Massachusetts State Fundraising Registration
Resources for charities, businesses, professional fundraisers, and individuals conducting fundraising activities
Massachusetts 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.
Massachusetts 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
Company Licenses
Massachusetts Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
Massachusetts Bingo License (Single Event)
Game Type: | Bingo |
Agency: | Massachusetts State Lottery Commission |
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | Not Set |
Exam Required? | Not Set |
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | Not Set |
Massachusetts Bingo License (Weekly)
Game Type: | Bingo |
Agency: | Massachusetts State Lottery Commission |
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | Not Set |
Exam Required? | Not Set |
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | Not Set |
Massachusetts Charitable Gift Annuity Registration
Not required
Charitable Gift Annuity licensure is not required on the State level in Massachusetts.
No filing is required, but charities need to meet certain conditions before issuing charitable gift annuities. Massachusetts statutes exempt educational, charitable, benevolent, and religious organizations from life insurance company regulation related to charitable gift annuities.
Law: | MA Gen. Law Chapter 175 § 118 |
Massachusetts Charity Registration
Automatic Exemption
Exemption Eligible Organizations: |
|
Initial Registration
Form: | Charity Registration Form (and Form PC if filing after the initial fiscal year end date of the charity). |
Instructions: |
|
Filing Method: | Mail or online. |
Agency Fee: | Initial registration fee of $100 plus:
|
Turnaround: | 4-6 months |
Notes: |
|
Before you Apply: | Domestic Applicants:
Foreign Applicants:
|
How to Apply: | Domestic Applicants:
Foreign Applicants:
|
Required Attachments: |
|
Registration Renewal
Form: | |
Filing Method: | Mail or online. |
Agency Fee: | $35-$2,000, depending on gross support and revenue. |
Due: |
|
Due Date Extension: | Due dates can be extended for 6 months beyond the original due date by emailing charitiesextensions@state.ma.us with an explanation of your request for extension. |
Original Ink: | Required |
Notes: | Charities raising $200K+ must submit a financial statement Wet ink signatures are required. |
Required Attachments: |
|
Contract Filing
Form: | Form 10B: Addendum to Registration Statement to be Filed by Commercial Co-venturers |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Within 10 days of signing and prior to the commencement of any new co-venturing activity. |
Notes: | Every contract or agreement between a professional solicitor or a commercial co-venturer and a charitable organization must include:
|
Change of Fiscal Year
Form: | |
Notes: | Send a cover letter explaining the change in fiscal year along with the Form PC and a copy of the amended Articles of Incorporation. |
Cancellation
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Notes: | To close out your registration, submit a letter indicating the desire to withdraw and include the date Massachusetts solicitations will end. If soliciting took place in a partial fiscal year, submit a renewal for that year. |
Commercial co-venturer means any person who for profit or other commercial consideration, conducts, produces, promotes, underwrites, arranges or sponsors a performance, event, or sale to the public of a good or service which is advertised in conjunction with the name of any charitable organization or as benefiting to any extent any charitable purpose. Any such person who will benefit in good will only shall not be deemed a commercial co-venturer if the collection and distribution of the proceeds of the performance, event or sale are supervised and controlled by the benefiting charitable organization.
Massachusetts Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
Initial Registration
Form: | Form 10: Registration Statement to be filed by Commercial Co-Venturers |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $200 |
Bond Amount: | $25,000 |
Background Check Requirements: | ACCESS PREMIUM DATA |
Registration Renewal
Form: | Form 10: Registration Statement to be filed by Commercial Co-Venturers (Renewal) |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $200 |
Due: | Annually by December 31. |
Bond Amount: | $25,000 |
Background Check Requirements: | ACCESS PREMIUM DATA |
Contract Filing
Form: | Form 10B: Addendum to Registration Statement to be Filed by Commercial Co-venturers |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Within 10 days of signing and prior to the commencement of any new co-venturing activity. |
Notes: | Every contract or agreement between a professional solicitor or a commercial co-venturer and a charitable organization must include:
|
How to Apply: | The charity must be registered to solicit charitable contributions or otherwise exempt for the contract to be accepted. |
Contract Amendment
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | An amendment filing should be made before the expiration date of a campaign in order to extend the campaign. |
Notes: | To report an extension of a campaign or another change to a campaign agreement, submit a cover letter describing the change and include a copy of the amended agreement. |
Financial Reporting
Form: | |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Annually by February 28 of the year following the reporting year. |
Original Ink: | Required |
Notarize: | Required |
Notes: | Annual financial reports need to be filed for every campaign the co-venturer engages in. |
Professional fund-raising counsel means any person who is retained for a financial or other consideration by a charitable organization to plan, conduct, manage, carry on, advise or act as a consultant whether directly or indirectly in connection with the solicitation of contributions in this commonwealth for or on behalf of any charitable organization but who actually solicits no contributions and has neither custody nor control of contributions as part of such services. A bona fide salaried officer or regular, nontemporary employee of a charitable organization maintaining a permanent establishment within the commonwealth shall not be deemed to be a professional fund-raising counsel.
An individual or business retained by a charity to advise the charity on conducting of fundraising campaigns is considered a fundraising counsel. Fundraising counsels do not conduct solicitation themselves, nor do they ever have custody or control of contributed funds.
Massachusetts Fundraising Counsel Registration
Initial Registration
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $400 |
Before you Apply: |
|
Required Attachments: |
|
Registration Renewal
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $400 |
Due: | Annually by December 31. |
Contract Filing
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | File a copy of each additional fundraising contract within 10 days of signing. |
Professional solicitor means any person who is retained for a financial or other consideration by a charitable organization to solicit in this commonwealth contributions for charitable purposes directly or in the form of payment for goods or services, whether such solicitation is done individually or through other persons under the direction of the professional solicitor. A person who otherwise is a professional fund-raising counsel shall be deemed a professional solicitor if at any time he has custody or control of contributions. A bona fide salaried officer or regular, nontemporary employee of a charitable organization maintaining a permanent establishment within the commonwealth shall not be deemed to be a professional solicitor. No attorney, investment counselor or banker who advises an individual corporation or association to make a charitable contribution shall be deemed, as the result of such advice, to be a professional fund-raising counsel or a professional solicitor.
Massachusetts Professional Solicitor Registration
Initial Registration
Form: | |
Instructions: | Any individual or business that is hired by a charitable organization to conduct a fund raising campaign on the charity's behalf is considered a professional solicitor. Individuals or businesses hired by a a non-charity to conduct a fundraising campaign with a charitable appeal are also considered professional solicitors. If an individual or business is working as a subcontractor for another registered fundraiser, that individual or business must separately register with the AGO as a fundraiser. A professional solicitor must file the following: |
Agency Fee: | $1,000 |
Original Ink: | Not required |
Notarize: | Not required |
Notes: |
|
Before you Apply: |
|
Required Attachments: |
|
Bond Amount: | $25,000 |
Registration Renewal
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $1,000 |
Due: | Annually by December 31. |
Contract Filing
Form: | Form 10A: Addendum to Registration Statement to be Filed by Professional Solicitors |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Within 10 days of signing and prior to the commencement of any new solicitation contract. |
Financial Reporting
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Annually by February 28 of the year following the reporting year. |
Notarize: | Required |
Notes: | Annual financial reports need to be filed for every charitable campaign the solicitor works on. |
Massachusetts Raffle and Casino Night Licenses
Not required
Charitable Gaming licensure is not required on the State level in Massachusetts.
Raffle and casino night permits are issued at the municipal level.
Individual Licenses
Massachusetts Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Massachusetts Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration
Not required
Professional Solicitor licensure is not required on the State level in Massachusetts.
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 Massachusetts.
Learn about fundraising in other jurisdictions:
D.C. |
|||||