THE DONOR DESK ยท TEXAS

Checking a charity in Texas.

Which public records Texas keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. 1 official source backs this page. Last checked 2026-08-10.

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.

Most ordinary Texas charities are not required to obtain a general statewide charity registration, but special solicitation regimes remain separate

SOURCE VERIFIED

The Office of the Attorney General affirmatively states that most charities and nonprofit organizations are not required to register with the state. That baseline must not be converted into 'Texas has no charity regulation': law-enforcement telephone solicitation, public-safety solicitation, veterans solicitation, private-foundation filings, charitable-trust oversight, and other activity-specific systems are separate.

How often
Continuous classification
Filed with
Office of the Attorney General of Texas
Form or portal
OAG Registration and Filings guidance

Applies to: Ordinary charities soliciting in Texas that do not fall within a special registration statute.

Exceptions

  • The statement is limited to the OAG's affirmative current general baseline; it does not negate local, tax, gaming, professional, or special solicitation requirements.

Source: Registration and Filings โ€” Office of the Attorney General of Texas.

Last verified

Who keeps these records in Texas

These are the offices the Texas 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.

What this page does not tell you

Whether your gift is deductible

That is federal, not state, and it depends on the organization's federal status and on your own tax situation. See the federal record rules and check the organization in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.

Whether a particular organization has complied

This page carries Texas'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 Texas.

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.

Open the giving checklist

If you run this organization

The rules above are three of the requirements Texas puts on a nonprofit. The full guide covers formation, governance, reporting, tax and employment, from the same official sources.

Texas nonprofit compliance guide โ†—

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

1 official source backs the entry on this page. Every one is a government statute, regulation, agency instruction, form or portal.

Agency or authoritySourceAccessedURL
Office of the Attorney General of Texas Registration and Filings https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/divisions/charitable-trusts/registration-and-filings