Regulation of fund-raising counsel
Wis. Stat. § 202.13
in effect(1) Registration requirement.
(a) Except as provided in sub. (6), no fund-raising counsel may at any time have custody of contributions from a solicitation for a charitable organization that is required to be registered under s. 202.12 (1) unless the fund-raising counsel is registered with the department under this subsection.
(b) Applicants for a fund-raising counsel registration shall apply to the department, in the form and manner prescribed by the department. Each application that is not a renewal application shall be accompanied by any information required by the department, including all of the following:
1m. The registration fee determined by the department under s. 202.041, except that no registration fee is required under this subdivision for an individual who is eligible for the veterans fee waiver program under s. 45.44.
2. A bond that is approved under sub. (2).
(e) All fund-raising counsel registrations expire on August 31 of each year.
(2) Bond. At the time of applying for registration under sub. (1), the fund-raising counsel shall file with and have approved by the department a bond, in which the fund-raising counsel is the principal obligor, in the sum of $20,000. The fund-raising counsel shall maintain the bond in effect as long as the registration is in effect. The bond, which shall be in a form prescribed by and acceptable to the department, shall run to the state and to any person who may have a cause of action against the principal obligor of the bond for any liabilities resulting from the obligor’s conduct of any activities as a fund-raising counsel or arising out of a violation of this subchapter or the rules promulgated under this subchapter.
(2m) Annual report. Each fund-raising counsel registered under sub. (1) shall, on or before March 31 of each year, file a report with the department giving such reasonable and relevant information as the department may require concerning the business and operations conducted by the registrant. This report shall be in the form prescribed by the department.
(3) Contract. Except as provided in sub. (6), before a fund-raising counsel performs any material services for a charitable organization that is required to be registered under s. 202.12 (1), the charitable organization and the fund-raising counsel shall contract in writing, and the fund-raising counsel shall file the contract with the department. The contract shall contain information that will enable the department to identify the services that the fund-raising counsel is to provide, including whether the fund-raising counsel will at any time have custody of contributions.
(4) Accounts; deposits; record keeping.
(a) Within 90 days after services under a contract required under sub. (3) are completed, and on the anniversary of the signing of a contract lasting more than one year, the fund-raising counsel shall account in writing to the charitable organization with which the fund-raising counsel has contracted for all contributions received and expenses incurred under the contract. The fund-raising counsel shall keep the accounting for at least 3 years after the date on which services under the contract are completed.
(b) The fund-raising counsel shall deposit, in its entirety, a contribution of money received by the fund-raising counsel in an account at a financial institution within 5 days after its receipt. The account shall be in the name of the charitable organization with which the fund-raising counsel has contracted. The charitable organization shall have sole control of all withdrawals from the account.
(c) The fund-raising counsel shall keep for the duration of a contract, and for not less than 3 years after its completion, all of the following:
1. A record of all contributions at any time in the custody of the fund-raising counsel, including the name and address of each contributor and the date and amount of the contribution.
2. A record of the location and account number of each financial institution account in which the fund-raising counsel deposits contributions.
(d) All records described in this subsection shall be made available to the department upon the department’s request.
(5) Department disclosure. The department shall not disclose information under sub. (4) (c) 1. except to the extent necessary for investigative or law enforcement purposes and except that the department may, if requested under s. 49.22 (2m), disclose information regarding the name, address, or employer of or financial information related to an individual to the department of children and families or a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5).
(6) Exceptions. This section does not apply to a fund-raising counsel who does not intend to earn more than $1,000 per year as a fund-raising counsel, except that a fund-raising counsel who does not intend to earn more than $1,000 but does earn more than $1,000 in a year shall, beginning 30 days after actually earning more than $1,000 in a year, comply with sub. (3) and, if the fund-raising counsel at any time has custody of contributions for a charitable organization that is required to be registered under s. 202.12 (1), register under sub. (1).
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/202.13Fetched: 10/7/2026