Mississippi State Fundraising Registration
Resources for charities, businesses, professional fundraisers, and individuals conducting fundraising activities
Mississippi 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.
Mississippi 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
Mississippi Charitable Organization Registration
Agency: Mississippi Secretary of State - Charities Division
Law: Mississippi Code § 79-11-503
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? Yes
One-Time Exemption Registration
Exemption Eligible Organizations:
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $50 + $4 online filing fee
Law: Miss. Code Ann. Section 79-11-505(1)
Notes: Notices of exemption do not expire, but charities must update their exemption within 30 days if any information changes.
Initial Registration
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $50 + $4 online filing fee.
Turnaround: 1 week
Notes:
- Before you Apply -
Domestic Applicants:
Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
Appoint a registered agent to receive legal documents in Mississippi.
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.
Appoint a registered agent to receive legal documents in Mississippi.
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 Mississippi, 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.
- How to Apply -
Domestic Applicants:
1. Create an online filing account and submit entity formation documents with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
2. Create an online charity filing account and submit a charitable organization registration, along with all required attachments, to the Mississippi Secretary of State - Charities Division.
Foreign Applicants:
1. Determine whether or not your charity will need to foreign qualify based on your activity in Mississippi. If not required, skip to number 3.
2. Create an online filing account and submit foreign qualification documents with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
3. Create an online charity filing account and submit a charitable organization registration, along with all required attachments, to the Mississippi Secretary of State - Charities Division.
- Required Attachments -
Registration Renewal
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $50 + $4 online filing fee.
Due:
Due Date Extension:
Due dates can be extended for 180 days beyond the original due date by submitting a request for extension through the online portal. A copy of IRS form 8868 must be included when requesting an extension.
Notes:
Required Attachments:
Change of Fiscal Year
Agency Fee: $50
Turnaround: 1-2 business days
Notes: Fiscal year can be changed during the standard renewal process.
Cancellation
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $0
Notes: To close out your registration, file a Final Report online and attach the most recently completed financials and a copy of a statement by an officer that the organization is no longer soliciting in Mississippi.
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Mississippi Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
Commercial Co-venturer shall mean any person or entity who is regularly and primarily engaged in the production, trade, sale or commerce of goods other than in connection with the raising or solicitation of funds, assets, or other property for charitable organizations or charitable purposes, who for indirect compensation (including contractually arranged fees, commissions or other monetary remuneration), conducts, promotes, underwrites, arranges, markets, sponsors or advertises a sale, performance, or event of any kind which will benefit, to any extent, a Charitable Organization, or
A person or entity who contracts with a Charitable Organization to benefit that charity to any extent, and who receives only indirect compensation limited to goodwill or tax benefits as a result of that contractual agreement, is considered neither a commercial co-venturer nor a professional fund-raiser so long as neither the person (or entity) nor the Charitable Organization conducts, promotes, underwrites, arranges, markets, sponsors, or advertises the relationship to the public during the contract period.
Agency: Mississippi Secretary of State - Charities Division
Law: 1 MS Admin Code § 15-3.17
Initial Registration
Form: Notice of Charitable Sales Promotion
Filling Method: Online
Agency Fee: $0
Turnaround: Immediately online.
Bond Amount: None
Contract Filing
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $0
Turnaround: Immediately online.
Due: A Commercial Co-venturer engaging in a charitable sales promotion is required to file with the Secretary of State notice of the promotion no less than seven (7) days prior to the start of said promotion. Such notice must include a copy of the contract between the Co-venturer and the Charitable Organization.
Original Ink: Not required
Notarize: Not required
How to Apply: The charity must be registered to solicit charitable contributions or otherwise exempt for the contract to be accepted.
Mississippi Fund-Raising Counsel Registration
Fund-raising counsel means a person (i) who for a fixed fee or rate under a written agreement plans, manages, advises or consults with respect to the solicitation in this state of contributions by a charitable organization, (ii) who neither solicits contributions nor directly or indirectly employ, procure or engage any person compensated to solicit contributions, and (iii) who does not at any time, whether directly or indirectly, receive or have custody or control of contributions. A bona fide nontemporary salaried officer or employee of a charitable organization shall not be deemed to be a fund-raising counsel. No attorney, accountant 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 that person shall be deemed, as a result of the professional service or advice rendered, to be a fund-raising counsel.
Agency: Mississippi Secretary of State
Law: MS Code § 97-11-513
Initial Registration
Filling Method: Online
Agency Fee: $250
Registration Renewal
Filling Method: Online
Agency Fee: $250
Due: Annually by June 30.
Contract Filing
Agency Fee: $0
Due: All contracts entered into between fund-raising counsels and charitable organizations shall be in writing and a true and correct copy of such contract shall be filed by the fund-raising counsel who is a party thereto with the Secretary of State at least ten (10) days prior to the performance by the fund-raising counsel of any service.
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.
Mississippi Professional Fund-Raiser Registration
Agency: Mississippi Secretary of State
Law: MS Code § 79-11-513
Bond Requirements: $10,000
Initial Registration
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $250
Before you Apply:
- This includes the signature of the President (or other authorized agent) of the firm.
Registration Renewal
Filing Method: Online
Agency Fee: $250
Due: Annually by June 30.
Contract Filing
Agency Fee: $0
Due: All contracts entered into between professional fund-raisers and charitable organizations shall be in writing and a true and correct copy of such contract shall be filed by the professional fund-raiser who is a party thereto with the Secretary of State at least ten (10) days prior to the performance by the professional fund-raiser of any service
Financial Reporting
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.
Mississippi Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Professional solicitor means any person who is employed or retained for compensation by a professional fund-raiser to solicit contributions for charitable purposes from persons in this state.
Agency Mississippi Secretary of State
Law: MS Code 79-11-517
Initial Registration
Form: http://www.sos.ms.gov/Pages/Fees-Forms-Charities.aspx
Agency Fee: $0
Registration Renewal
Form: http://www.sos.ms.gov/Pages/Fees-Forms-Charities.aspx
Agency Fee: $0
Due: Annually by June 30.
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Mississippi Charitable Gift Annuity Registration
Agency: Mississippi Secretary of State - Securities Division
Law: MS Code § 79-11-651 through MS Code § 79-11-661
Organization Age Requirement: 3 years of continuous existence immediately preceding licensure.
Minimum Unrestricted Cash or Cash Equivalent Requirement: $300,000
Initial Registration
Notes: Mississippi charities must provide notice on the day they first enter into a charitable gift annuity agreement. Notices must identify the organization, certify that the organization is a charity and that the annuities issued are qualified charitable gift annuities, and be signed by an officer or director.
Registration Renewal
NOT REQUIRED
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