West Virginia charitable solicitation registration

West Virginia’s current CHR-1 instructions cover charitable organizations intending to receive contributions from the public, government grants, or private foundations in the state. Map anticipated and actual receipts, West Virginia program spending, fundraising methods, professional firms, chapters, and every solicitation name. Entity registration and federal tax recognition are separate source records.

One exception applies to a charity intending to receive less than $50,000 only if it does not use a professional fundraising counsel or solicitor. The instructions list other categories for specified educational institutions, named-individual appeals, hospitals and nursing homes, participating-membership appeals, qualifying churches, and a single event benefiting a named registered charity. Preserve the complete facts for any exception.

CHR-1 asks for the official name, physical and mailing addresses, West Virginia location, designated contact, purpose, chapters and affiliates, solicitation names, formation place and date, organization type, federal tax status, planned fundraising methods, leadership, professional firms, responsible financial custodians, estimated West Virginia receipts, and program disbursements.

Answer from the current governance and campaign file. Attach the IRS determination letter, current professional fundraising contracts, and the most recent Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-N as directed. A 990-N filer also completes the West Virginia fundraising-percentage computation. Do not place Social Security, bank, card, or driver’s-license numbers on the public form.

The current CHR-1 instructions call for an independent CPA audit when the organization receives more than $500,000 from sources other than government grants and private-foundation grants. A CPA review applies above $200,000 and below $500,000 on that adjusted base. Reconcile exclusions and reporting period before selecting the accountant report.

The form lists an annual registration fee of $15 below $1 million raised and $50 above $1 million. Use the current form and live fee page on filing day if the displayed artifacts differ. Keep the fee calculation, check or transaction record, and financial-threshold workpaper with the filing rather than treating a paid amount as proof of substantive completion.

An authorized officer and the chief fiscal officer certify the filing. Complete their source review before signature, submit one original or the current electronic equivalent, and retain a full copy plus delivery evidence. If the organization uses the Unified Registration Statement, include the West Virginia supplement and every state-specific attachment.

Save the stamped copy or acceptance record, then confirm the organization in the Secretary of State charity search. CHR-1 is annual and its acceptance does not replace corporate, professional fundraiser, raffle, bingo, or federal obligations. Calendar the new expiration and route late or lapsed records to a recovery review because monthly late charges may apply.

Before signatures, inspect the public copy as a donor or regulator would. Check that the estimated West Virginia receipts, in-state and out-of-state program disbursements, fundraising percentage, excluded grant amounts, and solicitation methods agree with the workpapers. Remove prohibited personal identifiers and retain the calculation sheet internally. This review makes later renewal easier because CHR-1 asks for both narrative activity and state-specific numbers. Note the exact federal-return period used.