Charities and Fundraisers FAQs
Fees and payment
Q1. How much will it cost to register?
A1. See the fee schedule for current fees.
A2. After submitting an online form, you will be taken to the payment page. Enter the credit card and billing information and click on "Pay Now". Payments can also be made using an existing prepaid account.
Once payment has been successfully processed, you will see a confirmation page (your receipt). You can print this page for your records.
If the site does not move past the payment page after a few minutes, check the top of the page for error messages in red.
Q3. What if I don't have a credit card?
A3. Payments can also be made using an existing prepaid account. To open a prepaid account, complete the Prepaid Account Application (PDF) and mail it to our office with a check.
If you only file once a year, or very seldom, a prepaid account will probably not be very helpful to you, as there is a minimum deposit required and the accounts must maintain a minimum balance. Setting up a prepaid account will also delay your registration, since you will need to mail a check and a prepaid account application to our office, then wait for us to mail the account number back to you. See the application for more information.
Q4. Can I pay my filing fees with a Canadian credit card?
A4. No. Our office only accepts credit cards issued in the United States.
Q5. How do I know if my payment was successful?
A5. Once payment has been successfully processed, you will see a confirmation page that serves as your receipt. You can print this page for your records. You can also check a box at the bottom of the page to have a copy of the receipt emailed to you.
Q6. Are there penalties for late renewals?
A6. Yes. If a required renewal is not filed on or before the expiration date, a fine will be added to the normal filing fee when reinstating the registration. See the fee and fines schedule for current fees and fines. If the organization has an incomplete renewal on the system when the third expiration notice is issued, that renewal will be deleted from the system. This is not a penalty per se, but rather a necessary rule of the e-filing application.
Note: A charity may withdraw its registration or allow its registration to expire, but it must file a final financial report on or before the date of withdrawal or expiration that includes information through the last date on which the organization solicited contributions in Colorado.
Q7. Are there penalties for overdue campaign financial reports?
A7. Campaign financial reports must be filed within 90 days of the conclusion of a solicitation campaign. Beginning on the 18th day after the campaign report due date, a paid solicitor will incur a $50 fine every 15 days up to a maximum fine of $200 per overdue campaign financial report. See the fee and fines schedule for the precise timing of each $50 fine. Paid solicitors must file all overdue campaign financial reports before they will be permitted to file a new solicitation notice.
Q8. How can I avoid late fees?
A8. If you know that you will be unable to file a renewal on or before the due date or extended deadline, you should request an additional extension. How do I request an extension?
Extensions are not available to paid solicitors or professional fundraising consultants.
Q9. How can I check to see if there are any late fees on our account?
A9. Log in to your account and select the “View History and Documents” link on the organization’s summary page. Any late fees will appear on this page. To pay the fees, select the “File a Document” link on the organization’s summary page, then click on the link to pay the late fees.
After paying your late fees, make sure that you also file any overdue documents.
A10. Late fees will appear on the organization’s "File a Document" page. Log in and select "File a Document" on the summary page to see if late fees are due. If so, the following message will appear on the menu: "Fine Issued, Select Here to Pay Fine."
Click on the link as directed and follow the on-screen instructions. You will see an itemization of the late fees. You can pay late fees with a credit or debit card.
All applicable late fees must be paid before you can file a renewal, extension, amendment, solicitation notice, or reinstatement.
Q11. Is there a fee to amend my registration?
A11. There is no charge for an amendment that is filed within 30 days of the date of the original filing.
Q12. Can a paid solicitor or professional fundraising consultant register and pay fees on behalf of others?
A12. A paid solicitor or professional fundraising consultant that is a partnership, corporation, or limited liability company may register for and pay a single fee on behalf of all of its partners, members, officers, directors, agents, and employees.
Q13. What is your refund policy?
A13. The Department of State will not refund an overpayment for a transaction with the Department if the overpayment of the transaction is $20.00 or less. If a document filed with the Department is rejected, the fee submitted with the document will only be refunded if the fee exceeds $20.00. No overpayments or fees for rejected documents may be applied to future transactions with the Department.