Maine Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation

• Organizations that solicit primarily within their membership and do not contract with a professional solicitor. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "membership" does not include those persons who are granted a membership upon making a contribution as a result of a solicitation
• Persons soliciting contributions for the relief of any individual specified by name at the time of the solicitation, when all of the contributions collected, without any deductions whatsoever, are turned over to the named beneficiary for that individual's use
• Charitable organizations that do not intend to solicit and receive and do not actually solicit or receive contributions from the public in excess of $35,000 during a calendar year or do not receive contributions from more than 35 persons during a calendar year, if the charitable organizations do not contract with professional solicitors and if no part of the assets or income inures to the benefit of or is paid to any officer or member
• Educational institutions, the curriculums of which in whole or in part are registered or approved by the Department of Education, either directly or by acceptance of accreditation by an accrediting body recognized by the Department of Education, and organizations operated by the student bodies of such institutions
• Hospitals that are nonprofit and charitable
• Free clinics

Maine Revised Statutes Ann., Title 9, Ch. 385, § 5006

Charitable Organization Application

Mail or online.

$20

2-3 weeks

• Check the website for the status of your license. PENDING means it is under review. ACTIVE means your organization is authorized to solicit.
• Some Maine counties and municipalities may require charities that solicit in-person to register prior to fundraising.

Domestic Applicants:

• Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
• Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.

Foreign Applicants:

• Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
• Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.
• If you will foreign qualify in Maine, obtain a certificate of good standing from your home state to submit during the foreign qualification process. The certificate cannot be more than 90 days old when filing foreign qualification documents.

Domestic Applicants:

1. File entity formation documents with the Maine Secretary of State - Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions.
2. Submit a Charitable Organization Application and all required attachments to the Maine Office of Professional and Occupation Regulation.

Foreign Applicants:

1. Determine whether or not your charity will need to foreign qualify based on your activity in Maine. If not required, skip to number 3.
2. File foreign qualification documents with the Maine Secretary of State - Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions.
3. Submit a Charitable Organization Application and all required attachments to the Maine Office of Professional and Occupation Regulation.

• Current year budget or IRS form 990
• IRS determination letter
• List of officers and directors
• List of individuals responsible for custody of contributions received and distributed
• List of states where licensed
• Professional fundraising contracts
• Criminal Conviction and Disciplinary Action Documentation (if applicable)

Charitable Organization Application and Annual Fundraising Activity Report for Charitable Organization

Online.

$20

Annually by November 30. Renewals can be filed as early as October 1.

Maine does not grant extensions for charitable organization registration.

There is a $50 late fee for renewals filed within 90 days after the expiration date.

• Make sure to include all required attachments
• Late applications filed December 1 - March 1 must include a $50 late fee. After March 1st, applicants must file a new initial application.

• List of officers and directors

• Annual Fundraising Activity Report for Charitable Organization and 

• Charitable Organization Application

Online

$20

Charities suspected of violating the Maine Charitable Solicitations Act are subject to an investigation by the Attorney General who may:

• deny, suspend (up to 90 days per violation), or revoke an organization's registration
• assess civil penalties of up to $1,500/violation (or greater as authorized by statute)
• place conditions of probation on an organization's registration
• issue temporary or permanent injunction
• restore damages to aggrieved parties

Any violation is considered a violation of the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act. Organizations that violate an injunction face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. 

Charities can renew an existing license for up to 90 days past its expiration date. After 90 days, they must reapply for a license previsouly held in Maine (reinstate). Late fees do not apply to charities going through this process.

• Financials from the most recent fiscal year

Mail or email

$0

1-2 business days

Email notification of the change to charitable.sol@maine.gov

Annual Fundraising Activity Report for Charitable Organization

$0

To close out your registration, submit a letter indicating your withdrawal request and a final annual fundraising activity report, which can be emailed, faxed, or mailed.

Professional Solicitor Application

Mail or online.

$20

• List all other names under which the Professional Solicitor intends to solicit contributions
• Provide details about whether the organization has ever had any court action taken against it by a licensing, registration or regulatory authority or law enforcement agency in any jurisdiction that resulted in a
  restraining order, injunction, civil judgment, criminal conviction, consent judgment, consent agreement, agreement to pay restitution or investigative costs or any other type of negotiated disposition
• Report types of solicitation campaigns the firm conducts
•  

• Copies of the contracts executed between charitable organizations and the firm
• $25,000 bond 

Online

$20

Annually by November 30.

Renewal reminders are sent via email approximately 60 days prior to expiration.

• Annual Fundraising Activity Report for Professional Solicitor

$0

A copy of new contracts between a professional solicitor and a charity must be filed within 10 days after entering into the contract.

9 Maine Rev Stat. § 5008-A.7

There is no form, simply file a copy of the contract with the department.

$0

As an ongoing condition of licensure, a professional solicitor must notify the director of a change to the information contained in the licensee's application for initial or renewal licensure, including any additional disciplinary or court action taken against the licensee, within 10 days of the change. 

9 Maine Rev Stat. § 5008-A.7