# What is a professional fundraiser registration? *Reviewed 2026-07-30* ## Short answer A professional fundraiser, called a paid solicitor in many states, is an outside firm or person paid to ask the public for donations on a charity's behalf. Most states require that firm to register separately from the charity, post a surety bond in many of them, file each solicitation contract, and submit financial reports for the campaign. The charity usually discloses the relationship on its own registration. A professional fundraiser registration is a state license held by a paid outside firm or individual that solicits donations on behalf of charities. States regulate these firms more closely than the charities themselves because the fundraiser handles other people's donations and is paid from them. If your organization hires a telemarketing company, a canvassing outfit, or any vendor whose staff actually make the ask and touch the money, that vendor almost certainly needs its own registration in the states where it solicits. Who counts as a professional fundraiser Terminology differs by state: professional solicitor, professional fundraiser, paid solicitor, and commercial fundraiser all describe roughly the same role. The defining features are that the firm is paid, that it is outside the charity rather than an employee of it, and that it solicits directly or has custody or control of contributions. Phone banks calling donors, street and door canvassers, and firms that receive checks or process card gifts in their own accounts fall squarely inside the definition. Charity employees and volunteers are not professional fundraisers, even if the employee is a full-time development director paid a salary. Grant writers who never solicit the public are generally outside the definition as well. Advisors who plan campaigns but never ask for money or handle it are usually treated as fundraising counsel instead, a lighter category with fewer filings. What the registration usually requires Professional fundraiser filings are the most demanding tier of charitable regulation in most states, and they commonly include: An application with ownership, officer, and background information, sometimes with fingerprints. A surety bond, in an amount set by each state, protecting charities and donors against misuse of funds. Filing of the written contract between the fundraiser and the charity, often before soliciting begins. Campaign notices before a solicitation starts and financial reports after it ends, showing gross receipts and the amount that actually reached the charity. Point-of-solicitation disclosures, so donors are told they are speaking with a paid fundraiser and which charity benefits. Registration is typically annual, and the campaign filings run on their own schedule inside that year. Bond amounts, fees, and reporting formats vary by state, so a firm working nationally maintains a rolling calendar rather than a single renewal date. What it means for the charity The charity carries real responsibility here even though the vendor holds the license. Many states require the charity itself to be registered before a paid fundraiser can solicit on its behalf, and several require the charity to sign or file the contract, approve the campaign, or certify the financial report. Some states also give the charity a right to cancel the contract within a set period. Hiring an unregistered solicitor can put the charity's own registration at risk and generate publicity that is worse than the fundraising was worth. Before signing, ask the vendor for proof of registration in every state where the campaign will run, ask for the bond, and read the contract for the clauses states expect to see: a clear statement of compensation, the charity's right to inspect records, and who controls donor data. Then check that your own filings are current in those same states. Our charitable registration requirements by state guides cover the charity side of that pairing, and our nonprofit licensing team handles fundraiser registrations, bonds, and campaign filings for firms that solicit in multiple states. If you are sorting out which category a vendor falls into, talk to our team before the contract is signed rather than after the first campaign report is due. ## Related - [Nonprofit licensing and registration](/nonprofit-licensing) - [Charitable registration requirements by state](/charitable-registration-state-laws) - [Talk with our team](/contact) --- ## How to cite this page Cite as: "What is a professional fundraiser registration?." Cornerstone Licensing. https://cornerstonelicensing.com/answers/what-is-a-professional-fundraiser-registration Published by Cornerstone Licensing. When quoting figures or legal requirements, link the canonical URL above and note the last-updated date (2026-07-30). The full content index for this site is at https://cornerstonelicensing.com/llms.txt.