Which public records Massachusetts keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division. 11 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-08-11.
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 a Massachusetts public charity with the Attorney General before beginning charitable work or raising funds and pay the current $100 registration fee
SOURCE VERIFIED
Register with the Attorney General's Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division and submit the governing documents and other registration information required by §8E. The statutory registration fee is $100.
How often
One-time initial registration; amendments are event-triggered
Applies to: A public charity organized in Massachusetts, or otherwise required by M.G.L. c. 12, §8E, before conducting charitable work or raising funds in Massachusetts.
Exceptions
Registration is distinct from the Certificate for Solicitation, Form PC, federal §501(c)(3), and corporate formation.
Renew solicitation authorization through the annual Form PC solicitation questions rather than treating the initial certificate as permanent
SOURCE VERIFIED
The ongoing solicitation authorization is renewed through the charity's annual Form PC/solicitation filing process under current AGO guidance. Keep solicitation status current each reporting cycle.
Form PC solicitation section / Certificate renewal through Charity Portal
Applies to: A nonexempt charity that continues soliciting in Massachusetts after its initial Certificate for Solicitation.
Exceptions
An exemption under c. 68, §20 may remove the certificate requirement; professional-fundraiser filings remain separate.
Source: Overview of Solicitation — Office of the Attorney General, Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division and 2 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 support and revenue is greater than $500,000 and not more than $1,000,000
SOURCE VERIFIED
After the November 20, 2024 statutory threshold change, a charity in this exact band may submit reviewed financial statements in lieu of an audit. Preserve both boundary operators: greater than $500,000 and not more than $1,000,000.
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 Chapter 180 annual report by November 1 and pay the current $15 base fee
SOURCE VERIFIED
File the Secretary's Chapter 180 annual report by November 1. The base fee is $15; the current electronic/fax surcharge for a $15 document is $3.50.
These are the offices the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts.
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 Massachusetts 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
11 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 Attorney General, Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division