Kentucky Fundraising Licensing

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Fundraising Compliance Guide
IntroductionOnline FundraisingUnified Registration Statement (URS)Charitable DisclosuresCharitable Registration Audit RequirementsFundraising With ProfessionalsProfessional Fundraiser DisclosuresCommercial Co-Ventures and Cause Marketing Charitable Registered Agent Closing Licenses vs. Letting Them Lapse
Fundraising Compliance Info by State

Below, you'll find licensing requirements for a range of fundraising activities. At a glance, you can see requirements, fees, filing instructions, and links to forms for everything from charitable gaming and cause marketing to professional fundraisers and charitable gift annuities.

Make sure your fundraising activities meet the unique requirements of each jurisdiction where you’re soliciting. Feel free to explore, bookmark, and share!

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Company Licenses

Kentucky Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses

Kentucky Charitable Gift Annuity Registration

Not required



Charitable Gift Annuity licensure is not required on the State level in Kentucky.

No filing is required. Kentucky exempts most charities from insurance regulations related to charitable gift annuities.

Law:

KRS § 304.1-120

Kentucky Charitable Organization License

Game Type:

Bingo, raffles, and pull-tabs.

Agency:Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet - Department of Charitable Gaming
Organization Age Requirement:

1 year of continuous existence in the county they intend to operate games in.

Age Restrictions:

Participants must be at least 18 years old. Minors accompanied by a parent or legal guardian are allowed to play bingo.

Law:

KY Stat. § 238.500 et seq.

Initial Registration

Agency:Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet - Department of Charitable Gaming
Form:

Form CG-1: License Application for Charitable Organization

Agency Fee:

$25

Law:

KY Stat. § 238.500 et seq.

Registration Renewal

Agency:Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet - Department of Charitable Gaming
Form:

Form CG-1: License Application for Charitable Organization (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$25

Due:

Annually by the date of issuance.

Kentucky Charitable Solicitation Registration

Agency:Kentucky Attorney General - Charities
Law:

Kentucky Revised Statutes Ann. § 367.657

Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:No
Notes:

Only entities that file the URS are required to have a registered agent appointment.

Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?No

Automatic Exemption

Exemption Eligible Organizations:
  • Solicitations by an organization of contributions from its members and their families only, if membership is not included in a solicitation, is not granted upon the basis of contributions alone, and is within the exception of KRS 367.650(3)
  • Solicitations by a religious organization for funds for religious purposes such as maintenance of a house of worship, conduct of services, and propagation of its faith and tenets as distinguished from other charitable and civic purposes employed by nonreligious organizations
  • Solicitations by a publicly-owned or nonprofit privately-endowed educational institution regulated by the Kentucky Board of Education, the Council on Postsecondary Education, or an equivalent public authority of the jurisdiction where the institution is located, from the alumni, faculty members, student body of the institution and their families, and from corporations, for the continuance of an established educational program
  • Local solicitations by a student group or parent-teacher association for its campus or group connected activities with the approval of the administration of the educational institution
Law:

KRS § 367.660

Initial Registration

Form:

There is no prescribed form, instead file the required attachments in the mail. If your 990 is not available the URS can be filed instead.

Filing Method:

Mail or on a CD or thumb drive in .pdf format

Agency Fee:

$0

Turnaround:

4-6 weeks

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Not required
Before you Apply:

All Applicants:

  • Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
  • If filing the URS, appoint a registered agent to receive legal documents in Kentucky.
  • Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. File entity formation documents with the Kentucky Secretary of State.
  2. Submit the documents listed in the required attachments section, or a URS if your 990 is not available, to the Kentucky Attorney General - Charities Section.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. Determine whether or not your charity will need to foreign qualify based on your activity in Kentucky. If not required, skip to number 3.
  2. File foreign qualification documents with the Kentucky Secretary of State.
  3. Submit the documents listed in the required attachments section, or a URS if your 990 is not available, to the Kentucky Attorney General - Charities Section.
Required Attachments:

  • IRS form 990
  • Articles of incorporation
  • Bylaws
  • IRS determination letter

Registration Renewal

Filing Method:

Mail or on a CD or thumb drive in .pdf format

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:
  • Annually by the 15th day of the 5th month after the organization's fiscal year end.
  • There is no official start to the renewal period, so renewals may be submitted as soon as financials become available for the most recently completed fiscal year.
  • Newly formed charities that have not yet filed Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service can file a notice of intent to solicit, which expires on December 31 every year.
Due Date Extension:

Due dates are automatically extended for 180 days beyond the original due date, however, charities should file a copy of their IRS form 8868 when submitting their 990 if an IRS extension was granted.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarization Required?:Not required
Notes:

Simply file your IRS Form 990 with the Kentucky Attorney General at the same time as you file it with the IRS. If your nonprofit does not file Form 990, either file IRS Form 8868 or the URS each year.

Required Attachments:

  • IRS form 990

Reinstatement

Not required



Formal reinstatement is not required. Charities wishing to renew a lapsed registration should submit a renewal filing for the most recent fiscal year. There are no late fees, but if an organization has been soliciting while unregistered additional penalties may apply. 

Change of Fiscal Year

Agency Fee:

$0

Notes:

File the new 990 showing a change in fiscal year.

Cancelation

Agency Fee:

$0

Notes:

To close out your registration charities that are not associated with a professional solicitor contract/campaign or fundraising consultant contract, the charity can simply not submit the next IRS form 990. Alternatively the charity could submit on letterhead the date they wish to withdraw from soliciting in Kentucky.

Kentucky Commercial Co-Venturer Registration

Not required



Commercial Co-venturer licensure is not required on the State level in Kentucky.

Kentucky does not currently have a traditional registration requirement for commercial co-venturers, but they may need to follow other regulations before and after fundraising events.

“Fundraising consultant” means any person who, for compensation, plans, manages, advises, consults, or develops material for or with respect to the solicitation for any charitable organization. A fundraising consultant shall not, at any time, have custody of contributions from a solicitation or solicit contributions, directly or indirectly. If a fundraising consultant’s fee is related to the amount of contributions received from a solicitation in which he took part, the consultant is considered a professional solicitor. A fundraising consultant shall not employ, procure, or otherwise engage any compensated person to solicit contributions. A bona fide salaried officer, employee, or volunteer of a charitable organization shall not be deemed to be a fundraising consultant, unless he is employed or engaged as a fundraising consultant or a professional solicitor by another charitable organization.

Kentucky Fund-Raising Consultant Registration

Agency:Kentucky Attorney General - Charities
Law:

KRS § 367.652

Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?Yes

Initial Registration

Form:

Fund-Raising Consultant Registration Statement

Agency Fee:

$50 registration fee + $25 background check fee/person

Notarization Required?:Required
Before you Apply:
  • List names and addresses of the charitable organizations that you have contracts with or have had contracts with in the last year
  • Names and addresses of all charitable organizations receiving contributions in Kansas as a result of your work
  • Names, home addresses, titles or relationships to the business of all partners, partner firms, corporate officers, directors, and other firm representatives, including employees and independent contractors
  • Report the names of all individuals who have been contracted as a fundraiser in the past. 
  • The names of all individuals who have worked for professional fundraisers or fundraising consultants with a firm in the past
  •  
Required Attachments:
  • Registration Statement
  • Copies of Contracts
  • Complete background investigation forms
  • Background investigation fees

Registration Renewal

Form:

Fund-Raising Consultant Registration Statement (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$50 registration fee + $25 background check fee/person

Due:

Annually by December 31.

Notarization Required?:Required

Contract Filing

Form:

Fund-Raising Consultant Form 4: Contract Registration Coversheet

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

At least 14 calendar days prior to the performance of any service pursuant to the contract, a fundraising consultant must file with the Attorney General a copy of the contract.

Amendment

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Changes to the information submitted on the registration statement must be reported within 7 calendar days after the changes occur.

Kentucky Organization Exemption

Game Type:

Bingo, raffles, and pull-tabs.

Agency:Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet - Department of Charitable Gaming
Notes:

Charities expecting to gross less than $25,000 from gaming activities can use this form to apply for exemption from licensure.

Initial Registration

Agency:Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet - Department of Charitable Gaming
Form:

Form CG-Exempt: Form for Organization Grossing Under $25,000

Agency Fee:

$0

Registration Renewal

Agency:Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet - Department of Charitable Gaming
Form:

Form CG-EFR: Exempt Organization Annual Financial Report

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Annually by January 31.

Kentucky Professional Solicitor Registration

Agency:Kentucky Attorney General - Charities
Law:

KRS § 367.652

Bond Requirements:

$25,000

Initial Registration

Form:

Professional Solicitor Registration Statement

Agency Fee:

$300 registration fee + $25 background check fee/solicitor 

Before you Apply:
  • Campaign details
    • Give the distribution of funds from the gross revenue of this promotion for each of the parties in the agreement. Totals are the same as shown in the contract and must equal 100%
    • Provide projected dates for this solicitation
    • Information regarding custody or control of the contributions
    • Bank account information for each bank account where receipts from the campaign are to be deposited
    • A description of the solicitation campaign or event
    • Methods of solicitation
    • A listing of each location and telephone number from which the solicitation will be conducted
    • A list of legal names and residential addresses for those who are responsible for directing and supervising the conduct of the campaign and each person who is to solicit by telephone during the campaign. (Ensure that all have had a criminal records check before calls are made into this Commonwealth)
    •  List the names and addresses of any chapters, branches, or affiliates of the charitable organization or other persons who will share the contributions or will benefit in any way from this campaign.
Required Attachments:
  • Articles of incorporation and bylaws
  • Licensing agency request form - one form for each person requiring a background check 
    • If submitting five (5) or more forms, please use the spreadsheet and submit electronically by CD or email. 
  • Compiled financial statement of the total profits, revenue from all fundraising activities of the last completed fiscal year per KRS 367.652(4)(f). 
  • Copies of any advertising materials prepared for public distribution by any means of communication
  • Copies of written materials that have been or will be delivered to prospective donors whether by mail or in person including brochures, envelopes, receipts, forms, acknowledgments, etc. 
  • Copies of sales scripts used in telephone or person-to-person solicitations. 
  • Copies of all written contracts between the professional solicitor and the charitable organization on whose behalf you are soliciting
  • Copies of the agreement permitting the solicitor to use the charity’s name in the solicitation
  • Letters of authorization from other organizations who will benefit from the promotion e.g. Groups that may receive free tickets or other considerations as a result of the promotion
Bond Amount:

 $25,000

Registration Renewal

Form:

Professional Solicitor Registration Statement (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$300 registration fee + $25 background check fee/solicitor 

Due:

Annually by December 31.

Contract Filing

Form:

Professional Solicitor Form 5: Promotion Registration Statement

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

File a promotion registration statement at least 14 days prior to the start of the performance of the contract.

Notarization Required?:Required

Financial Reporting

Form:

Professional Solicitor Form 6: Professional Solicitor Campaign Financial Report

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.

Amendment

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Changes to the information submitted on the registration statement must be reported within 7 calendar days after the changes occur.

Individual Licenses

Kentucky Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses

Kentucky Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration

Not required



Professional Solicitor licensure is not required on the State level in Kentucky.

The criminal history check section of the professional solicitor application applies to individual solicitors, however, no license is issued for individual employees.

More information: Kentucky Attorney General - Charities
There’s a Better Way to Stay Compliant Stop spending precious time managing state-by-state fundraising requirements. Take advantage of our full-service compliance solutions and get back to focusing on what’s most important: fulfilling your organization’s mission. Reduce Your Workload

Learn about fundraising in other jurisdictions:

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho
Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri
Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Harbor Compliance® proudly partners with the Kentucky Nonprofit Network, Inc. to provide insightful resources and compliance solutions to nonprofits in Kentucky.



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Charitable Solicitation Compliance
An explanation of increasingly complex state charity requirements.

Revised March 25, 2024. Complete data last reviewed June 10, 2021.
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