Which public records Iowa keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Iowa Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division. 6 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-08-04.
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.
Do not create a conventional Iowa charity-registration filing for an ordinary charity using its own personnel
SOURCE VERIFIED
Iowa chapter 13C regulates disclosures and professional commercial fund-raisers but does not establish a conventional pre-solicitation registration for the ordinary charity merely because its own bona fide personnel solicit. The charity must still satisfy disclosure duties and other applicable laws.
No general ordinary-charity registration portal; Attorney General charity information.
Applies to: A charitable organization soliciting through bona fide officers, employees, or volunteers rather than a professional commercial fund-raiser.
Exceptions
Professional fund-raisers, charitable trusts, telephone solicitation, local permits, and foreign corporate authority are separate.
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 nonprofit biennial report in odd-numbered years from January 1 through April 1 with no filing fee
SOURCE VERIFIED
Iowa nonprofits file a biennial report every odd-numbered year. The filing period begins January 1 and the report is due April 1; nonprofit reports are free online and on paper.
These are the offices the Iowa 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 Iowa'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 Iowa.
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 Iowa 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
6 official sources back the entries on this page. Every one is a government statute, regulation, agency instruction, form or portal.