Which public records Illinois keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Charitable Trust Bureau. 14 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-07-21.
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 before soliciting contributions under the Solicitation for Charity Act
SOURCE VERIFIED
A covered charitable organization must register with the Attorney General before solicitation. This solicitation trigger is legally distinct from holding charitable assets under the Charitable Trust Act. Fee: $15 initial registration fee; soliciting before registration triggers a $200 late-registration fee. Foreign charities can be covered by Illinois solicitation even without Illinois corporate authority.
File AG990-IL within six months after fiscal-year end
SOURCE VERIFIED
File a complete AG990-IL with required attachments within six months after the fiscal year ends. Calendar-year organizations are ordinarily due June 30. Fee: $15 is commonly due under the stated conditions; late report fee $100. A report is not considered filed unless complete; late fees, delinquency, cancellation, and enforcement can follow.
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 audited financial statements when gross contributions exceed $500,000
SOURCE VERIFIED
For reports initially due after January 1, 2024, an audit is required when gross contributions are more than $500,000 (strictly greater than — exactly $500,000 is not over the threshold and remains in the review band). There is no separate state audit filing fee; private CPA audit cost varies. A missing audit makes the annual report incomplete and can trigger late fees and enforcement.
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 Form NFP 114.05 before the first day of the anniversary month
SOURCE VERIFIED
File the Secretary of State annual report each year. It is due before the first day of the corporation's anniversary month, not merely at any time during that month. Fee: $10 state filing fee; statutory late fee $3 (a separate online payment processor charge may also apply). Late or missing reports lead to loss of good standing and can progress to administrative dissolution or revocation.
These are the offices the Illinois 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.
This page carries Illinois'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 Illinois.
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.
The rules above are three of the requirements Illinois puts on a nonprofit. The full guide covers formation, governance, reporting, tax and employment, from the same official sources.
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
14 official sources back the entries on this page. Every one is a government statute, regulation, agency instruction, form or portal.
Agency or authority
Source
Accessed
URL
Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Charitable Trust Bureau