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1.8. How do I convert my FEC Form 3 or 3X .fec data file into a spreadsheet?

Create a spreadsheet from your Form 3 or Form 3x electronic report file

Save the electronic report file from CampaignManager by running the report and then clicking on the link named Click here to view your file in electronic format.
Save the file to your computer.  It will have a file name with the extension .FEC

Click the following link http://fecload-update.fec.gov/dl/FECConvertTools.zip
This will open a download session window. Left click once on the "Save" button, select the desired  location for saving the file, your Desktop for instance, and start the download.
Once the download has completed, double click on the file to extract the contents.

Converting FEC Filings Delimited from the ASCII 28 delimiter to Comma Separated Variable (CSV)
Drag and drop any Form 3 or Form 3X report .FEC file onto the fs2comma.exe file and a CSV file will be generated.
Command Line Usage:
fs2comma 123.fec [out.csv]
If the second parameter is specified, that will be used as the output. if not, 123.csv will be the output
Open the .csv file in Excel.

Explanation of Rows and Columns
The first line beginning with HDR is header information for the report.
The line beginning with F3 includes filing committee information and totals.
The line beginning with TEXT is a memo that appears just below the summary information on the report.

Rows beginning with SA in column A are income items.
Rows beginning with SB in column B are expense items.
Rows that begin with H, D, SL etc. refer to items listed in Schedules H, D, SL, etc.

The descriptions below pertain to lines that have transactions appearing in various report schedules.
Column A denotes on what schedule the line itme appears.
Column B is the committee's FEC ID.
Column C contains unique transation IDs.
Columns D and E contain misc. transaction information.
Column F denotes the type entity the record represents. Individual, organization, etc.
Columns G, H, I and J contatin entity name information.
Columns M through Q contain address information.
Column R contains additional transaction information.
Columns S and T contain transation Dates.
Column U contains the current amount of the contribution or expense on the report.  
Column V contains the year to date or cycle to date amounts.
Column W contains expense details.
Column X contains Employer information.
Column Y contains Occupation information.
Other columns contain various details about the transactions.
If Column AP or Column AQ have an X in them, this denotes that those are memo items whose amounts do not effect the totals on the report.

Contributions
If you would like a spreadsheet with just income items listed, delete any lines that do not begin with SA in the Column A.
Then sort the remaining lines on column AQ to sort the lines that are memo items.
Delete any rows that have an "X" in column AQ.
Column U represents the current contribution amount on the report.  
Column V represents the year to date or cycle to date amount.
From here you can sort on column U to compare to your spreadsheet of contributions by amount.

Expenses
If you would like a spreadsheet with just expense items listed, delete any lines that do not begin with SB in the Column A.
Then sort the remaining lines on column AP to sort the lines that are memo items.
Delete any rows that have an "X" in column AP.
Column U represents the current expense amount on the report.  
From here you can sort on column U to compare to your spreadsheet of expenses by amount.

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Create spreadsheet of just entity names and amounts
After creating a spreadsheet of just income items or expenses as described above, do the following:

Go to cell J1
Type: =(G1&I1&" "&H1)
Press Enter
Copy and paste the contents of cell J1 to the rest of the cells in Column J of rows that contain data.

Highlight Column J
Right click and choose Copy
While Column J is still highlighted, right click again and choose Paste Special
Choose any of the Paste Values options.

Delete columns V though AZ
Delete columns K though T
Delete columns A through I

Highlight columns A and B.
Click on the Data tab in Excel
Click on the Sort button
Sort on Column B (lowest to highest), then Column A (A to Z).

Now you have a two column spreadsheet with all the income items sorted by amount (lowest to highest) and then by entity name (A to Z).

Into columns C and D paste the contents of the spreadsheet you are comparing the data to.
Sort by amount and entity name.
From there you can compare the rows to see which items do not match.