Professional Fundraiser Registration System Now Online

The State of Hawai’i Department of the Attorney General recently launched the Professional Fundraiser Registration System for paid professional solicitors and professional fundraising counsels that contract with charities.

According to Attorney General Douglas Chin, the system will allow the fundraisers to register online with the Attorney General’s office and to renew annually.

The system was developed by the Attorney General’s Tax and Charities Division, alongside the Hawai’i Information Consortium.

“The Professional Fundraiser Registration System will allow donors to make better informed decisions about their charitable giving. It will also help maximize the amount of the donation that is actually received by the charity,” said Attorney General Chin. “The system will simplify the administrative burdens of registering with our office and facilitate compliance with Hawai’i law. It will allow the nonprofit sector to better evaluate professional fundraisers offering their services.”

In Hawai’i, fundraisers are required by law to register with the Attorney General prior to commencing their services that solicit contributions on behalf of a charity in Hawai’i.

Fundraisers must submit a service of documents with registration and their annual review, including client charities, surety bonds, copies of legal actions taken against the fundraiser by government agencies, and End of Solicitation Campaign Financial Reports.

The End of Solicitation Campaign Financial Reports provide information on how much money was raised by a fundraiser and how much money the charity ultimately received from donors through charitable solicitation services provided by the fundraiser. This information is made public.

Now, the Professional Fundraiser Registration System is available online and all the registration data, contracts, and financial reports are readily available to donors, charities. and the public.

“Hawai’i continues to be on the forefront of state charities regulation. We will keep using new technologies, such as our mobile phone app ‘Hawai’i Charity Finder,’ to protect donors from charitable solicitation fraud,” said Attorney General Chin.

A handful of state agencies across the country provide electronic registration and reporting by professional fundraisers and telemarketers for charities.