Charitable Organizations Division

The Charitable Organizations Division annually registers, regulates and renews charitable organizations, professional solicitors and fund-raising counsel doing business 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 through 6-701 of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
If you are a charity . . .
Charity Registration	Disclosure & Financial Statements
Maryland Charity Campaign	How to Start a Non-Profit Organization in Maryland
Helpful Internet Sites:
Guidestar	Internal Revenue Service
Department of Assessments & Taxation	Comptroller's Office
Many states have solicitation acts similar to the Maryland Solicitations Act. These statutes also generally require registration of charitable organizations soliciting in their states.
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 & Fund-raising Counsel List	Suggestions for working with a Paid Fund-Raiser
Raffles of Real & Personal Property	Concerns about a charity
If you are a donor . . .
Search the Charity Database	Ask Us When You Have a Question About a Charity
Phony Philanthropy	Giving Wisely Program
Name Removal from Solicitation Lists	Speaker's Bureau
Visit our office to review records filed by registered charities	How to Donate a Vehicle to Charity - Information from MVA
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 How to Read a Form 990 and Find Out What It Means
Questions: Telephone:(410) 974-5534 or (800) 825-4510 (within Maryland)