Colorado State Fundraising Registration
Resources for charities, businesses, professional fundraisers, and individuals conducting fundraising activities
Colorado Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
Labyrinth provides the state fundraising regulations below as a guide to help you apply for and maintain your ability to fundraise. Need help? We can manage your state registrations for you. Contact us today to learn more.
Colorado defines requirements for:
• Charitable Organization Registration
• Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
• Professional Fundraiser Registration
• Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
• Charitable Gift Annuity Registration
Need a different state? Visit our 50-state Compliance Guide
Colorado Charitable Organization Registration
Agency: Colorado Secretary of State (Charities)
Law: C.R.S. § 6-16-104
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? No
Automatic Exemption:
Exemption Eligible Organizations:
Notes: Exempt charities can file an optional exemption claim to have a public record of their exempt status created in the secretary of state's database.
Initial Registration
Instructions: Instructions for Registering as a Charitable Organization
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $10
Turnaround: 1 week
Notes:
Before you Apply: All Applicants:
How to Apply:
Domestic Applicants:
Foreign Applicants:
Required Attachments:
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Registration Renewal
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $10
Due:
Due Date Extension:
Due dates are automatically extended for 3 months after the original due date, but charities needing more time can request an additional 3 months extension by making a request online. For more information and detailed instructions, see this page.
Penalties:
There is a $60 fee for failure to file a renewal.
Notes:
Required Attachments:
Change of Fiscal Year
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $0
Turnaround: Immediately
Notes: Fiscal year can be changed online.
Cancellation
Form: Charities Registration Withdrawal
Agency Fee: $0
Notes: To close out your registration, file a withdrawal form with the Secretary of State.

Labyrinth has taken the stress out of ensuring our organization is current with all state requirements. Their knowledgeable staff are always available to answer questions and provide guidance giving me peace of mind. I can’t say enough about the value they bring to our organization.
Colorado Charitable Gift Annuity Registration
NOT REQUIRED
Agency: Charitable Gift Annuity licensure is not required on the State level in Colorado.
No filing is required, but charities need to meet certain conditions before issuing charitable gift annuities. Charities that meet the following conditions are also exempt from insurance business regulation: "(a) Meets the definition and standards contained in section 501 (m)(5) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended; (b) Contains on its face the following statement: "This annuity is not issued by an insurance company nor regulated by the Colorado division of insurance and is not protected by any state guaranty fund or protective association." (c) Is issued or guaranteed by an organization that at all times during the three years preceding the date of the issuance of such annuity: (I) Was qualified to receive contributions described in section 170 (c) of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended; and (II) If required as a condition of such qualification by provisions of the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, was in receipt of notification from the federal internal revenue service that such organization was so qualified.".
Law: C.R.S. § 10-1-102 and C.R.S § 10-3-903
Colorado Charitable Gaming License
Game Type: Bingo, raffles, lotteries, and pull-tabs.
Agency: Colorado Secretary of State
Organization Age Requirement: 5 years of existence in Colorado.
Prize Limits: The maximum prize for progressive bingo or raffles is $15,000, and the maximum prize for progressive pull tabs is $5,000.
Law: C.R.S. § 24-21-601 et seq.
Initial Registration
Agency: Colorado Secretary of State
Form: Application for a Bingo-Raffle License
Filing Method: Mail or online.
Agency Fee: $100
Registration Renewal
Agency: Colorado Secretary of State
Form: Application for a Bingo-Raffle License (Renewal)
Filing Method: Mail or online.
Agency Fee: $100
Due: Annually by December 31

I’ve had great experiences with Labyrinth across two organizations, I definitely recommend their services!
A Commercial Co-Venturer is any person who for profit or other commercial consideration conducts, promotes, underwrites, arranges, or sponsors a sale, performance, or event of any kind which is advertised, and which will benefit, to any extent, a charitable or religious organization. However, any such person who will benefit in good will only is not a commercial co-venturer if the collection and distribution of the proceeds of the sale, performance, or event are supervised and controlled by the benefiting charitable or religious organization.
Colorado Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
NOT REQUIRED
Commercial Co-venturer licensure is not required on the State level in Colorado.
Colorado does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for commercial co-venturers, but there are disclosure requirements when more than 50% of a campaign's proceeds come from within the state.
Paid solicitor means a person who, for monetary compensation, performs any service in which contributions will be solicited in this state by such compensated person or by any compensated person he or she employs, procures, or engages to solicit for contributions. The following persons are not “paid solicitors”:
Colorado Paid Solicitor Registration
Agency: Colorado Secretary of State
Bond Requirements: $15,000 surety bond
Initial Registration
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $175
Before you Apply:
Required Attachments:
Registration Renewal
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $175
Due: Annually by the registration anniversary date.
Contract Filing
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $75
Due: File a solicitation notice at least 15 days prior to the start of the performance of the contract.
Financial Reporting
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $0
Due: Within 90 days after a campaign has ended and on the anniversary of commencement for campaigns lasting more than a year.
Colorado Professional Fundraising Consultant Registration
"Professional fundraising consultant" means any person, other than a bona fide officer or regular employee of a charitable organization, who is retained by a charitable organization for a fixed fee or rate under a written agreement to plan, manage, advise, consult, or prepare material for or with respect to the solicitation in this state of contributions for a charitable organization but who does not solicit contributions or employ, procure, or engage any compensated person to solicit contributions. No lawyer, investment counselor, or banker who renders professional services to a charitable organization or advises a person to make a charitable contribution during the course of rendering professional services to the person shall be deemed, as a result of such professional services or advice, to be a "professional fundraising consultant".
Agency: Colorado Secretary of State
Automatic Exemption
Exemption Eligible Organizations: Counsels who do not and will not have custody or control of contributions are exempt from the requirement to register but must follow other provisions of the Charitable Solicitations Act.
Law: C.R.S. § 6-16-104.3
Initial Registration
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $175
Turnaround: 10 days
Notes: Contract Requirements: Every contract between a professional fundraising consultant and a charitable organization or sponsor shall be in writing and signed by an authorized official of the charitable organization. The professional fundraising consultant shall provide a copy of the contract to the charitable organization prior to the performance of any material services under the contract and shall make a copy of the contract available to the secretary of state upon request. The contract shall contain all of the following provisions: (a) A statement of the charitable purpose for which the solicitation campaign is being conducted; (b) A statement of the respective obligations of the professional fundraising consultant and the charitable organization; (c) Whether the professional fundraising consultant will at any time have custody or control of contributions; (d) A clear statement of the fees that will be paid to the professional fundraising consultant or, if the fees are to be calculated based on a percentage of contributions or other formula, a clear statement of the percentage or other formula; and (e) The effective and termination dates of the contract.
Before you Apply: Applications for registration or renewal of registration must be submitted on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, signed and affirmed under penalty of perjury as defined in section 18-8-503, and must include the following information: (a) The address and telephone number of the principal place of business of the applicant and the address and telephone number of any office located in this state if the principal place of business is located outside the state; (a.5) The form of the applicant's business and, if the applicant is not an individual, the place and date when the applicant was incorporated or otherwise legally established; (b) The name, address, and telephone number of the person that has custody of the applicant's financial records; (c) If the applicant is not an individual, the names and addresses of the owners, officers, and executive personnel of the applicant; (d) Whether the applicant or any of its owners, officers, directors, trustees, or employees have, within the immediately preceding five years, been convicted of, found guilty of, pled guilty or nolo contendere to, been adjudicated a juvenile violator of, or been incarcerated for any felony involving fraud, theft, larceny, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of property or any crime arising from the conduct of a solicitation for a charitable organization or sponsor, under the laws of this or any other state or of the United States, and if so, the name of such person, the nature of the offense, the date of the offense, the court having jurisdiction in the case, the date of conviction or other disposition, and the disposition of the offense; (e) Whether the applicant or any of its owners, officers, directors, trustees, or employees have been enjoined from violating any law relating to a charitable solicitation or from engaging in charitable solicitation and, if so, the name of such person, the date of the injunction, and the court issuing the injunction; (f) Whether the applicant is registered with or otherwise authorized by any other state to act as a professional fundraising consultant; and (g) Whether the applicant has had such registration or authority denied, suspended, revoked, or enjoined by any court or other governmental authority in this state or another state.
Registration Renewal
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $175
Due: Annually by the registration anniversary date.
Contract Filing
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $75
Due: File a solicitation notice at least 15 days prior to the start of the performance of the contract.
Notes: Contracts must contain all of the following provisions:
Colorado Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Colorado Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration
NOT REQUIRED
Professional Solicitor licensure is not required on the State level in Colorado.
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 Colorado.

Thank you, you truly are amazing! And frankly we would be lost in all of this if it wasn’t for you.
Learn about fundraising in other jurisdictions:
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