THE DONOR DESK · ARIZONA

Checking a charity in Arizona.

Which public records Arizona keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Arizona Secretary of State. 9 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-08-12.

Free to read. No account needed. Nothing on this page is a rating or an endorsement of any organization.

What this state records about charities that ask you for money

Registration is a filing requirement, not a rating. States exempt whole categories of organization from it, so an organization that does not appear in a state record is not necessarily doing anything wrong, and one that does appear has not been endorsed.

Ordinary non-veterans charities do not have a general Arizona Secretary of State charitable-solicitation registration

SOURCE VERIFIED

Arizona's former broad charitable-organization registration program was repealed effective September 13, 2013. Current Secretary of State guidance affirmatively states that only veterans charities file under the remaining SOS system and that no other state agency assumed the former general filing.

How often
Continuous classification
Filed with
Arizona Secretary of State
Form or portal
Veterans Charities Organizations page for the remaining specialized filing

Applies to: Ordinary charitable organizations soliciting in Arizona that are not soliciting in the name of American veterans and do not enter another specialized regime.

Exceptions

  • This fact does not mean every fundraising activity is unregulated; deceptive solicitation, veterans solicitation, gaming, tax and local rules remain separate.

Source: Veterans Charities Organizations — Arizona Secretary of State and 1 more official source below.

Last verified

What financial detail the state requires at what size

This is what the organization has to produce for the state, which tells you what already exists to ask for. It is not a statement that any particular organization is above or below these thresholds.

Obtain an annual audit when Arizona state assistance exceeds $250,000 in a fiscal year

SOURCE VERIFIED

Every covered state-assistance contract must contain financial/compliance audit requirements. If state assistance during the fiscal year exceeds $250,000, the nonprofit must obtain an annual audit at its own expense and file the audited financial statements with the state agency providing the assistance.

How often
Annual when threshold applies
Filed with
Arizona state or county agency providing financial assistance
Form or portal
Contract-defined audit submission

Applies to: A nonprofit corporation receiving Arizona state financial assistance under a covered contract.

Exceptions

  • At $250,000 or less, contract terms control; the threshold is strictly `more than` $250,000.

Source: A.R.S. § 35-181.03 — Audit of nonprofit corporations receiving state monies — Arizona Legislature.

Last verified

Whether the organization is still current with the state

Every nonprofit corporation owes its state this filing to stay in good standing, and the state keeps the result as a public record. It is separate from any charity registration above, and being current says nothing about how an organization spends what you give it.

File the Arizona nonprofit annual report by the Commission-assigned date each year and pay $10

SOURCE VERIFIED

File the annual report by the date assigned by the Commission; in subsequent years it is due on that assigned date in the anniversary month. Report current statutory-agent, address, director, officer, activities, membership, disclosure and tax-return certification information.

How often
Annual
Filed with
Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division
Form or portal
Corporation Annual Report — Arizona Business Center

Applies to: Domestic and registered foreign Arizona nonprofit corporations unless a specific statutory exemption from the report applies.

Exceptions

  • Do not treat an ACC delinquency notice as changing the statutory due date.

Source: A.R.S. § 10-11622 — Annual report — Arizona Legislature and 5 more official sources below.

Last verified

Who keeps these records in Arizona

These are the offices the Arizona research itself names for the filings above. An office that keeps a record is also the place to take a question or a concern about one.

What this page does not tell you

Whether your gift is deductible

That is federal, not state, and it depends on the organization's federal status and on your own tax situation. See the federal record rules and check the organization in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.

Whether a particular organization has complied

This page carries Arizona's rules, not any organization's filing history. The offices above hold the records for the organization you are asking about.

Which state's rules apply to your gift

Your state of residence, the organization's home state, and the state it solicits in can all differ. This page is about Arizona.

What this organization promised you

Restrictions on your gift, refund terms, recurring-payment terms and the acknowledgment you receive come from the organization itself. Ask it, and keep what it sends.

BEFORE YOU GIVE

Make the checklist
for your gift.

The federal side of a donation does not change by state: what to confirm before paying, and which record to keep afterward. Build a list around the gift you are actually making.

Open the giving checklist

If you run this organization

The rules above are three of the requirements Arizona puts on a nonprofit. The full guide covers formation, governance, reporting, tax and employment, from the same official sources.

Arizona nonprofit compliance guide ↗

Linking to this donor page from your own donation page or donor FAQ is welcome. It does not replace your organization's required notices, policies or donation acknowledgments.

Official sources

9 official sources back the entries on this page. Every one is a government statute, regulation, agency instruction, form or portal.

Agency or authoritySourceAccessedURL
Arizona Legislature A.R.S. § 10-11420 — Grounds for administrative dissolution https://www.azleg.gov/ars/10/11420.htm
Arizona Legislature A.R.S. § 10-11622 — Annual report https://www.azleg.gov/ars/10/11622.htm
Arizona Legislature A.R.S. § 35-181.03 — Audit of nonprofit corporations receiving state monies https://www.azleg.gov/ars/35/00181-03.htm
Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division Business Services FAQs https://www.azcc.gov/faqs/BusinessServicesFAQs
Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division Corporation Fee Schedule https://azcc.gov/docs/default-source/corps-files/fee-schedules/fee-schedule-corporations6def4cc74b1a47129d16c2b1c3851bda.pdf
Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division Corporation Forms https://azcc.gov/corporations/forms/corporation-forms
Arizona Corporation Commission Corporations Division Announces New Policies Aimed at Preventing Business Filing Fraud https://www.azcc.gov/news/home/2025/05/30/acc-corporations-division-announces-new-policies-aimed-at-preventing-business-filing-fraud
Arizona Legislature Laws 2013, Ch. 105 (H.B. 2457) — Charitable organizations repeal https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/51leg/1r/laws/0105.pdf
Arizona Secretary of State Veterans Charities Organizations https://azsos.gov/business/other-services/veterans-charities-organizations