Professional fundraisers.
Columbus City Codes § 525.21
in effect525.21 - Professional fundraisers.
(A) License Required. No professional fundraiser shall, in any manner whatsoever, solicit persons located in the city for any contributions for any actual or purported charitable purpose without first obtaining a license from the Director to do so.
(B) Application. To obtain such license, such professional fundraiser shall make and file an application in writing including but not limited to such information as may be required by the Director:
(1) The name and address of the applicant, and if a corporation, the name and address of each of its managing officers and agents and, if it be an unincorporated association, firm or partnership, the name and address of each member of such unincorporated association, firm or partnership;
(2) Any theft offenses the applicant or its officers have been convicted of in the last five (5) years;
(3) The general plan, character, and method in or by which applicant proposes to conduct its or their business as a professional fundraiser;
(4) A complete financial statement of the applicant for the applicant's last year of operations;
(5) A copy of the contract under which the applicant will be soliciting contributions for the charitable organization(s) employing it.
(C) Bond.
(1) At the time of filing an application for license with the Director, the applicant shall file with the City and thereafter maintain a good and sufficient license and permit bond in the aggregate sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) for the use and benefit of interested persons and parties. The bond must be executed by the applicant and by two (2) or more responsible sureties, or a surety company authorized to do business in the State of Ohio. The total aggregate liability shall be limited to the payment of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00), and shall be conditioned upon strict compliance with the provisions of this section. Payment of any direct financial loss sustained through any act of grand or petty theft on the part of the principal, any donor or by any person on whose behalf the funds or personal property were solicited or received.
(2) The bond shall remain in effect for the entire period of the license. The sureties may cancel said bond and be relieved of further liability by delivering thirty (30) days written notice to the Director. Such cancellation shall not affect any liability incurred or accrued prior to the termination of the thirty (30) day period.
(3) Any person who sustains any injury covered by the bond may bring an action in their own name against the bond for the recovery of any damages incurred.
(4) Upon such action being commenced, such bond shall not be void after the first recovery, but may be sued upon until the whole of such penalty is exhausted. The Director may require the filing of a new bond, and upon failure to file within ten (10) days, the Director shall suspend the license to solicit.
(5) The time which any action may be brought against a bond shall be limited to a period of two (2) years from or after the discovery of the act or default complaint.
(D) Fee. For the filing of such application the applicant shall pay a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) to the Director.
(E) The Director shall examine such application and may conduct further investigation of the applicant if needed. The Director shall authorize their designee to issue a license to solicit as a professional fundraiser within the city, to every person or organization that complies with the provisions of this section except if any of the following is found to be true:
(1) The applicant has insufficient financial responsibility to carry out the obligations incident to any solicitation such applicant may make to persons located within the city as a professional fundraiser;
(2) Statements made in the application are false;
(3) The applicant or its officers, agents or members have violated any provisions of this section or engaged any fraudulent transaction;
(4) That the applicant's planned solicitation would act as a fraud upon the public;
(5) That the applicant is not registered with the state under the provisions of Chapter 1716 of the Ohio Revised Code.
If the Director refuses to issue a license to such applicant, the Director shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for such refusal and the right to appeal the decision pursuant to section 525.10.
(F) Revocation. The Director may revoke the license of any professional fundraiser issued under this section if, after a hearing, it is found that the professional fundraiser or any agents or professional solicitors employed by the professional fundraiser have violated any provision of Chapter 525. The Director shall notify the professional fundraiser in writing of the reasons for such revocation. Upon notice of such revocation the professional fundraiser and their employees and agents shall cease soliciting contributions from persons located within the city. A professional fundraiser may appeal the revocation as provided for in section 525.10.
(G) Termination. Every such license shall terminate or expire on December 31 st of the year of issuance.
(H) Funds. No professional fundraiser shall commingle any contributions with the professional fundraiser's own funds or property, or fail at any time to maintain and keep all contributions separate and apart from the professional fundraiser's own funds or property.
(Ord. No. 1589-2017, § 1, 6-19-2017; Ord. No. 0768-2024, § 3, 3-18-2024)
Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT5BURELICO_CH525CHSO_525.21PRFUFetched: 10/27/2026