Many states’ charitable solicitation statutes require charities to include mandatory disclosure.
The good news is that the majority of states do not currently require these often verbose disclosure statements be included on a nonprofit’s solicitation materials. Further, other states merely require the charity to include the name and address of the organization, which presumably would occur anyway. And some states require disclosure statements only if a “professional solicitor” is used.
The bad news is that enough states do require specific language to warrant careful attention for nonprofits. Here are some examples of state-mandated disclosure statements on fundraising materials:
Pennsylvania
Statements on all written materials mailed to potential donors in their states. Since states vary, compliance can be challenging.
The official registration and financial information of (legal name of the charity as registered with the department) may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
Virginia
Upon request, a financial statement is available from the State Office of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218.
Wisconsin
A financial statement of the charitable organization disclosing assets, liabilities, fund balances, revenue and expenses for the preceding fiscal year will be provided to the person upon request.
As one can see, these required disclosure statements are often overlapping and similar in nature. Accordingly, the various state disclosures can often be condensed on fundraising literature. In addition, religious-based exemptions exist under numerous state laws.
