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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!
Charitable Gift Annuity licensure is not required on the State level in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island statutes do not address charitable gift annuities, but division of insurance rules exempt charitable organizations from disclosure rules that apply to other entities.
Rhode Island Charitable Organization Registration
Agency:
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation - Securities Division - Charities Section
Educational institutions, including parent-teacher associations, the curricula of which in whole or in part are registered or approved by a governmental agency as well as all other educational institutions within this state recognized or certified as educational institutions by a generally recognized and accepted regional or national educational accrediting organization
Persons requesting any contributions for the relief of any individual, specified by name at the time of the solicitation, if all of the contributions collected, without any deductions whatsoever, are turned over to the named beneficiary
Any charitable organization that does not intend to solicit and receive and does not actually raise or receive contributions in excess of $25,000 during a fiscal year of the charitable organization, provided none of its fundraising functions are carried on by professional fundraisers and no part of its assets or income inures to the benefit of or is paid to any officer, director, member (if a limited-liability company), trustee, partner, or member of the charitable organization (Not including contributions received from corporations, charitable foundations, government agencies, or a duly registered federated fund, incorporated community appeal, or United Way, shall not be included in determining the total amount of contributions received)
Organizations that solicit only from their own membership. The term "membership" shall not include those persons who are granted a membership upon making a contribution as the result of a solicitation
Persons soliciting contributions solely from corporations, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies
Foundations or associations exclusively for the benefit of religious organizations, education institutions, nonprofit or charitable hospitals, and public libraries
Hospitals that are nonprofit and charitable
Veterans' organizations and their auxiliaries so long as the veterans' organizations are chartered under chapter 6 of title 7
Public libraries
Historical societies duly organized under the laws of this state
Free, not-for-profit, public art museums
Grange organizations and their auxiliaries
Churches or recognized denominations and religious organizations, societies, and institutions operated, supervised, or controlled by a religious organization or society that solicit from other than their own membership. Institutions indirectly or affiliated with but that are not operated, supervised, or controlled by any religious organizations or religious society that own, maintain, and operate homes for the aged, orphanages, and homes for unwed mothers
Volunteer fire and rescue associations
Land trusts duly organized under the laws of this state
Make check payable to General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island
Some Rhode Island counties and municipalities may require charities that solicit in-person to register prior to fundraising.
Before you Apply:
Domestic Applicants:
Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
If your charity meets the audit threshold, obtain an audited financial report to submit with your registration application.
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.
If your charity meets the audit threshold, obtain an audited financial report to submit with your registration application.
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 Rhode Island, obtain a certificate of good standing from your home state to submit during the foreign qualification process. The certificate cannot be more than 60 days old when filing foreign qualification documents.
Due dates can be extended for 6 months beyond the original due date by submitting either IRS form 8868 or a letter requesting an extension.
Notes:
Make check payable to General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island
You must attach an annual financial report.
Required Attachments:
IRS form 990
Audited financials (if applicable)
List of officers and directors
Professional fundraising contracts
List of other states where registered to solicit
Change of Fiscal Year
Agency Fee:
$0
Notes:
An organization's fiscal year can updated during the standard renewal process.
Cancelation
Filing Method:
Email to DBR.CharityInquiry@dbr.ri.gov
Agency Fee:
$0
Notes:
To close out your registration, submit a letter requesting a withdrawal. Evidence must be provided to substantiate the claim that solicitations are longer taking place in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
Not required
Commercial Co-venturer licensure is not required on the State level in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island 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.
"Fundraising counsel" means any person who for compensation consults with a charitable organization or who plans, manages, advises, or assists with respect to the solicitation of contributions for or on behalf of a charitable organization, but who does not have access to contributions or other receipts from a solicitation and who does not solicit. Bona fide volunteers or employees of a charitable organization, or an attorney-at-law retained by a charitable organization, shall not be deemed a fundraising counsel.
Rhode Island Fundraising Counsel Registration
Agency:
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation - Securities Division - Charities Section
Copies of all contracts with charitable organizations must be submitted within 10 days after signing.
"Professional fundraiser" means any person who directly or indirectly for compensation or other consideration plans, manages, conducts, carries on, or assists in connection with a solicitation for charitable purposes or individually solicits or who or that employs or otherwise engages on any basis another person to solicit for or on behalf of any charitable organization, or who or that engages in the business of, or holds himself, herself, or itself out to persons as independently engaged in the business of soliciting for the charitable purpose. Bona fide volunteers or employees of a charitable organization or fundraising counsel shall not be deemed a professional fundraiser.
Rhode Island Professional Fundraiser Registration
Agency:
Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation - Securities Division - Charities Section
A copy of all contracts with charitable organizations must be submitted with the application.
Before you Apply:
Has any government agency or court enjoined the applicant, its directors, members, trustees, senior level executives, employees or sub-contractors from soliciting contributions?
Names and addresses of all officers, agents & employees.
Required Attachments:
Copies of all contracts with charitable organizations (must be submitted within ten (10) days after signing pursuant to R.I.G.L. 5-53.1-9)
Bond
Taxpayer status affidavit (attached to application as exhibit 1)
Filing fees depend on your individual situation. We do our best to calculate your filing fees
upfront and collect those fees today so we can get started. Your specialist will determine your
exact filing fees and invoice additional fees if required.
