Gessler drops fees for nonprofits to $1

"Colorado has some of the lowest fees in the county"

Denver, September 11, 2012 - Today, Secretary of State Scott Gessler announced a fee reduction for non-profit entities, effective October 1, with non-profit fees reduced to $1 or less.

Non-profits who file for bingo and raffle licenses will see fees drop to $1. This includes manufacturer, supplier, and landlord licenses. Non-profit entities that solicit contributions in Colorado and file registration statements will also see fees drop to $1. This includes professional fundraising consultants and paid solicitors. Also, the fee for bingo-raffle quarterly reports will drop to $0. A complete list of fee reductions is below.

"Through efficiencies and consolidation, we can stretch the fees paid by Colorado's non-profits even further," Gessler said. "Non-profits play an important role in our economy and our communities. This move will keep more money in the community."

This announcement supplements prior fee reductions from last year. The Secretary of State's office takes no state taxpayer dollars. Its operations are funded by filing fees from businesses and non-profits. Gessler intends to keep the lower fees through the remainder of the fiscal year, but will be reviewing the reduction on a quarterly basis. A one-year reduction would reduce revenue by an estimated $1.1 million. But Gessler says his office can absorb the reductions and continue to meet the department’s budget obligations while providing the top-notch services its customers have come to expect.

"Colorado has some of the lowest fees in the country, and we're continuing to keep those fees low by serving as good stewards of those dollars, while keeping our customer service high," Gessler said.

Bingo-Raffle

Transaction	Current fee	New fee
Bingo-Raffle License	$100	$1
Games Manager Certificate	$20	$1
Manufacturer's or Supplier’s License	$700	$1
Manufacturer’s or Supplier’s Agent License	$200	$1
Landlord License	$1,000	$1
Bingo-Raffle Quarterly Report	Total proceeds less than $5,000, fee = $0 Total proceeds $5000 - $100,000, fee = 0.5% of proceeds Total proceeds more than $100,000, fee = 0.6% of proceeds	Free
Manufacturer or Supplier Quarterly Report	2% of all sales for quarter	Free

Charities and Fundraisers

Transaction		Current fee	New fee
Charities database, CD copy		$50	$1
Charities
Application for new registration number		$10	$1
Amendment to registration statement		$10	$1
Annual registration renewal		$10	$1
Paid Solicitors & Professional Fundraising Consultants
Application for new registration number		$175	$1
Amendment to registration statement		$25	$1
Annual registration renewal		$175	$1
Solicitation notice (paid solicitors)		$75	$1