Contract with commercial fund-raiser — Limitations — Registration form — Contents — Copy — Fee.
RCW 19.09.097
in effect(1) No charitable organization may contract with a commercial fund-raiser for any fund-raising service or activity unless its contract requires that both parties comply with the law and permits officers of the charity reasonable access to: (a) The fund-raisers' financial records relating to that charitable organization; (b) The fund-raisers' operations including without limitation the right to be present during any telephone solicitation; and (c) The names of all of the fund-raisers' employees or staff who are conducting fund-raising activities or solicitations on behalf of the charitable organization. In addition, the contract shall specify the amount of raised funds that the charitable organization will receive or the method of computing that amount, the amount of compensation of the commercial fund-raiser or the method of computing that amount, and whether the compensation is fixed or contingent. (2) Before a charitable organization may contract with a commercial fund-raiser for any fund-raising service or activity, the charitable organization and commercial fund-raiser shall complete and file a registration form with the secretary. The registration must be filed by the charitable organization on the form approved by the secretary and must contain: (a) The name and registration number of the commercial fund-raiser; (b) The name and registration number of the charitable organization; (c) The name of the representative of the commercial fund-raiser who will be responsible for the conduct of the fund-raising; (d) The type(s) of service(s) to be provided by the commercial fund-raiser; (e) The term dates of the contract and the dates such service(s) will begin and end; (f) The terms of the contract between the charitable organization and commercial fund-raiser relating to: (i) Amount or percentages of amounts to inure to the charitable organization; (ii) Limitations placed on the maximum amount to be raised by the fund-raiser, if the amount to inure to the charitable organization is not stated as a percentage of the amount raised; (iii) Costs of fund-raising that will be the responsibility of the charitable organization, regardless of whether paid as a direct expense, deducted from the amounts disbursed, or otherwise; and (iv) The manner in which contributions received directly by the charitable organization, not the result of services provided by the commercial fund-raiser, will be identified and used in computing the fee owed to the commercial fund-raiser; and (g) The names of any entity, other than the contracting commercial fund-raiser to which any of the total anticipated fund-raising cost is to be paid, and whether any principal officer or owner of the commercial fund-raiser or relative by blood or marriage thereof is an owner or officer of any such entity. (3) The registration form must be submitted with a nonrefundable filing fee established in RCW 19.09.062 and must be signed by an owner or principal officer of the commercial fund-raiser and the president, treasurer, trustee or comparable officer of the charitable organization. (4) A correct copy of the contract shall be filed with the secretary before the commencement of any campaign. (5) If the secretary determines that the application is incomplete, the secretary must notify the applicant of the information necessary to complete the application. The secretary may hold documents up to thirty days to allow the applicant time to provide additional information. If the applicant fails to provide complete information as requested by the secretary, the applicant must be deemed unregistered and the commercial fund-raiser must cease all solicitations under the terms of the contract. (6) If an applicant fails to pay the required filing fee, the secretary must notify the applicant of the necessary fee to complete the application. The secretary may hold the application up to thirty days to allow the applicant time to submit the required payment. If the applicant fails to provide the required payment as requested by the secretary, the applicant must be deemed unregistered and the commercial fund-raiser must cease all solicitations under the terms of the contract.
(1) No charitable organization may contract with a commercial fund-raiser for any fund-raising service or activity unless its contract requires that both parties comply with the law and permits officers of the charity reasonable access to:
(a) The fund-raisers' financial records relating to that charitable organization;
(b) The fund-raisers' operations including without limitation the right to be present during any telephone solicitation; and
(c) The names of all of the fund-raisers' employees or staff who are conducting fund-raising activities or solicitations on behalf of the charitable organization. In addition, the contract shall specify the amount of raised funds that the charitable organization will receive or the method of computing that amount, the amount of compensation of the commercial fund-raiser or the method of computing that amount, and whether the compensation is fixed or contingent.
(2) Before a charitable organization may contract with a commercial fund-raiser for any fund-raising service or activity, the charitable organization and commercial fund-raiser shall complete and file a registration form with the secretary. The registration must be filed by the charitable organization on the form approved by the secretary and must contain:
(a) The name and registration number of the commercial fund-raiser;
(b) The name and registration number of the charitable organization;
(c) The name of the representative of the commercial fund-raiser who will be responsible for the conduct of the fund-raising;
(d) The type(s) of service(s) to be provided by the commercial fund-raiser;
(e) The term dates of the contract and the dates such service(s) will begin and end;
(f) The terms of the contract between the charitable organization and commercial fund-raiser relating to:
(i) Amount or percentages of amounts to inure to the charitable organization;
(ii) Limitations placed on the maximum amount to be raised by the fund-raiser, if the amount to inure to the charitable organization is not stated as a percentage of the amount raised;
(iii) Costs of fund-raising that will be the responsibility of the charitable organization, regardless of whether paid as a direct expense, deducted from the amounts disbursed, or otherwise; and
(iv) The manner in which contributions received directly by the charitable organization, not the result of services provided by the commercial fund-raiser, will be identified and used in computing the fee owed to the commercial fund-raiser; and
(g) The names of any entity, other than the contracting commercial fund-raiser to which any of the total anticipated fund-raising cost is to be paid, and whether any principal officer or owner of the commercial fund-raiser or relative by blood or marriage thereof is an owner or officer of any such entity.
(3) The registration form must be submitted with a nonrefundable filing fee established in RCW 19.09.062 and must be signed by an owner or principal officer of the commercial fund-raiser and the president, treasurer, trustee or comparable officer of the charitable organization.
(4) A correct copy of the contract shall be filed with the secretary before the commencement of any campaign.
(5) If the secretary determines that the application is incomplete, the secretary must notify the applicant of the information necessary to complete the application. The secretary may hold documents up to thirty days to allow the applicant time to provide additional information. If the applicant fails to provide complete information as requested by the secretary, the applicant must be deemed unregistered and the commercial fund-raiser must cease all solicitations under the terms of the contract.
(6) If an applicant fails to pay the required filing fee, the secretary must notify the applicant of the necessary fee to complete the application. The secretary may hold the application up to thirty days to allow the applicant time to submit the required payment. If the applicant fails to provide the required payment as requested by the secretary, the applicant must be deemed unregistered and the commercial fund-raiser must cease all solicitations under the terms of the contract.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=19.09&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026