Spokes | Resources for Nonprofits

Find Us On Social Media:

  • About
    • History of Spokes
    • Annual Report
    • Meet Our Expert Volunteer Faculty
    • Staff & Board of Directors
    • News
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Organizational Membership FAQs
    • Spokes’ Privacy Policy
    • Support Spokes
      • Our Generous Donors
  • Membership
    • Membership Benefits
    • Our List of Members
    • What Members Are Saying
    • Member Success Stories
  • Services
    • Nonprofit Board Service
    • Major Nonprofit Events
    • Post a Job
    • Starting a Nonprofit
    • Meeting Spaces
    • Special Resources for Uncertain Times
    • General Nonprofit Resources
  • Login
  • Contact Us
  • Job Board
  • Volunteer
  • Classes/Workshops
    • Ask an Expert

Keep Your Nonprofit Current with Online Giving Trends

June 9, 2014 by Spokes For Nonprofits

Here are some quick tips to help your nonprofit stay current with online giving trends and maintain legal compliance:

  1. First, good news! Most local nonprofits are already registered with the California State Attorney General. And, unless you are receiving very large donations or many smaller, passive donations from donors outside of California, no further filing is required. If you start to email those smaller donors for new donations, or if the amounts of the donations increase, you will need to file in other states.
  2. Consider filing the Uniform Registration Statement which, can be found at www.multistatefiling.org. Note, the form only applies to 31 jurisdictions; please review the form carefully to determine if additional filings are needed in the states where your donors are located.
  3. New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida have very strict filing requirements for online solicitations and the use of “Donate Now” website buttons. Because these states have large populations, if you’re conducting an extensive national online fundraising campaign, you can minimize legal risk by directly filing in each of those states. Likewise, you can also choose to have a statement on your website stating that your organization is unable to accept donations from donors located in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida.
  4. When in doubt of whether or not to file, simply call the state’s charity regulatory offices. The staff at regulatory agencies are usually very helpful and responsive.
  5. If you’re just not sure where to start, remember that Spokes is always here to help! Call us at 805-547-2244 or email us.

Article Categories

  • Financial and Legal
  • Fundraising
  • Governance
    • Board Development
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing & Communication
  • For Board Members
  • For Executive Directors
  • For Staff and Volunteers

DISCLAIMER: Spokes offers informed advice and recommendations, not professional counsel. Blog content is current as of the date shown. Individual posts are not necessarily updated, so please confirm the accuracy of the information, especially of older posts.

Popular Topics

board board of directors California nonprofits charity communication consulting database donations donors employees financial fundraising Governance insurance leadership management marketing meetings nonprofit nonprofit governance nonprofit management nonprofits nonprofit symposium philanthropy policy productivity retirement spokes taxes volunteers

Member Testimonial

“As a result of participating in Spokes services, we were able to get a concrete action plan, which led to superior results for our organization. It was an extremely positive experience!”

Linda Wilkes-Chaffin
Board of Directors
San Luis Obispo Master Chorale
San Luis Obispo, California

What Else Are Members Saying?

Learn about Spokes membership

Guiding nonprofits to achieve their goals through support and expert resources.

How Can We Make A Difference Together?

Spokes welcomes local professionals who would like to share their expertise in support of the nonprofit sector.

Get Started Contributing

Recent Articles

  • The Value of Nonprofit Board Service
  • Spokes on Congalton
  • Nonprofit Storytelling

Copyright © 2025 Spokes | Resources for Nonprofits. All Rights Reserved.
PO Box 5122, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
Hosting by NDIC.
Photography by Nicole Boughton.