals.”
In addition to the fundraising dinner, Friends of Sinn Féin will receive random “over the transom” payments, as Mr Cullen calls them, from all across the US.
The payments have come from as far afield as Wyoming, Washington state, Hawaii and the US island territory of Guam in the western Pacific Ocean.
“There are people every month who will send in a cheque. Others just out of the blue will send in $1,000,” he said. Donations of less than $100 raised almost $600,000, while donations of between $100 and $499 brought in more than $1.1 million. Donations of between $500 and $999 totalled almost $922,000.
Almost $9.4 million of the $12 million donated were sums of $1,000 or more from individuals and companies ranging from plumbing firms to restaurants, IT service providers to funeral homes, air conditioning firms to fish suppliers.
