Fundraising

Social sector organizations engaged in fundraising must comply with state and federal laws regarding registration and record-keeping of the funds raised and spent. LawForChange has compiled a list of helpful resources for social sector organizations that engage in fundraising. Most of the information below targets nonprofit social sector organizations.

Do you have questions or other tools and resources to suggest? Contact us at admin@lawforchange.org.
 

Fundraising Overview

Federal Overview (LawForChange)

State-by-State Fundraising Resources (LawForChange)

Registration Requirements by State for Organizations Conducting Charitable Solicitations (LawForChange)

Giving USA (published annually) (American Association of Fund Raising Counsel)

Information for Charities (National Association of State Charity Officials)

Connecting with Donors (Guidestar)
 

Fundraising Resources

FAQs (coming soon)

Case Studies (coming soon)

The Unified Registration Statement, Multistate Filer Project

IRS: Charities (Internal Revenue Service)

IRS: List of State Links (Internal Revenue Service)

IRS: Applying for Tax Exemption (Internal Revenue Service)

IRS: Exempt Organizations Annual Filing Requirements (Internal Revenue Service)

Government Grant Seeking (Guidestar)

Fundraising Registration (Foundation Center)

National Council of Nonprofits

List of nonprofit support organizations by state (National Council of Nonprofits)

Guidestar

Nonprofit Grantseekers (Foundation Center)

NonProfit Quarterly
 

What People Are Talking About

Major Gifts, Part II: Considerations for Legal Compliance and Avoiding Lawsuits (Nonprofit Law Blog)

Averages Are Deceiving (Bob Ottenhoff)

Nolo's Fundraising Tips for Nonprofits (Nolo Press)

A Small Change

Most Charities Still Do Not Raise Much Money Via Social Media (Chronicle of Philanthropy)

Fundraising Strategy: Befriend Powerful Lawmakers (The Nonprofit Quarterly)
 

Ask the Experts

Visit the LawForChange group on LinkedIn (LawForChange)
 

Online Fundraising Services

NetworkforGood

GlobalGiving

BringLight

Changing the Present

Related Legal Topics

Intellectual Property. Practically everyone in the world today uses intellectual property or objects that embody IP: intangible assets that can't be perceived with the senses, yet comprise real value for those who own or use them. The materials here are intended to help your organization use IP rights to achieve its goals.
 

Legal Structures. The legal structure you choose for your social sector organization is a tool for accomplishing your goals. Depending on your aims, each form of organization has advantages and disadvantages. The materials here will help you to explore this important topic.
 

Revoked Tax-Exempt Status. The IRS recently revoked the tax-exempt status of 279,595 organizations. We've compiled resources that address why these organizations lost their status, how an organization can regain its status, and how an organization can avoid jeopardizing its status in the future.