Which public records Michigan keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Michigan Department of Attorney General, Charitable Trust Section. 11 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-07-23.
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 or receiving contributions in Michigan unless exempt
SOURCE VERIFIED
COSA registration applies to covered organizations that solicit or receive contributions in Michigan. File CTS-01 and required attachments. Corporate formation, foreign authority, and federal exemption do not replace this registration.
Applies to: A domestic or foreign charitable organization that solicits or receives contributions in Michigan and is not exempt.
Exceptions
Statutory exemptions must be confirmed under CTS-03; pending, incomplete, and exempt statuses are distinct.
Source: Charitable Organizations — Michigan Department of Attorney General, Charitable Trust Section and 3 more official sources below.
Last verified
Calculate solicitation-registration expiration as one year and seven months after the submitted financial year end
SOURCE VERIFIED
The current CTS-02 states that registration expires one year and seven months after the end date of the financial report submitted with the last registration. Use the expiration date shown on the Attorney General confirmation rather than a universal December 31, anniversary, October 1, or Form 990 date.
Applies to: A registered charitable organization renewing under COSA.
Exceptions
A fiscal-year change or startup period can change the formula; use the AG confirmation date.
Source: Charitable Organizations — Michigan Department of Attorney General, Charitable Trust Section 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.
Apply the exact $325,000 lower boundary
SOURCE VERIFIED
Current CTS-02 requires reviewed or audited statements only when line F is greater than $325,000. Exactly $325,000 is not within that middle band; internally prepared statements may be accepted unless another rule or agency condition requires CPA work.
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 Michigan nonprofit Annual Report by October 1
SOURCE VERIFIED
File the corporate Annual Report each year by October 1, beginning in the calendar year after incorporation or foreign qualification. This LARA filing is separate from Attorney General charity renewal, federal Form 990, and Michigan tax returns.
These are the offices the Michigan 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 Michigan'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 Michigan.
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 Michigan 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
Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations Division