"Hard money" and "soft money" are terms used to describe different types of political campaign contributions in the United States.
Hard money refers to contributions that are made directly to a candidate or political party and are subject to federal regulations, including limits on the amount that an individual or organization can donate.
Soft money, on the other hand, refers to contributions that are made to political parties or organizations for "issue advocacy" or voter mobilization efforts, rather than directly to a candidate. Before being banned in 2002, soft money contributions were not subject to the same federal regulations as hard money, and could be made in unlimited amounts.