Key takeaways
- States regulate three roles separately: the charity, the professional solicitor that asks for gifts for pay, and fundraising counsel that advises without soliciting.
- Perlman & Perlman reports that 42 states regulate professional fundraisers, typically with registration, a surety bond and a filed contract.
- Registration usually has to be in place before the first call, and many states also want a notice before each campaign and a report after it.
- We're adding guides state by state and now cover eight states plus Washington, DC.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change, so confirm current requirements with each state's charity office or with qualified counsel before a campaign.
Three roles states regulate
- Charitable organization: the nonprofit asking for donations. Most states require it to register, and renew each year, before soliciting their residents.
- Professional solicitor (also called a professional fundraiser or paid solicitor): a firm paid to ask for or receive gifts for a charity, including by phone. States often require registration, a bond, a filed contract and campaign notices and reports.
- Fundraising counsel: a consultant who plans or advises on a campaign but doesn't ask for or handle gifts. Many states require a lighter registration.
State guides
| State | Charity registration | Professional solicitors |
|---|---|---|
| California | Attorney General; $50 initial, $25 to $1,200 a year | Register, $500 a year, $25,000 bond, notice 10 working days before |
| Florida | FDACS; $10 to $400 a year | Register, $300 a year, $50,000 bond, notice 15 days before |
| Illinois | Attorney General; $15 to register, $15 annual report | Register, $100 a year, $10,000 bond if handling funds, callers register |
| Maryland | Secretary of State; $0 to $300 a year | Register, $350, $25,000 bond, notice before each campaign |
| New York | Attorney General; $25 to register, $25 annual report | Fund raiser $800 a year, $10,000 bond; solicitors $80 each |
| Pennsylvania | Department of State; $15 to $250 a year | Register, $250 a year, $25,000 bond, notice 10 working days before |
| Texas | Not required for most charities | No general registration; rules for public safety, veterans and law enforcement groups |
| Virginia | OCRP; $30 to $325 a year plus $100 initial | Register, $500 a year, $20,000 bond, notice 10 days before |
| Washington, DC | License from DLCP; $99 (2 years) or $198 (4 years) | No separate firm registration reported; solicitor information card rule applies |
More states are on the way.
Before a calling campaign
- List the states where the people you'll call live.
- Confirm your organization is registered, or exempt, in each one.
- If a paid firm will call, check its registration and bond in each state, and build in time for any campaign notice or contract filing.
- Make sure your talk track includes the disclosures each state requires.
- Calendar the post-campaign reports.
For the federal rules that apply to every fundraising call, see our guide to fundraising call rules.
Sources: Perlman & Perlman on professional fundraiser registration, plus the official state sources listed on each state guide.