Michigan charitable solicitation registration

Michigan’s Solicitation Act reaches an organization that solicits or receives contributions in the state. Inventory donation pages, direct appeals, events, grants, peer-to-peer campaigns, chapters, paid fundraisers, and assets held in Michigan. A professional fundraiser has separate licensing and bonding responsibilities.

The Act exempts some organizations. Michigan gives as one example an organization that raises funds exclusively with volunteers and receives less than $25,000 a year. Both facts matter. If the organization believes an exemption applies, use Form CTS-03 to request confirmation; a Michigan organization may also have charitable-trust inventory duties.

Use the exact legal name filed with the corporations agency and list every assumed solicitation name. Provide formation type and date, organizing documents, IRS status and letter when applicable, a concise public purpose description, addresses, methods of solicitation, chapters, professional fundraiser activity, and any Michigan assets. Out-of-state corporations attach filed articles and amendments plus bylaws.

CTS-01 requires a Michigan resident agent authorized to receive official mail at a Michigan street address, not a post-office box. The organization cannot name itself. Confirm the agent’s consent and address before filing so a preventable resident-agent defect does not stop processing.

An organization with financial activity provides a recent accounting. The form routes Form 990 or 990-EZ filers to a copy without Schedule B, Form 990-PF filers to the applicable return and program information, and other filers to Attachment C. Reconcile the reporting period, activity description, receipts, expenses, assets, liabilities, and fundraiser data.

Use the form’s current reviewed-or-audited financial-statement worksheet and attach prepared statements when required. If a required statement is still being prepared, follow the live conditional-registration instructions rather than omitting it. A first-accounting-period organization uses the specific form route and still calendars its first expiration.

Michigan accepts forms by email, mail, fax, or the listed e-filing service, and email is the preferred direct channel. Save the form as a PDF, put the organization name and any existing Attorney General file number in the subject, and preserve the exact attachment set. Michigan currently charges no state fee for solicitation registration.

Save the issued registration and file number, then verify the public charity record. Registration expires seven months after fiscal year end, and CTS-02 renewal is due at least 30 days before expiration. An organization whose registration already expired uses CTS-02 rather than a new CTS-01, preventing a duplicate initial record.