Which public records North Carolina keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the North Carolina Secretary of State, Charitable Solicitation Licensing Division. 7 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-07-22.
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.
Obtain a charitable organization or sponsor license before solicitation
SOURCE VERIFIED
Obtain approval of a Chapter 131F license before covered solicitation begins. Corporate formation or foreign authority does not substitute for the charity license.
Applies to: A domestic or foreign charitable organization or sponsor intending to solicit contributions in North Carolina, have funds solicited on its behalf, or participate in a charitable sales promotion, unless exempt.
Exceptions
Exemptions must be established separately; foreign corporate authority and charity licensing use different triggers.
Renew on the fifteenth day of the fifth month after fiscal-year end
SOURCE VERIFIED
Renew annually by the fifteenth day of the fifth calendar month after the close of the fiscal year in which solicitation occurred, or by the applicable extended federal informational-return filing date, whichever is later.
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.
Submit required financial reporting without inventing a universal CPA audit threshold
VERIFICATION IN PROGRESS
Submit the annual financial report and applicable Form 990, 990-EZ, Schedule A, or Form 990-N confirmation. A new organization may use its approved current-year budget when authorized. Provide requested financial statements to a donor within 14 days. G.S. 131F-6 permits an audited report but does not, by itself, create a universal revenue-based audit mandate.
Annual Financial Report; Form 990 series or 990-N confirmation; current budget where permitted.
Applies to: A charity filing an initial license or renewal and donors requesting financial information.
Exceptions
Grant programs, federal awards, regulated activities, contracts, or other statutes may impose a mandatory audit or review.
Verification in progress: one or more details in this entry are still being confirmed against the cited official materials. Check the linked source before relying on it.
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 new nonprofit corporate Annual Report beginning in 2027
SOURCE VERIFIED
Beginning January 1, 2027, covered corporations must file an Annual Report by November 15 for $18 electronically or $25 on paper. A domestic corporation's first report is due in the year after its formation year; a foreign corporation's first report is due in the year after the year its Certificate of Authority was issued.
These are the offices the North Carolina 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 North Carolina'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 North Carolina.
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 North Carolina 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
7 official sources back the entries on this page. Every one is a government statute, regulation, agency instruction, form or portal.