West Virginia 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!
- Jump To:
- West Virginia Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
- West Virginia Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
Company Licenses
West Virginia Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses
West Virginia Charitable Bingo License
Initial Registration
West Virginia Charitable Gift Annuity Registration
Initial Registration
Notes: | West Virginia charities must provide notice on the day they first enter into a charitable gift annuity agreement. Notices must identify the organization, certify that the organization is a charity and that the annuities issued are qualified charitable gift annuities, and be signed by an officer or director. |
Renewal Not Required
Not required
West Virginia Charitable Raffle License
Game Type: | Raffles |
Agency: | West Virginia State Tax Department |
Initial Registration
Agency: | West Virginia State Tax Department |
Form: | |
Agency Fee: | Varies by license type: $500 for annual license, $50 for limited license, and $500 for state fair license. |
West Virginia Commercial Co-Venturer Registration
Not required
Commercial Co-venturer licensure is not required on the State level in West Virginia.
West Virginia 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.
“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: |
|
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: |
|
Before you Apply: | Domestic Applicants:
Foreign Applicants:
|
How to Apply: | Domestic Applicants:
Foreign Applicants:
|
Required Attachments: |
|
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: |
|
Required Attachments: |
|
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. |
Individual Licenses
West Virginia Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses
West Virginia Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration
Not required
Professional Solicitor licensure is not required on the State level in West Virginia.
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 West Virginia.