Which public records South Carolina keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Public Charities. 5 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-07-29.
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 annually before soliciting when no exclusion or exemption applies
SOURCE VERIFIED
File an annual Registration Statement before solicitation and pay $50. Domestic incorporation, foreign authority, and federal §501(c)(3) recognition do not replace the filing.
How often
Annual.
Filed with
South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Public Charities
Form or portal
Registration Statement for a Charitable Organization; Charities Online.
Applies to: A charitable organization soliciting in South Carolina that is not outside the definition and does not qualify for an annual exemption.
Exceptions
Organizations crossing an exemption threshold unexpectedly receive the separate 30-day rule.
Do not file a charity renewal more than six weeks before expiration
SOURCE VERIFIED
The current paper instructions state that a renewal cannot be accepted more than six weeks before the existing registration expires.
How often
Annual.
Filed with
South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Public Charities
Form or portal
Registration Statement for a Charitable Organization; Charities Online.
Applies to: A registered charity renewing its annual registration.
Exceptions
The dashboard may control the exact available online renewal window.
Source: Before You File Online — South Carolina Secretary of State 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.
File the annual financial report separately from registration renewal
SOURCE VERIFIED
File the Secretary of State Annual Financial Report or an accepted IRS Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF for the completed fiscal year. The deadline described as four and one-half months after fiscal year end is the fifteenth day of the fifth month—for example, May 15 after a December 31 year end. This filing is separate from annual charity registration and the annual exemption application. A newly formed organization with no completed fiscal year follows the initial-registration instructions and begins annual reporting after its first completed fiscal year.
How often
Annual.
Filed with
South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Public Charities
Form or portal
Annual Financial Report; IRS Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF.
Applies to: A registered charitable organization that is not exempt from financial reporting.
Exceptions
Organizations filing 990-N or not required to file federally use the state form. Current public sources reviewed do not publish a separate weekend-or-holiday rollover rule. Extension requests use the separate dashboard workflow.
These are the offices the South 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.
South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Public Charities
This page carries South 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 South 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 South 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
5 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
South Carolina Secretary of State
Annual Financial Report for a Charitable Organization