Rhode Island Fundraising Licensing

Resources for charities, businesses, professional fundraisers, and individuals conducting charitable solicitation activities
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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!

Rhode Island charitable solicitation license, Rhode Island fundraising license
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Company Licenses

Rhode Island Nonprofit & Fundraising Company Licenses

Rhode Island Bingo License

Game Type:

Bingo

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Organization Age Requirement:

2 years of continuous existence in Rhode Island immediately preceeding licensure.

Initial Registration

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Form:

Weekly Bingos Application

Agency Fee:

$5

Registration Renewal

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Form:

Weekly Bingos Application (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$5

Due:

Annually by September 1.

Rhode Island Charitable Gift Annuity Registration

Not required



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

Rhode Island statutes do not address charitable gift annuities, but division of insurance rules exempt charitable organizations from disclosure rules that apply to other entities.

Rhode Island Charitable Organization Registration

Agency:Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation
Law:

RIGL § 5-53.1-2

Foreign Qualification is Prerequisite:No
Registered Agent (Special Agency) Required?No

Automatic Exemption

Exemption Eligible Organizations:
  • Educational institutions, including parent-teacher associations, the curricula of which in whole or in part are registered or approved by a governmental agency as well as all other educational institutions within this state recognized or certified as educational institutions by a generally recognized and accepted regional or national educational accrediting organization
  • Persons requesting any contributions for the relief of any individual, specified by name at the time of the solicitation, if all of the contributions collected, without any deductions whatsoever, are turned over to the named beneficiary
  • Any charitable organization that does not intend to solicit and receive and does not actually raise or receive contributions in excess of $25,000 during a fiscal year of the charitable organization, provided none of its fundraising functions are carried on by professional fundraisers and no part of its assets or income inures to the benefit of or is paid to any officer, director, member (if a limited-liability company), trustee, partner, or member of the charitable organization (Not including contributions received from corporations, charitable foundations, government agencies, or a duly registered federated fund, incorporated community appeal, or United Way, shall not be included in determining the total amount of contributions received)
  • Organizations that solicit only from their own membership. The term "membership" shall not include those persons who are granted a membership upon making a contribution as the result of a solicitation
  • Persons soliciting contributions solely from corporations, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies
  • Foundations or associations exclusively for the benefit of religious organizations, education institutions, nonprofit or charitable hospitals, and public libraries
  • Hospitals that are nonprofit and charitable
  • Veterans' organizations and their auxiliaries so long as the veterans' organizations are chartered under chapter 6 of title 7
  • Public libraries
  • Historical societies duly organized under the laws of this state
  • Free, not-for-profit, public art museums
  • Grange organizations and their auxiliaries
  • Churches or recognized denominations and religious organizations, societies, and institutions operated, supervised, or controlled by a religious organization or society that solicit from other than their own membership. Institutions indirectly or affiliated with but that are not operated, supervised, or controlled by any religious organizations or religious society that own, maintain, and operate homes for the aged, orphanages, and homes for unwed mothers
  • Volunteer fire and rescue associations
  • Land trusts duly organized under the laws of this state
Law:

RI Gen L § 5-53.1-3

Notes:

Charities must register within 30 days if they exceed $25,000 in contributions.

Initial Registration

Form:

Charitable Organizations Application

Filing Method:

Online or submitted on CD-Rom or on a USB flash drive (paper filings are not accepted)

Agency Fee:

$90 + $3 online filing fee.

Turnaround:

2-3 weeks

Notes:
  • Make check payable to General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island
  • Some Rhode Island counties and municipalities may require charities that solicit in-person to register prior to fundraising.
Before you Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  • Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
  • If your charity meets the audit threshold, obtain an audited financial report to submit with your registration application.
  • Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.

Foreign Applicants:

  • Check the available exemptions to see if your charity is eligible for exemption from the full registration requirement.
  • If your charity meets the audit threshold, obtain an audited financial report to submit with your registration application.
  • Look through the list of required attachments and make sure that you have each required document in hand before starting the registration application.
  • If you will foreign qualify in Rhode Island, obtain a certificate of good standing from your home state to submit during the foreign qualification process. The certificate cannot be more than 60 days old when filing foreign qualification documents.
How to Apply:

Domestic Applicants:

  1. File entity formation documents with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
  2. Create an online account and complete the charitable organization registration through the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation.

Foreign Applicants:

  1. Determine whether or not your charity will need to foreign qualify based on your activity in Rhode Island. If not required, skip to number 3.
  2. File foreign qualification documents with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.
  3. Create an online account and complete the charitable organization registration through the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation.
Required Attachments:

  • IRS form 990
  • Audited financials (if applicable)
  • List of officers and directors
  • Professional fundraising contracts
  • List of other states where registered to solicit

Registration Renewal

Form:

Charitable Organizations Application

Filing Method:

Online or mail the form on CD-ROM (paper filings are not accepted)

Agency Fee:

$90 + $3 online filing fee.

Due:

Annually by the registration anniversary date.

Due Date Extension:

Due dates can be extended for 6 months beyond the original due date by submitting either IRS form 8868 or a letter requesting an extension.

Notes:
  • Make check payable to General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island
  • You must attach an annual financial report.
Required Attachments:

  • IRS form 990
  • Audited financials (if applicable)
  • List of officers and directors
  • Professional fundraising contracts
  • List of other states where registered to solicit

Cancellation

Agency Fee:

$0

Notes:

To close out your registration, simply submit a letter asking to withdraw registration.

Rhode Island Commercial Co-Venturer Registration

Not required



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

Rhode Island 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 counsel" means any person who for compensation consults with a charitable organization or who plans, manages, advises, or assists with respect to the solicitation of contributions for or on behalf of a charitable organization, but who does not have access to contributions or other receipts from a solicitation and who does not solicit. Bona fide volunteers or employees of a charitable organization, or an attorney-at-law retained by a charitable organization, shall not be deemed a fundraising counsel.

Rhode Island Fundraising Counsel Registration

Agency:Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation
Law:

R.I.G.L. § 5-53.1-9

Initial Registration

Form:

Fundraising Counsel Application

Filing Method:Flash drive, CD-ROM, or online.
Agency Fee:

$240

Registration Renewal

Form:

Fundraising Counsel Application (Renewal)

Filing Method:Flash drive, CD-ROM, or online.
Agency Fee:

$240

Due:

Annually by June 30.

Contract Filing

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Copies of all contracts with charitable organizations must be submitted within 10 days after signing.

"Professional fundraiser" means any person who directly or indirectly for compensation or other consideration plans, manages, conducts, carries on, or assists in connection with a solicitation for charitable purposes or individually solicits or who or that employs or otherwise engages on any basis another person to solicit for or on behalf of any charitable organization, or who or that engages in the business of, or holds himself, herself, or itself out to persons as independently engaged in the business of soliciting for the charitable purpose. Bona fide volunteers or employees of a charitable organization or fundraising counsel shall not be deemed a professional fundraiser.

Rhode Island Professional Fundraiser Registration

Agency:Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation
Law:

R.I.G.L. § 5-53.1-9

Bond Requirements:

$10,000

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Professional Fundraiser

Agency Fee:

$240

Original Ink:Not required
Notarize:Not required
Notes:

A copy of all contracts with charitable organizations must be submitted with the application.

Before you Apply:
  •  Has any government agency or court enjoined the applicant, its directors, members, trustees, senior level executives, employees or sub-contractors from soliciting contributions?
  • Names and addresses of all officers, agents & employees.
Required Attachments:
  • Copies of all contracts with charitable organizations (must be submitted within ten (10) days after signing pursuant to R.I.G.L. 5-53.1-9)
  •  Bond
  • Taxpayer status affidavit (attached to application as exhibit 1) 

Registration Renewal

Form:

Application for Professional Fundraiser (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$240

Due:

Annually by June 30.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarize:Not required

Contract Filing

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Copies of all contracts with charitable organizations must be submitted within 10 days after signing.

Rhode Island Raffle License

Game Type:

Raffles

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Law:

RI Stat. § 11-19-31 et seq.

Initial Registration

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Form:

Raffle Application

Agency Fee:

$5

Law:

RI Stat. § 11-19-31 et seq.

Notes:

Raffle applications should be submitted to the local police department in the town or city where the raffle will be held.

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Raffle licenses are issued for a single event date.

More information: Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit

Rhode Island Senior Citizen's Bingo License

Game Type:

Bingo

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Age Restrictions:

Participants must be 55 or older.

Prize Limits:

The maximum aggregate daily prize is $400.

Initial Registration

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Form:

Senior Citizen's Bingo Application

Agency Fee:

$5

Registration Renewal

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Agency Fee:

$5

Due:

Annually

Rhode Island Special (One-Time) Bingo License

Game Type:

Bingo

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit

Initial Registration

Agency:Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit
Form:

Special (One-Time) Bingo Application

Agency Fee:

$5

Renewal Not Required

Not required



Special bingo licenses are issued for a single event and cannot be renewed.

More information: Rhode Island Division of State Police - Charitable Gaming Unit

Individual Licenses

Rhode Island Individual Nonprofit & Fundraising Licenses

Rhode Island Individual Professional Fundraiser Registration

Agency:Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation

Initial Registration

Form:

Application for Professional Solicitor

Agency Fee:

$0

Original Ink:Not required
Notarize:Not required

Registration Renewal

Form:

Application for Professional Solicitor (Renewal)

Agency Fee:

$0

Due:

Annually by June 30.

Original Ink:Not required
Notarize:Not required
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