Minnesota Fundraising Licensing
Below, you'll find licensing requirements for a range of fundraising activities. At a glance, you can see requirements, fees, filing instructions, and links to forms for everything from charitable gaming and cause marketing to professional fundraisers and charitable gift annuities.
Make sure your fundraising activities meet the unique requirements of each jurisdiction where you’re soliciting. Feel free to explore, bookmark, and share!
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- Minnesota Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
- Minnesota Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Company Licenses
Minnesota Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
Minnesota Bingo Exclusion
Minnesota Charitable Gift Annuity Registration
Not required
Charitable Gift Annuity licensure is not required on the State level in Minnesota.
No filing is required, but charities need to meet certain conditions before issuing charitable gift annuities. Minnesota statutes exempt religious, educational, benevolent, fraternal, charitable, social, athletic, and reformatory organizations from security regulation related to charitable gift annuities.
| Law: | MN Rev. Stat. § 80A.45(7) |
Minnesota Charitable Organization Registration
| Agency: | Minnesota Attorney General - Charities Division |
| Law: | |
| Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
| Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
One-Time Exemption Registration
| Exemption Eligible Organizations: |
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| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us. |
| Agency Fee: | $0 |
| Law: | |
| Notes: |
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Initial Registration
| Form: | Charitable Organization Initial Registration & Annual Report Form |
| Instructions: | File initial registration or exemption. See Initial Registration Instructions and Information for Charitable Organizations and Trusts. |
| Filing Method: | Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us. |
| Agency Fee: | $25 |
| Turnaround: | 2-3 weeks |
| Original Ink: | Not Required |
| Notarization Required?: | Not Required |
| Notes: |
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| Before you Apply: | All Applicants:
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| How to Apply: | Domestic Applicants:
Foreign Applicants:
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| Required Attachments: |
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Registration Renewal
| Form: | Charitable Organization Initial Registration & Annual Report Form |
| Filing Method: | Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us. |
| Agency Fee: | $25 |
| Due: | Annually by the 15th day of the 7th month following the close of the charity's fiscal year. If your fiscal calendar ends on December 31, then the renewal is due by July 15. |
| Due Date Extension: | Due dates can be extended for 4 months beyond the original due date by submitting a request for extension through the online portal. |
| Original Ink: | Not Required |
| Notarization Required?: | Not Required |
| Penalties: | There is a $50 late fee. |
| Notes: |
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| Required Attachments: |
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Contract Filing
| Filing Method: | Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us. |
| Agency Fee: | $0 |
| Due: | Within 7 days of entering into the contract with a Professional Fundraiser |
Reinstatement
Not required
Formal reinstatement is not required. Charities that wish to renew a lapsed registration should submit a separate renewal filing with financials for each year not registered. They must pay the renewal fee and a $50 late fee.
Change of Fiscal Year
| Agency Fee: | $0 |
| Notes: | Fiscal year can be changed during the standard renewal process. |
Cancelation
| Filing Method: | Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us. |
| Agency Fee: | $0 |
| Notes: | To close out your registration, send a letter indicating that your organization wishes to cancel its registration. No final report or renewal is required. |
Minnesota Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
Not required
Commercial Co-venturer licensure is not required on the State level in Minnesota.
Minnesota does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for commercial co-venturers, but they may need to follow other regulations before and after fundraising events.
Minnesota Exempt Permit
Initial Registration
| Agency: | Minnesota Gambling Control Board |
| Form: | |
| Agency Fee: | $100 if filed at least 30 days before the event, otherwise $150. |
Minnesota Organization License
A professional fundraiser is any person who, for compensation or profit, performs for a charitable organization any service in connection with which contributions are, or will be, solicited. This includes any person who plans, manages, advises, consults, or prepares material for or with respect to the solicitation of contributions.
Solicitor vs. Consultant. Professional fundraisers are treated differently depending on whether they are involved in soliciting contributions or only consult or assist a charity without soliciting. Soliciting professional fundraisers are those who request, either directly or indirectly, a contribution to the charity. The terms “solicit” and “solicitation” are very broadly defined under Minnesota law. They include not only written and verbal requests for contributions, but also advertising for charitable events and the sale of goods or services that benefit a charity (among other things). See Minn. Stat. § 309.50, subd. 10. A consulting professional fundraiser is not involved in soliciting contributions in any manner. A consulting professional fundraiser instead, for example, advises the charity on how to run its own solicitation campaign or prepares materials that the charity will use to solicit on its own.
Minnesota Professional Fundraiser Registration
| Agency: | Minnesota Attorney General - Charities Division |
| Bond Requirements: | A $20,000 surety bond is required for entities with custody of or access to contributions. |
Initial Registration
| Form: | |
| Instructions: | Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us |
| Filing Method: | Mail or Email |
| Agency Fee: | $200 |
| Original Ink: | Not Required |
| Notarization Required?: | Not Required |
| Notes: |
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| Before you Apply: |
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| Required Attachments: |
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| Bond Amount: | $20,000 |
Registration Renewal
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | Mail or Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us |
| Agency Fee: | $200 |
| Due: | Annually by April 30. |
| Original Ink: | Not Required |
| Notarization Required?: | Not Required |
Contract Filing
| Form: | |
| Filing Method: | Mail or Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us |
| Agency Fee: | $0 |
| Due: | File a solicitation notice before beginning a new campaign. |
Financial Reporting
| Form: | Professional Fundraiser Solicitation Campaign Financial Report |
| Filing Method: | Mail or Email to charity.registration@ag.state.mn.us |
| Agency Fee: | $0 |
| Due: | Within 90 days after a campaign has ended and within 90 days after the anniversary of commencement for campaigns lasting more than a year. |
| Notarization Required?: | Required |
Individual Licenses
Minnesota Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Minnesota Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration
Not required
Professional Solicitor licensure is not required on the State level in Minnesota.
Solicitors who are not employed by a professional fundraising firm but operate independently may be required to register. Employees of professional fundraising firms are generally not required to register as an individual solicitor in Minnesota.