The Electoral Commission has today published the latest donation and borrowing figures for the political parties, showing that the Lib Dems raised just over £1.9 million in the first three months of this year. Below is the full breakdown of cash and non-cash donations received by quarter since 2005, and annually between 2001 and 2004.

By comparison, the party raised £3.7m in the first quarter of 2005 (leading up to that year’s general election) – but that did of course include that £2.4m donation from Michael Brown. If we exclude that one-off donation, which had to be spent immediately under the terms of the gift agreement, the Lib Dems have raised considerably more this time around.

Our figures are of course dwarfed by the Tories and Labour fundraising among their friends in big business and the trade unions. Labour has raised £3.6m during this election campaign alone, the Tories a further £4.43m. The Lib Dems: £200k. And yet our party is level-pegging with Labour in the polls, and just a notch or two behind the Tories. You want to know which party genuinely understands the concept of value-for-money? Go figure.

However, the party still needs more resources, many more resources, to try and fight on a level-playing field.

So, please, if you haven’t done so yet – hell, even if you have – make today the day you donate to the Lib Dems.

You choose. But please give something.

Here are a few of the ways in which your gift can make a difference to the party’s campaigning in these last, vital 48 hours:

* £10 will pay for a Focus newsletter for 500 houses
* £25 will buy 2,000 tabloid-style newspapers
* £50 pays for a dozen super-size election garden posters
* £100 will cover a Focus leaflet for a whole ward
* £250 will pay for 10,000 addressed letters to be delivered by volunteers

Here are the full Lib Dem donation figures, 2001-09:

2009, Q1 = £790,075
2009, Q2 = £1,088,083
2009, Q3 = £747,658
2009, Q4 = £1,045,817
2009 = £3,671,633

2008, Q1 = £385,931
2008, Q2 = £635,435
2008, Q3 = £519,823
2008, Q4 = £875,611
2008 = £2,416,800

2007, Q1 = £607,457
2007, Q2 = £631,451
2007, Q3 = £731,364
2007, Q4 = £853,387
2007 = £2,823,659

2006, Q1 = £219,915
2006, Q2 = £233,669
2006, Q3 = £571,715
2006, Q4 = £1,643,859
2006 = £2,669,158

2005, Q1 = £3,709,897
2005, Q2 = £713,656
2005, Q3 = £174,751
2005, Q4 = £317,188
2005 = £4,915,492

2004 = £2,374,319

2003 = £1,223,135

2002 = £618,783

2001 = £1,052,010