Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have charitable solicitation statutes that generally require nonprofits soliciting contributions and, in most cases, their for-profit fundraising professionals to register prior to soliciting contributions or providing fundraising counsel services. It is critical for nonprofits and their fundraising professionals to know about, and be in compliance with, these statutes to avoid significant fines and penalties.
The Unified Registration Statement (URS) represents an effort to consolidate the information and data requirements of all states that require registration of nonprofit organizations performing charitable solicitations within their jurisdictions. The effort is organized by the National Association of State Charities Officials and the National Association of Attorneys General, and is one part of the Standardized Reporting Project, whose aim is to standardize, simplify, and economize compliance under the states’ solicitation laws.
National Council of Nonprofits has compiled this guide to Charitable Solicitation Registration.
