Common Form for Charity Registration Is Now Accepted in 31 States and D.C.

Thirty-one of the 38 states that require charities to register before soliciting donations within their borders now accept a standardized form for that purpose.

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Map: Charity Registration in the States

Over the past year, 11 states have agreed to accept the common form, which was introduced in 1997 as a way to reduce the paperwork burden on charities that operate in more than one state. The District of Columbia also accepts the form.

A 32nd state, Wisconsin, has agreed in principle to accept the common form in lieu of its own registration document, but final arrangements are pending.

Charities have the option of using the common form in a state that accepts it, or filling out that state’s own registration document.

Many charities, especially ones that raise money nationwide, have long urged the states to accept a single registration form as a way to reduce the amount of time and money that non-profit groups must spend gathering data and filling out documents.

But that goal, though closer, remains elusive. Six states that require charities to register have not responded to appeals to accept the form, said Robert Tigner, general counsel of the National Federation of Nonprofits and a leader in efforts to create a system of common reporting standards for charities. “We’re going to keep trying,” he said.

In addition, six states that do accept the common form require supplemental information. Twelve states do not require charities to register.

Mr. Tigner said that about 1,000 uniform registration forms have been distributed in the past two years, but he could not say how many charities were using them.

Partly in response to the concerns of states that recently adopted the uniform form, several questions have been added to the 20 that had appeared on the form previously. The new version asks charities to disclose all their fund-raising methods and to clarify what percentage of total contributions they spent in the previous year on management, general, and fund-raising costs, among other information.

As was the original version, the revised form is packaged as a “registration do-it-yourself kit.” Included with the form are instructions, supplementary forms for the six states that require them, and a state-by-state compilation of basic information needed to make a complete registration filing.

A separate effort is under way to create a uniform document that charities could use to fulfill annual reporting requirements in states that require such documentation. A prototype is being prepared for presentation to the states later this year, Mr. Tigner said.

The effort to establish a common reporting system is spearheaded by the National Association of State Charities Officials, in concert with the National Association of Attorneys General and a consortium of non-profit groups called the Multi-State Filer Program.

The revised registration form and other materials are available via the Internet at http://www.nonprofits.org/library/gov/urs.

In addition, seven organizations have volunteered to distribute the material. Charities should inquire about fees to cover shipping, postage, or duplication costs. The organizations are:

American Association of Fund-Raising Counsel
25 West 43rd Street, Suite 820,
New York 10036;
(212) 354-5799, ext. 3007

Association of Direct Response Fundraising Counsel
1612 K Street, N.W., Suite 510,
Washington 20006-2802;
(202) 293-9640

Direct Marketing Association-Non-Profit Council
1111 19th Street, N.W., Suite 1100,
Washington 20036-3603;
(202) 861-2420

Multi-State Filer Program
1612 K Street, N.W., Suite 510,
Washington 20006-2802;
(202) 463-7980

National Council of Nonprofit Associations
1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 900,
Washington 20036;
(202) 833-5740

National Federation of Nonprofits
815 15th Street, N.W., Suite 822,
Washington 20005-2201;
(202) 347-0929

National Society of Fund Raising Executives
1101 King Street, Suite 700,
Alexandria, Va. 22314-2967;
(703) 684-0410, ext. 458