In the nonprofit arena, charitable solicitation licenses are a necessity for certain fundraising efforts. If you are an organization or individual that asks the public for contributions or donations to support a charitable purpose, a charitable solicitation license ("CSL") is needed, unless specifically exempt by law. As many states have laws regulating the solicitation of funds for charitable purposes, it is important to check the requirements for each state your organization operates in to ensure compliance.
For organizations based in North Carolina whom are currently registered with the NC Secretary of State (SoS) Charities Bureau, check out these blog posts:
- Ward and Smith, P.A.'s 2017 blog post giving an overview
- Gilliam Bell Moser CPAs' 2019 blog post on solicitation licensing exemptions
- Langdon & Company's 2017 blog post to review the renewal requirements
Companies that provide compliance solution services, such as Affinity Fundraising (a Money-Saving Partner with the Center) or Harbor Compliance, also provide some free, state-specific resources on this topic.