Charitable Organizations Division

Order of the Secretary extending Charity and
Solicitor registration deadlines - Click here for more information

Donor Beware! Possible Scams Related to COVID-19

​​

• Charities and Legal Services Division Annual Report for fiscal year ending 6/30/2019
  
• International Charity Fraud Awareness Week, October 21-25, 2019. 
  Follow along all week for tips to avoid charity scams.
  
• Donor Beware!  As the holidays approach, Governor Hogan and Secretary of State Wobensmith warn citizens to beware of deceptive practices.

 
NOTICE: AUTOMATIC EXTENSIONS FOR REGISTERED CHARITIES 

Effective immediately extensions for charitable registration are automatically granted to an organization with a current registration. Charitable organizations no longer need to file a written request for an extension to the registration deadline. We will no longer process written requests for extension. For more information, please see the information at:  http://sos.maryland.gov/Charity/Pages/Registering-Charity.aspx​

The Charitable Organizations Division annually registers, regulates and renews charitable organizations, Professional Solicitors and Fund-Raising Counsel soliciting charitable contributions in the State of Maryland. This includes the review of a charitable organization's financial and governing documents, as well as the review of all fund-raising contracts.

The Division administers and reviews applications for participation in the Maryland Charity Campaign for Maryland State Employees and Retirees. In order to encourage public confidence in the integrity of charities, current law mandates that charities reveal to the public their financial and programmatic activities, with the view that an informed public will exercise prudence in giving.

Legislation also established a Charitable Giving Information Program comprised of a toll-free line, a speaker's bureau and the production of charitable giving literature. The program is designed to increase public awareness and encourage questions regarding charitable giving, as well as to offer the public a means of voicing concerns and reporting suspected violations of the charitable law.

Statutory Authority: Business Regulation Article, §§6-101—6-701 of the Annotated Code of Maryland.  

 

If you are a charity . . .


• Charity Registration
• Disclosure & Financial Statements
• How to Start a Non-Profit Organization in Maryland
• Community Law Center Non-Profit Filing Calendar
• Life Cycle of a Public Charity (IRS)
• Raffles of Real & Personal Property
• Maryland Charity Campaign
  
  

 

Many states have solicitation acts similar to the Maryland Solicitations Act. These statutes also generally require registration of charitable organizations soliciting in their states. Click here for the pdf version of the Maryland Solicitation Act. Please be advised that although every effort has been made to reproduce the current text of the Maryland Code for these sections, this office does not warrant the accuracy of this content.

If a charitable organization is soliciting or is planning on soliciting charitable contributions in other states, the organization should contact the state agency responsible for the regulations of charitable solicitations and determine whether registration is required.

Professional Solicitors and Fund-raising Counsel


• Information for Professional Solicitors, Fund-raising Counsel and Public Safety Solicitors
• Professional Solicitors & Fund-raising Counsel List
• Suggestions for working with a Paid Fund-Raiser
  
  

    If you are a donor . . .

• Search the Charity Database
• Guidestar
• Phony Philanthropy
• Giving Wisely Program
• Name Removal from Solicitation Lists
• Report a possible violation/infraction of a Charity or Professional Fund-Raiser
• Visit our office to review records filed by registered charities
• How to Donate a Vehicl​e to Charity - Information from MVA
• Speaker's Bureau
  
   

In response to the many questions about particular organizations and programs, the Division provides additional information for donors on the organizations and its programs.    

• TREA Senior Citizens League's Notch Program Teach Tolerance is a program of the Southern Poverty Law Center. For additional information on the Southern Poverty Law Center, enter the organizations' name in the keyword field of the database

 

Questions: Telephone Numbers:
                   Shawn Estrada (410) 260-3974
                   Robert Gurley (410) 260-3864 
                   Stephanie Marsiglia (410) 974-2620
                   or (800) 825-4510

​​​​