Key takeaways
- Charities register with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau before soliciting, with a $25 fee, and file an annual CHAR500 report.
- Charities with less than $25,000 in contributions that use no professional fund raiser or fund raising counsel are exempt from registration.
- Professional fund raisers pay $800 a year and post a $10,000 bond; each paid caller registers as a professional solicitor for $80.
- Contracts are filed within 10 days of signing, with any phone script, and services can't start until the contract has been on file 15 days or is acknowledged.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees, forms and rules change, so confirm current requirements with the state office listed below or with qualified counsel before a campaign.
Quick facts
| Item | New York |
|---|---|
| Agency | Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau |
| Charity registration | Required before soliciting; stays in effect until cancelled or lapsed |
| Charity fee | $25 to register; $25 annual fee with the CHAR500 report |
| Charity renewal | Annual CHAR500, due the 15th day of the fifth month after fiscal year end |
| Professional solicitor | Professional fund raiser: $800 a year and $10,000 bond; each professional solicitor: $80 a year |
| Before each campaign | Contract and written script filed within 10 days of signing; 15-day wait before services |
| After each campaign | Closing statement within 90 days after the contract ends |
| Fund-raising counsel | Registration, $800 a year, no bond |
| Contact | (212) 416-8401 |
Charity registration
Every charitable organization that intends to solicit contributions in New York must file a registration with the Attorney General before soliciting. The fee is $25, and the registration stays in effect unless it is cancelled, withdrawn or lapses for failure to file reports. Registration is done online, and a charity whose registration lapses pays $150 to re-register.
Exemptions include religious corporations, certain educational institutions, membership-only solicitations, and organizations that receive less than $25,000 in gross contributions in a fiscal year and use no professional fund raiser or fund raising counsel. An organization that goes over $25,000 must register within 30 days.
Registered charities file Form CHAR500 each year by the 15th day of the fifth month after the fiscal year ends, with a $25 fee. The accountant's report depends on gross revenue and support:
| Gross revenue and support | Financial statements |
|---|---|
| Over $1 million | Audit report |
| $250,000 to $1 million | Review report (or audit) |
| $250,000 or less | Unaudited report |
Professional fund raisers and solicitors
New York separates the firm from the people who make the calls. A professional fund raiser plans, manages or conducts solicitations for pay; a professional solicitor is someone employed or retained by a professional fund raiser to solicit.
- Register the firm as a professional fund raiser (Form CHAR013), with an $800 annual fee. Registration lasts one year.
- Post a $10,000 bond with each application.
- Register each caller as a professional solicitor (Form CHAR012), with an $80 fee, renewed every year.
- File each contract within 10 days after it is signed. Services can't begin until the Attorney General acknowledges the contract or it has been on file for 15 days, whichever is shorter.
- File the script. Oral presentations must be put in writing and filed with the contract, and changes must be reported within five days.
- Deposit funds within five days of receipt in an account under the charity's exclusive control.
- Report: a closing statement within 90 days after the contract ends, plus an interim statement at least once a year for contracts longer than one year.
Solicitations by a professional fund raiser must disclose the firm's name as on file and that it is a professional fund raiser, the solicitor's name and that the solicitor is compensated, and the Attorney General's charities website and phone number.
Fund raising counsel
Fund raising counsel advise for pay but do not have access to contributions. They register on Form CHAR014 with an $800 annual fee, file contracts within 10 days and wait the same 15 days before providing services. No bond is required.
Working with an outside calling team in New York
If you hire a paid firm to call supporters, make registration part of the plan from the start: confirm your own registration, check the firm's status with the state, and leave time for any notices or contract filings before calls begin. Kensington Fundraising Group walks every client through how state requirements will be handled before a campaign starts. See our overview of fundraising call rules for the federal rules that apply alongside state law.