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As the field of Republican presidential contenders slowly begins taking shape, with prospective candidates working behind the scenes to line up financial contributors, the final fund-raising tallies from last year provide a good starting point for 2012.

Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, raised $4.7 million for his federal political action committee in 2010, more than any of his potential rivals, according to reports filed on Monday with the Federal Election Commission.

Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and the party’s vice presidential nominee in 2008, raised $3.6 million for her political action committee. Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, raised $2.1 million. And Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, raised just under $1 million.

The contributions are intended to help elect Republican candidates — and, of course, to help the potential presidential candidates begin compiling a list of friends who can be helpful as they explore bids for the White House. In addition to the federal committees, several of the potential candidates also raise money through a variety of state political action committees, which allows them to increase their fund-raising potential.

Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, raised the most money by far, with his political committee raising $13.7 million. But his organization is established under a different section of the tax code, compared to the federal political action committees, which allows him to accept unlimited contributions.

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