Which public records Wisconsin keeps about a charity that asks you for money, in the state's own words. The agency the research names is the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. 12 official sources back this page. Last checked 2026-07-31.
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 with DFI before soliciting in Wisconsin when the statutory trigger applies
SOURCE VERIFIED
Register when the organization solicits or has contributions solicited in Wisconsin and either has one or more paid employees or receives $25,000 or more in contributions during a fiscal year, unless a statutory exemption applies. The rule also applies to an organization headquartered outside Wisconsin when it solicits in Wisconsin.
Form 296 — Charitable Organization Registration Application
Applies to: A charitable organization soliciting in Wisconsin that has paid employees or receives $25,000 or more in contributions during a fiscal year and is not exempt.
Exceptions
Bingo and raffle income, government grants, and bona fide member fees, dues, or assessments are excluded from “contributions” under the DFI FAQ, subject to the membership exception.
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 the required independent CPA review or audit when Wisconsin thresholds apply
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Attach an independent CPA-reviewed financial statement when fiscal-year contributions are $500,000 through $999,999, and an independent CPA-audited financial statement when contributions are $1,000,000 or more. Statements must use GAAP.
Applies to: A reporting charity crossing the Wisconsin financial-statement thresholds.
Exceptions
The waiver is narrow: DFI’s FAQ requires contributions below $100,000 in each of the prior three fiscal years and a single unusually large contribution exceeding the stated $200,000 reviewed-statement or $400,000 audited-statement amount in the waiver year.
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 Wisconsin nonstock-corporation annual report every year
SOURCE VERIFIED
Wisconsin calls the filing an annual report. File each year using the DFI cycle assigned to the entity; do not infer a biennial rule from individual entity records.
These are the offices the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin.
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 Wisconsin 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
12 official sources back the entries on this page. Every one is a government statute, regulation, agency instruction, form or portal.