John P. McDonough, Secretary of State
MARYLAND CHARITY CAMPAIGN
The Maryland Charity Campaign allows Maryland
State Employees and Retirees to give to over 700 participating charitable organizations. The participating charities serve the citizens of
Maryland and people of other countries in a variety of ways. Donating to the Maryland Charity Campaign provides meals to the
hungry, services to the disabled, funds to research disease and technology to clean the environment.
Each fall, pledge cards and the Maryland Charity
Campaign Agency Guide and Directory are distributed to all State employees and retirees. This card enables the contributor to specify the
charitable organization(s) and the amount of contribution or as a payroll deduction throughout the year. The Maryland Charity
Campaign runs annually from September to November with the payroll deductions commencing the following January. The Agency
Guide and Directory lists all participating charities with a brief description of the services they provide and information on how to
contact the organization.
The Office of the Secretary of State annually reviews
the applications to participate in the Maryland Charity Campaign. Applications are mailed to charitable organizations during the
last week in November and are typically due at the end of January.
If you would like an application for the Maryland Charity Campaign, please visit
www.mdcharity.org for
more information and the application.
In order for a charitable organization to be eligible to
participate in the Maryland Charity Campaign, it must:
- be currently registered with the Charitable
Organizations Division of the Office of the Secretary of State and in full compliance with the Maryland
Solicitations Act;
- submit various state and federal documents,
including articles of incorporation, by-laws or other organizing document, a 501(c)(3) tax determination letter issued by the Internal
Revenue Service, and a copy of the organization's most recent IRS Form 990;
- demonstrate that the charity has provided, for
at least two years immediately preceding the calendar year of the campaign, a significant level of service to the residents of Maryland or
those in need in other countries; and
- demonstrate that the charity spends less than
25% of the organization's total revenue on management and fund-raising expenses.
