West Virginia Secretary of State - Charitable Organizations Division
Please Note
We are a service company that can help you file with the West Virginia Secretary of State - Charitable Organizations Division. We are not associated with this nor any other government agency. We offer paid services and software to help you file. You are not required to purchase our service to file - you may file directly with this agency without using our service.
Contact Information
13 Kanawha Blvd. West
Suite 201
Charleston, WV 25302
Mailing address:
13 Kanawha Boulevard West
Suite 201
Charleston, WV 25302
Phone: (304) 558-8000
Fax: (304) 558-8381
Web: Home Name search File online
Email: charities@wvsos.gov
Licenses
We track the following licenses with the West Virginia Secretary of State - Charitable Organizations Division in order to provide compliance services to our clients. As a client, you see this and other Compliance Core™ data in License Manager in-line with your licenses.
“Professional fund-raising counsel” means any person who for a flat fixed fee under a written agreement plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises or acts as a consultant, whether directly or indirectly, in connection with soliciting contributions for, or on behalf of any charitable organization but who actually solicits no contributions as a part of the services. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a charitable organization maintaining a permanent establishment within the state is not a professional fund-raising counsel.
West Virginia Fundraising Counsel Registration
Agency: | West Virginia Secretary of State - Charitable Organizations Division |
Law: | |
Bond Requirements: | $10,000 |
Initial Registration
Form: | |
Filing Method: | Mail or online. |
Agency Fee: | $100 |
Notarization Required?: | Not required |
Registration Renewal
Form: | Form CHF: Registration Statement of Fund-Raising Counsel (Renewal) |
Filing Method: | Mail or online. |
Agency Fee: | $100 |
Due: | Annually |
Notarization Required?: | Not required |
Contract Filing
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Every written contract or agreement between professional fund-raising counsels or solicitors and charitable organization must be filed with the Secretary of State within 10 days after the parties have entered into such an agreement. |
“Professional solicitor” means any person who, for a financial or other consideration, solicits contributions for, or on behalf of a charitable organization, whether the solicitation is performed personally or through that person’s agents, servants or employees specially employed by, or for a charitable organization, who are engaged in the solicitation of contributions under the direction of that person, or a person who plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises or acts as a consultant to a charitable organization in connection with the solicitation of contributions but does not qualify as “professional fund-raising counsel” within the meaning of this article. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a charitable organization maintaining a permanent establishment within the state is not a professional solicitor.
No attorney, investment counselor or banker, who advises any person to make a contribution to a charitable organization, is considered, as the result of the advice, a professional fund-raising counsel or a professional solicitor.
West Virginia Professional Fundraiser Registration
Agency: | West Virginia Secretary of State - Charitable Organizations Division |
Law: | |
Bond Requirements: | $10,000 |
Initial Registration
Form: | |
Filing Method: | Mail or online. |
Agency Fee: | $100 |
Registration Renewal
Form: | Form CHF: Registration Statement of Professional Solicitor (Renewal) |
Filing Method: | Mail or online. |
Agency Fee: | $100 |
Due: | Annually |
Contract Filing
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Every written contract or agreement between professional fund-raising counsels or solicitors and charitable organization must be filed with the Secretary of State within 10 days after the parties have entered into such an agreement. |
West Virginia Registration of Charitable Organization
Agency: | West Virginia Secretary of State - Charitable Organizations Division |
Law: | |
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
One-Time Exemption Registration
Exemption Eligible Organizations: |
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Filing Method: | |
Law: | |
Notes: | To claim an exemption, submit a letter that explains why the organization is eligible for exemption including supporting documentation. |
Initial Registration
Form: | |
Filing Method: | Mail or online. |
Agency Fee: | $15 if the organization raised less than $1M and $50 if the organization raised more than $1M. |
Turnaround: | 4-6 weeks |
Original Ink: | Not required |
Notarization Required?: | Not required |
Notes: |
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Before you Apply: | Domestic Applicants:
Foreign Applicants:
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How to Apply: | Domestic Applicants:
Foreign Applicants:
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Required Attachments: |
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Registration Renewal
Form: | |
Filing Method: | Mail or online. |
Agency Fee: | $15 if the organization raised less than $1M and $50 if the organization raised more than $1M. |
Due: | Annually by the anniversary date of registration. Renewals can be filed as early as 60 days prior to the expiration date. |
Due Date Extension: | Due dates can be extended for 90 days beyond the original due date by making an online filing. |
Original Ink: | Not required |
Notarization Required?: | Not required |
Penalties: | There is a late fee of $25 for each month that passes after the due date. |
Notes: |
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Required Attachments: |
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Reinstatement
Not required
Formal reinstatement is not required. Charities wishing to renew a lapsed registration should submit a renewal filing, financials for each year not registered, and the applicable fees (renewal + late fees).
Change of Fiscal Year
Filing Method: | Email to charities@wvsos.gov |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Turnaround: | 1-2 business days |
Notes: | Your fiscal year can be amended by emailing the Charities Division of the change. When going to file the next renewal, you must file both the short and long-form 990s. |
Cancelation
Form: | |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $15 if raised less than $1,000,000 in the previous fiscal year and $50 if raised more than $1,000,000 in the previous fiscal year |
Notes: | To close out your registration, submit a renewal marked "Final" and include financial statements. |
Related Government Agencies
Explore other West Virginia government agencies we can help you stay compliant with:
- State of West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (WV)
- West Virginia Board of Accountancy
- West Virginia Board of Architects
- West Virginia Board of Landscape Architects
- West Virginia Board of Pharmacy
- West Virginia Board of Professional Surveyors
- West Virginia Board of Registration for Professional Engineers
- West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources - Radiation, Toxics, & Indoor Air Division
- West Virginia Division of Financial Institutions
- West Virginia Division of Labor
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Consumer Safety
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Licensing Section
- West Virginia Division of Labor - Weights & Measures
- West Virginia Fire Commission - Regulatory and Licensing Division
- West Virginia Lottery Commission - Licensing Division
- West Virginia Office of Environmental Health Services Radiation, Toxics & Indoor Air Division
- West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner
- West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner - Financial Conditions Division - Professional Employer Organization Licensing Unit
- West Virginia Real Estate Commission
- West Virginia Secretary of State - Business and Licensing Division
- West Virginia State Tax Department
- Workforce West Virginia