Directory / Charitable solicitation
Charitable fundraising
State attorney general, secretary of state, or charities bureau.
A nonprofit that asks residents of a state for donations often must register as a charitable organization before soliciting. Professional fundraisers and fundraising counsel have their own registrations in most of those states. A handful of states do not require charity registration; others exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or recently repealed the charity-license requirement.
Register with the state attorney general, secretary of state, or charities bureau in each state where you solicit — not only the state of incorporation. Unified Registration Statement packets help, but many states still want their own forms or a state portal filing.
IRS tax-exempt status (Form 990, determination letter) is federal and does not replace state charitable-solicitation registration.
Start at the state index and open the financial regulator listed there, then follow that agency’s insurance, contractor, or charities links. We do not generate 50 thin pages for adjacent filings.
Cornerstone’s charitable solicitation desk · How NMLS filings work · All states
Agency names and filing paths are public facts from state regulator sites, the NMLS / CSBS agency directory, and published statutes. License categories and exemptions change. Confirm the current checklist on the official site before you apply. This is not legal advice and not a fee schedule.