(a)  Any written solicitation used by or on behalf of any charitable organization shall provide a description of the programs and activities for which it has expended or will expend contributions it receives from the solicitation or shall include therein a statement that, upon written request to a specified person at the charitable organization, a person may obtain from the charitable organization a description. In addition, any written solicitation shall state in clear and unambiguous language whether or not contributions are deductible for federal income tax purposes in accordance with applicable law. The requirements of this section shall be satisfied by written notice to the donor or prospective donor. This written notice requirement shall be deemed satisfied if made once during the solicitation process, including at the time of confirmation of receipt of any contribution.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-53.1-12

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Charitable organization: means any organization soliciting for a charitable purpose or any organization holding themselves out as such. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-53.1-1
  • Contribution: means the promise or grant of any money, property, or anything of value obtained through solicitation, except payments by members of any organization for fees, dues, fines, assessments, or for services rendered to individual members. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-53.1-1
  • Donor: The person who makes a gift.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Person: means and shall include any individual, organization, group, association, partnership, corporation, trust, limited-liability company, and combination of the foregoing, however formed, as well as any and all other entities, however formed. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-53.1-1
  • solicitation: means to appeal or request, directly or indirectly, whether express or implied, for money, credit, property, financial assistance, or any other thing of value by means of mail, personal contact, written material, radio, telephone, television, news media, magazines or other periodicals, or any other means of plea or representation that the money, credit, property, financial assistance, or other thing of value will be used for a charitable purpose. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-53.1-1

(b)  If any charitable organization solicits contributions for or makes contributions through a solicitation to another organization that is not its affiliate as defined in § 5-53.1-4, the written solicitation shall include a statement that the contributions have been made and that a list of all organizations that have received contributions from the soliciting organization during the most recently completed fiscal year of the charitable organization for which information is required to be filed in accordance with § 5-53.1-2 may be obtained from that organization. A United Way, federated fund, or incorporated community appeal, by or through which a donation is merely transferred to another organization selected by the donor, does not need to include the donor-selected transferee organizations in the list. The requirements of this section shall be satisfied by a written-notice to the donor or prospective donor. This written-notice requirement shall be deemed satisfied if made once during the solicitation process, including at the time of confirmation of receipt of any contribution.

(c)  A charitable organization shall comply with all requests made pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section within fifteen (15) days of their receipt.

History of Section.
P.L. 1999, ch. 152, § 2.