THE DONOR DESK · CONNECTICUT

Checking a charity in Connecticut.

Which public records Connecticut keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. 9 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-08-02.

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.

Register the charitable organization before soliciting in Connecticut unless a claimed exemption applies

SOURCE VERIFIED

Complete Connecticut public-charity registration before solicitation begins. Federal section 501(c)(3) recognition and corporate authority do not substitute.

How often
Initial; annual renewal thereafter
Filed with
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
Form or portal
Public Charity initial registration through eLicense

Applies to: Domestic and foreign charitable organizations soliciting contributions in Connecticut unless a statutory exemption applies.

Exceptions

  • A statutory exemption must be claimed through the current exemption process rather than assumed from federal status alone.

Source: Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act — Chapter 419d — Connecticut General Assembly and 3 more official sources below.

Last verified

Renew the charity registration by the last day of the eleventh month after fiscal year end and pay $50

SOURCE VERIFIED

File the annual renewal and financial report no later than the last day of the eleventh month after the close of the fiscal year.

How often
Annual
Filed with
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
Form or portal
Public Charity renewal through eLicense

Applies to: A registered Connecticut charitable organization.

Exceptions

  • The DCP charity renewal is separate from the Secretary of the State corporate annual report.

Source: Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act — Chapter 419d — Connecticut General Assembly and 3 more official sources 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 a CPA review when gross revenue is more than $500,000 and not more than $1,000,000

SOURCE VERIFIED

A CPA review is required when gross revenue is greater than $500,000 and less than or equal to $1,000,000, after applying the stated exclusions.

How often
Annual when threshold met
Filed with
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
Form or portal
CPA review report through eLicense

Applies to: A registered charitable organization within the current review band.

Exceptions

  • Exactly $500,000 is outside this review band; exactly $1,000,000 is inside it.

Source: Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act — Chapter 419d — Connecticut General Assembly and 1 more official source below.

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 nonstock annual report on the anniversary date of the first report and pay $50

SOURCE VERIFIED

File an annual report each year. For a domestic nonstock corporation, the due date is the anniversary date of the Organization and First Report; the current fee is $50. The report updates the principal office, registered agent, officers, and directors.

How often
Annual
Filed with
Connecticut Secretary of the State
Form or portal
Annual Report filing workflow

Applies to: Domestic and registered foreign Connecticut nonstock corporations after the first report or authority filing establishes the cycle.

Exceptions

  • Do not substitute the DCP charity renewal, Form 990, CT-990T, or tax registration for this corporate report.

Source: Connecticut Nonstock Corporations Act — Chapter 602 — Connecticut General Assembly and 2 more official sources below.

Last verified

Who keeps these records in Connecticut

These are the offices the Connecticut 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 Connecticut'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 Connecticut.

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 Connecticut puts on a nonprofit. The full guide covers formation, governance, reporting, tax and employment, from the same official sources.

Connecticut 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
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Public Charities Unit Audit and Review Reports https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/knowledge-base/articles/charities/faqs/charity-renewals-and-filings/audit-and-review-reports
Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division Business.CT.gov Business Filing System https://business.ct.gov/
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Public Charities Unit Charitable Solicitation Registration Information https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/charities/charitable-solicitation-registration-information
Connecticut General Assembly Connecticut Nonstock Corporations Act — Chapter 602 https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_602.htm
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection eLicense Public Lookup and Filing System https://www.elicense.ct.gov/
Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division File an Annual Report https://business.ct.gov/business-services/file-annual-report
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Public Charities Unit Frequently Asked Questions from Charitable Organizations and Paid Solicitors https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/charities/frequently-asked-questions-from-charitable-organizations-and-paid-solicitors
Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Public Charities Unit General Information on the Connecticut Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/charities/general-information-on-the-connecticut-solicitation-of-charitable-funds-act
Connecticut General Assembly Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act — Chapter 419d https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_419d.htm