Massachusetts Fundraising Licensing
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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- Massachusetts Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
- Massachusetts Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Company Licenses
Massachusetts Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
Massachusetts Bingo License (Single Event)
Game Type: | Bingo |
Agency: | Massachusetts State Lottery Commission |
Massachusetts Bingo License (Weekly)
Game Type: | Bingo |
Agency: | Massachusetts State Lottery Commission |
Massachusetts Charitable Gift Annuity Registration
Not required
Charitable Gift Annuity licensure is not required on the State level in Massachusetts.
No filing is required, but charities need to meet certain conditions before issuing charitable gift annuities. Massachusetts statutes exempt educational, charitable, benevolent, and religious organizations from life insurance company regulation related to charitable gift annuities.
Law: | MA Gen. Law Chapter 175 § 118 |
Massachusetts Charity Registration
Agency: | Massachusetts Attorney General - Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division |
Law: | Massachusetts General Laws Ch 12, §8e and 8f; Ch 68 §18 through 35 |
Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite: | No |
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required? | No |
Automatic Exemption
Exemption Eligible Organizations: |
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Notes: |
Initial Registration
Instructions: |
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Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $100 initial registration fee + either a $50 Schedule A-2 fee for organizations registering before their initial fiscal year end, or a fee based on gross support and revenue received during the preceding fiscal year for organizations that have already completed at least one fiscal year. The fee is calculated as follows:
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Turnaround: | 4-6 months |
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
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | Depends on gross support and revenue for the preceding fiscal year:
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Due: |
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Due Date Extension: | Due dates are automatically extended for 6 months beyond the original due date if a charity is in compliance. |
Original Ink: | Not required |
Notarization Required?: | Not required |
Penalties: | There is a late fee of $25 per month. |
Required Attachments: |
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Contract Filing
Form: | Form 10B: Addendum to Registration Statement to be Filed by Commercial Co-venturers |
Filing Method: | Email to professionalfundraiser@mass.gov |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Within 10 days of signing and prior to the commencement of any new co-venturing activity. |
Notes: | Every contract or agreement between a professional solicitor or a commercial co-venturer and a charitable organization must include:
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Reinstatement
Not required
Formal reinstatement is not required. Charities who wish to renew an expired registration should submit a renewal filing along with the required financials, attachments, and registration fee(s) for each year not registered. The Attorney General is not currently assessing any late fees. Expired registrations are periodically audited and can eventually become penalized and assessed fees payable only by the officers of the organization.
Change of Fiscal Year
Filing Method: | |
Notes: | The fiscal year can be changed during the standard renewal process. Be sure to submit a cover letter and a copy of the organization's amended Articles of Incorporation with the annual filing. |
Cancelation
Filing Method: | Email to charities@mass.gov |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Notes: | To close out your registration, submit a letter indicating the desire to withdraw and include the date Massachusetts solicitations will end. If soliciting took place in a partial fiscal year, submit a renewal for that year. |
Commercial co-venturer means any person who for profit or other commercial consideration, conducts, produces, promotes, underwrites, arranges or sponsors a performance, event, or sale to the public of a good or service which is advertised in conjunction with the name of any charitable organization or as benefiting to any extent any charitable purpose. Any such person who will benefit in good will only shall not be deemed a commercial co-venturer if the collection and distribution of the proceeds of the performance, event or sale are supervised and controlled by the benefiting charitable organization.
Massachusetts Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
Agency: | Massachusetts Attorney General - Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division |
Law: | |
Bond Requirements: | $25,000 |
Initial Registration
Form: | Form 10: Registration Statement to be filed by Commercial Co-Venturers |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $200 |
Bond Amount: | $25,000 |
Registration Renewal
Form: | Form 10: Registration Statement to be filed by Commercial Co-Venturers (Renewal) |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $200 |
Due: | Annually by December 31. |
Bond Amount: | $25,000 |
Contract Filing
Form: | Form 10B: Addendum to Registration Statement to be Filed by Commercial Co-venturers |
Filing Method: | Email to professionalfundraiser@mass.gov |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Within 10 days of signing and prior to the commencement of any new co-venturing activity. |
Notes: | Every contract or agreement between a professional solicitor or a commercial co-venturer and a charitable organization must include:
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How to Apply: | The charity must be registered to solicit charitable contributions or otherwise exempt for the contract to be accepted. |
Contract Amendment
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | An amendment filing should be made before the expiration date of a campaign in order to extend the campaign. |
Notes: | To report an extension of a campaign or another change to a campaign agreement, submit a cover letter describing the change and include a copy of the amended agreement. |
Financial Reporting
Form: | |
Filing Method: | |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Annually by February 28 of the year following the reporting year. |
Original Ink: | Required |
Notarization Required?: | Required |
Notes: | Annual financial reports need to be filed for every campaign the co-venturer engages in. |
Professional fund-raising counsel means any person who is retained for a financial or other consideration by a charitable organization to plan, conduct, manage, carry on, advise or act as a consultant whether directly or indirectly in connection with the solicitation of contributions in this commonwealth for or on behalf of any charitable organization but who actually solicits no contributions and has neither custody nor control of contributions as part of such services. A bona fide salaried officer or regular, nontemporary employee of a charitable organization maintaining a permanent establishment within the commonwealth shall not be deemed to be a professional fund-raising counsel.
An individual or business retained by a charity to advise the charity on conducting of fundraising campaigns is considered a fundraising counsel. Fundraising counsels do not conduct solicitation themselves, nor do they ever have custody or control of contributed funds.
Massachusetts Fundraising Counsel Registration
Agency: | Massachusetts Attorney General - Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division |
Law: |
Initial Registration
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $400 |
Notarization Required?: | Not required |
Before you Apply: |
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Required Attachments: |
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Registration Renewal
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $400 |
Due: | Annually by December 31. |
Contract Filing
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | File a copy of each additional fundraising contract within 10 days of signing. |
Professional solicitor means any person who is retained for a financial or other consideration by a charitable organization to solicit in this commonwealth contributions for charitable purposes directly or in the form of payment for goods or services, whether such solicitation is done individually or through other persons under the direction of the professional solicitor. A person who otherwise is a professional fund-raising counsel shall be deemed a professional solicitor if at any time he has custody or control of contributions. A bona fide salaried officer or regular, nontemporary employee of a charitable organization maintaining a permanent establishment within the commonwealth shall not be deemed to be a professional solicitor. No attorney, investment counselor or banker who advises an individual corporation or association to make a charitable contribution shall be deemed, as the result of such advice, to be a professional fund-raising counsel or a professional solicitor.
Massachusetts Professional Solicitor Registration
Agency: | Massachusetts Attorney General - Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division |
Law: | |
Bond Requirements: | $25,000 |
Initial Registration
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $1,000 |
Original Ink: | Not required |
Notarization Required?: | Not required |
Notes: |
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Before you Apply: |
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Required Attachments: |
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Bond Amount: | $25,000 |
Registration Renewal
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $1,000 |
Due: | Annually by December 31. |
Contract Filing
Form: | Form 10A: Addendum to Registration Statement to be Filed by Professional Solicitors |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Within 10 days of signing and prior to the commencement of any new solicitation contract. |
Financial Reporting
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | $0 |
Due: | Annually by February 28 of the year following the reporting year. |
Notarization Required?: | Required |
Notes: | Annual financial reports need to be filed for every charitable campaign the solicitor works on. |
Massachusetts Raffle and Casino Night Licenses
Not required
Charitable Gaming licensure is not required on the State level in Massachusetts.
Raffle and casino night permits are issued at the municipal level.
Individual Licenses
Massachusetts Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Massachusetts Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration
Not required
Professional Solicitor licensure is not required on the State level in Massachusetts.
Solicitors who are not employed by a professional fundraising firm but operate independently may be required to register. Employees of professional fundraising firms are generally not required to register as an individual solicitor in Massachusetts.