(a)  No person shall, for the purpose of soliciting contributions from persons in this state, use the name of any other person, as one who has sponsored or endorsed the charitable organization or its activities without the written consent of that other person.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-53.1-13

  • 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
  • Membership: means the collective body of any charitable organization comprised of persons having voting rights and other powers of governance and who derive a direct benefit or privilege as a member thereof. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-53.1-1
  • 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

(b)  A person shall be deemed to have used the name of another person for the purpose of soliciting contributions if: (1) The latter person’s name is listed or referred to on any stationery, advertisement, brochure, or correspondence in or by which a contribution is solicited by or on behalf of a charitable organization in connection with a request for a contribution; and (2) The latter person’s name is listed or referred to as one who has financially contributed to, or has expressly sponsored or endorsed the charitable organization or its activities. This section does not apply to the bona fide listing of the organization’s staff, committees, or board of directors.

(c)  Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the publication of names of contributors without their written consent, in an annual or other periodic report issued by a charitable organization for the purpose of reporting on its operations and affairs to its membership or for the purpose of reporting contributions to contributors.

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