Nonprofit Boot Camp

Fundraising & Charitable Registration

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What You'll Learn

This skills course introduces the basics of the laws related to soliciting and receiving donations. The resources prepare you to handle the basics of fundraising compliance. They also explain what legal obligations your organization may have as a consequence of soliciting or receiving donations and help you analyze what obligations your organization has. After completing this course, you should have a fundamental understanding of charitable solicitation registration and how it applies to your organization, as well as the skills to begin completing the charitable solicitation registration and becoming compliant with all applicable laws.

Lesson 1

Intro to Charitable Giving

Charitable donations benefit both the recipient charitable organization and the donors. For the organizations, donations provide tax-free revenue to fund programming and services. For the donor, donations provide an opportunity to engage with important initiatives and, from a practical standpoint, to take an income tax deduction for the amount donated. To take advantage of these benefits and create positive interactions with donors, charitable organizations should educate themselves on the following basic principles and best practices for receiving charitable donations.

Lesson 2

Considering a Fundraiser? What You Should Know about Charitable Solicitation Regulation

Does your website feature a “donate” button for online donations? Does your organization receive contributions from donors? Are you thinking of hosting an annual gala or walkathon? Do you send requests for donations via U.S. mail? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, your organization must assess whether it is subject to charitable solicitation registration laws and regulations in one or more states.

Lesson 3

Charitable Registration and the Faith-Based Nonprofit

Most states regulate nonprofits’ fundraising activities through charitable solicitation registration requirements. Basically, this means that in order to fundraise in a state, you need to fill out an application and be approved to solicit or receive funds within that state. Some states have exemptions to these requirements. This toolkit walks your organization through the charitable registration process across the 50 states.

Lesson 4

Multi-State Compliance Matrix

Containing tax information, charitable registration statute details, and additional facts on local regulations, the multi-state matrix hosts all of the relevant information specifically for faith-based nonprofit activity. Understanding and acting on these rules and regulations is essential for any nonprofit’s operation; Napa Legal has made it possible to access all of this information in one place. Whether you are a total newcomer to nonprofit law or an experienced lawyer doing research, this resource is for you.

Lesson 5

An Introduction to Deputized Fundraising

Deputized fundraising (DF) has been common among religious organizations for several decades. For religious organizations, DF is a natural part of mission outreach—many people who are convicted by the mission want to support a missionary, and it is those people who feel directly connected to the organization’s work that are often its strongest donors. To understand the model, it is necessary to understand its practical implications, applicable IRS tax consequences, and employment considerations.

Lesson 6

Charitable Solicitation Registration vs. Foreign Business Registration

If your organization fundraises or conducts business in a state other than your home state of incorporation, you have probably heard that you may need to “register.” Generally, there are two kinds of registration in a foreign state. Each type of registration is triggered by different kinds of activity in the state and comes with different obligations. Read on to understand the difference between charitable solicitation registration and foreign business registration.

Lesson 7

What Do Faith-Based Nonprofits Need to Know About Charitable Solicitation Registration?

Many nonprofits seek to fund their organization through charitable solicitation (seeking and receiving donations), but the legal consequences of fundraising can get confusing when an organization is receiving funds from different states with different laws governing charitable solicitation. Nonprofits must ensure the organization is following the laws in each state where they solicit or receive funds.

Lesson 8

What Do Faith-Based Nonprofits Need to Know About Audit Requirements Pursuant to Charitable Solicitation Registration?

This article focuses on external audits performed by an independent third party. The most likely scenario where the law will require your organization to undergo an external, third-party audit is a state’s charitable solicitation registration law. Read on to find out what this means and how it might affect your organization.

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