{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/57-48.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/57-48.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/57-48.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/57-48.html"}],"law_id":78101,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78101,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-48","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1974, c. 574; 1979, cc. 124, 595, 598; 1983, c. 374; 1984, c. 268; 1988, c. 322; 1990, c. 711; 1996, c. 461; 2003, cc. 576, 977, 1009; 2005, c. 329; 2007, cc. 92, 907; 2013, c. 24; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 465; 2023, c. 289.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services.\n\t\t“Charitable organization” means any person that is or holds itself out to be organized or operated for any charitable purpose, or any person that solicits or obtains contributions solicited from the public. “Charitable organization” does not include (i) any church or convention or association of churches, primarily operated for nonsecular purposes and no part of the net income of which inures to the direct benefit of any individual; (ii) any political party as defined in \u00a7 24.2-101 or any political campaign committee or political action committee or other political committee required by state or federal law to file a report or statement of contributions and expenditures; or (iii) any authorized individual who solicits, by authority of such organization, solely on behalf of a registered or exempt charitable organization or on behalf of an organization excluded from the definition of charitable organization.\n\t\t“Charitable purpose” means any charitable, benevolent, humane, philanthropic, patriotic, or eleemosynary purpose and the purposes of influencing legislation or influencing the actions of any public official or instigating, prosecuting, or intervening in litigation.\n\t\t“Charitable sales promotion” means advertised sales that feature the names of both the commercial co-venturer and the charitable or civic organization and that state that the purchase or use of the goods, services, entertainment, or any other thing of value that the commercial co-venturer normally sells will benefit the charitable or civic organization or its purposes. To qualify as a charitable sales promotion, the consumer must pay the same price for the thing of value as the commercial co-venturer usually charges without the charitable sales promotion and the consumer retains the thing of value.\n\t\t“Civic organization” means any local service club, veterans post, fraternal society or association, volunteer fire or rescue group, or local civic league or association of 10 or more persons not organized for profit but operated exclusively for educational or charitable purposes as defined in this section, including the promotion of community welfare, and the net earnings of which are devoted exclusively to charitable, educational, recreational, or social welfare purposes.\n\t\t“Commercial co-venturer” means any person who (i) is organized for profit, (ii) is regularly and primarily engaged in trade or commerce, other than in connection with soliciting for charitable or civic organizations or charitable purposes, and (iii) conducts an advertised charitable sales promotion for a specified limited period of time.\n\t\t“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services or a member of his staff to whom he may delegate his duties under this chapter.\n\t\t“Contribution” means any gift, bequest, devise, or other grant of any money, credit, financial assistance, or property of any kind or value, including the promise to contribute, except payments by the membership of an organization for membership fees, dues, fines, or assessments, or for services rendered to individual members, and except money, credit, financial assistance, or property received from any governmental authority. “Contribution” does not include any donation of blood or any gift made pursuant to Article 2 (\u00a7 32.1-291.1 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 32.1.\n\t\t“Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.\n\t\t“Federated fund-raising organization” means any federation of independent charitable organizations that have voluntarily joined together, including but not limited to a United Fund or Community Chest, for purposes of raising and distributing money for and among themselves and where membership does not confer operating authority and control of the individual agencies upon the federated group organization.\n\t\t“File with the Commissioner” means depositing the originals of the documents required to be filed, along with the payment of the appropriate fee and all supporting documents with the Department or submitting the required documents and any appropriate attachments and fees by utilizing an online filing system approved by the Commissioner.\n\t\t“Fund-raising expenses” means the expenses of all activities that constitute or are an integral and inseparable part of a solicitation.\n\t\t“Membership” means those persons to whom, for payment of fees, dues, assessments, etc., an organization provides services and confers a bona fide right, privilege, professional standing, honor, or other direct benefit, in addition to the right to vote, elect officers, or hold offices. “Membership” does not include those persons who are granted a membership upon making a contribution as the result of solicitation.\n\t\t“Parent organization” means that part of a charitable organization that coordinates, supervises, or exercises control over policy, fund raising, and expenditures or assists or advises one or more chapters, branches, or affiliates.\n\t\t“Person” means any individual, organization, trust, foundation, association, partnership, corporation, society, or other group or combination acting as a unit.\n\t\t“Professional fund-raising counsel” means any person who for a flat fixed fee under a written agreement plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises, or acts as a consultant, whether directly or indirectly, in connection with soliciting contributions for, or on behalf of, any charitable or civic organization, but who actually solicits no contributions as a part of such services. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered or exempt charitable organization or the bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered parent organization shall not be deemed to be a professional fund-raising counsel.\n\t\t“Professional solicitor” means any person who, for a financial or other consideration, solicits contributions for, or on behalf of, a charitable or civic organization, whether such solicitation is performed personally or through his agents, servants, or employees or through agents, servants, or employees who are specially employed by or for a charitable or civic organization and are engaged in the solicitation of contributions under the direction of such person or any person who, for a financial or other consideration, plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises, or acts as a consultant to a charitable or civic organization in connection with the solicitation of contributions but does not qualify as a professional fund-raising counsel. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered or exempt charitable organization or a bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered parent organization shall not be deemed to be a professional solicitor.\n\t\t“Sale,” “sell,” and “sold” mean the transfer of any property or the rendition of any service to any person in exchange for consideration, including any purported contribution without which such property would not have been transferred or such services would not have been rendered.\n\t\t“Solicit” and “solicitation” mean the request or appeal, directly or indirectly, for any contribution on the plea or representation that such contribution will be used for a charitable purpose, including, without limitation, the following methods of requesting such contribution:\n\n1\n\nAny oral or written request;2\n\nAny announcement to the press, over the radio or television, by telephone or telegraph, or by email concerning an appeal or campaign to which the public is requested to make a contribution for any charitable purpose connected therewith;3\n\nThe distribution, circulation, posting, or publishing of any handbill, written advertisement, or other publication that directly or by implication seeks to obtain public support; or4\n\nThe sale of, offer, or attempt to sell, any advertisement, advertising space, subscription, ticket, or any service or tangible item in connection with which any appeal is made for any charitable purpose or where the name of any charitable or civic organization is used or referred to in any such appeal as an inducement or reason for making any such sale, or when or where in connection with any such sale, any statement is made that the whole or any part of the proceeds from any such sale will be donated to any charitable purpose.\n\t\t\t“Solicitation,” as defined in this section, shall be deemed to occur when the request is made, at the place the request is received, whether or not the person making the same actually receives any contribution.\n\t\t\t“Terrorists and terrorist organizations” means any person, organization, group, or conspiracy who assists or has assisted terrorist organizations, as provided in 18 U.S.C. § 2339B, or who commits or attempts to commit acts of terrorism, as defined in § 18.2-46.4.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":279993,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services.\n\t\t“Charitable organization” means any person that is or holds itself out to be organized or operated for any charitable purpose, or any person that solicits or obtains contributions solicited from the public. “Charitable organization” does not include (i) any church or convention or association of churches, primarily operated for nonsecular purposes and no part of the net income of which inures to the direct benefit of any individual; (ii) any political party as defined in \u00a7 24.2-101 or any political campaign committee or political action committee or other political committee required by state or federal law to file a report or statement of contributions and expenditures; or (iii) any authorized individual who solicits, by authority of such organization, solely on behalf of a registered or exempt charitable organization or on behalf of an organization excluded from the definition of charitable organization.\n\t\t“Charitable purpose” means any charitable, benevolent, humane, philanthropic, patriotic, or eleemosynary purpose and the purposes of influencing legislation or influencing the actions of any public official or instigating, prosecuting, or intervening in litigation.\n\t\t“Charitable sales promotion” means advertised sales that feature the names of both the commercial co-venturer and the charitable or civic organization and that state that the purchase or use of the goods, services, entertainment, or any other thing of value that the commercial co-venturer normally sells will benefit the charitable or civic organization or its purposes. To qualify as a charitable sales promotion, the consumer must pay the same price for the thing of value as the commercial co-venturer usually charges without the charitable sales promotion and the consumer retains the thing of value.\n\t\t“Civic organization” means any local service club, veterans post, fraternal society or association, volunteer fire or rescue group, or local civic league or association of 10 or more persons not organized for profit but operated exclusively for educational or charitable purposes as defined in this section, including the promotion of community welfare, and the net earnings of which are devoted exclusively to charitable, educational, recreational, or social welfare purposes.\n\t\t“Commercial co-venturer” means any person who (i) is organized for profit, (ii) is regularly and primarily engaged in trade or commerce, other than in connection with soliciting for charitable or civic organizations or charitable purposes, and (iii) conducts an advertised charitable sales promotion for a specified limited period of time.\n\t\t“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services or a member of his staff to whom he may delegate his duties under this chapter.\n\t\t“Contribution” means any gift, bequest, devise, or other grant of any money, credit, financial assistance, or property of any kind or value, including the promise to contribute, except payments by the membership of an organization for membership fees, dues, fines, or assessments, or for services rendered to individual members, and except money, credit, financial assistance, or property received from any governmental authority. “Contribution” does not include any donation of blood or any gift made pursuant to Article 2 (\u00a7 32.1-291.1 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 32.1.\n\t\t“Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.\n\t\t“Federated fund-raising organization” means any federation of independent charitable organizations that have voluntarily joined together, including but not limited to a United Fund or Community Chest, for purposes of raising and distributing money for and among themselves and where membership does not confer operating authority and control of the individual agencies upon the federated group organization.\n\t\t“File with the Commissioner” means depositing the originals of the documents required to be filed, along with the payment of the appropriate fee and all supporting documents with the Department or submitting the required documents and any appropriate attachments and fees by utilizing an online filing system approved by the Commissioner.\n\t\t“Fund-raising expenses” means the expenses of all activities that constitute or are an integral and inseparable part of a solicitation.\n\t\t“Membership” means those persons to whom, for payment of fees, dues, assessments, etc., an organization provides services and confers a bona fide right, privilege, professional standing, honor, or other direct benefit, in addition to the right to vote, elect officers, or hold offices. “Membership” does not include those persons who are granted a membership upon making a contribution as the result of solicitation.\n\t\t“Parent organization” means that part of a charitable organization that coordinates, supervises, or exercises control over policy, fund raising, and expenditures or assists or advises one or more chapters, branches, or affiliates.\n\t\t“Person” means any individual, organization, trust, foundation, association, partnership, corporation, society, or other group or combination acting as a unit.\n\t\t“Professional fund-raising counsel” means any person who for a flat fixed fee under a written agreement plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises, or acts as a consultant, whether directly or indirectly, in connection with soliciting contributions for, or on behalf of, any charitable or civic organization, but who actually solicits no contributions as a part of such services. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered or exempt charitable organization or the bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered parent organization shall not be deemed to be a professional fund-raising counsel.\n\t\t“Professional solicitor” means any person who, for a financial or other consideration, solicits contributions for, or on behalf of, a charitable or civic organization, whether such solicitation is performed personally or through his agents, servants, or employees or through agents, servants, or employees who are specially employed by or for a charitable or civic organization and are engaged in the solicitation of contributions under the direction of such person or any person who, for a financial or other consideration, plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises, or acts as a consultant to a charitable or civic organization in connection with the solicitation of contributions but does not qualify as a professional fund-raising counsel. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered or exempt charitable organization or a bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered parent organization shall not be deemed to be a professional solicitor.\n\t\t“Sale,” “sell,” and “sold” mean the transfer of any property or the rendition of any service to any person in exchange for consideration, including any purported contribution without which such property would not have been transferred or such services would not have been rendered.\n\t\t“Solicit” and “solicitation” mean the request or appeal, directly or indirectly, for any contribution on the plea or representation that such contribution will be used for a charitable purpose, including, without limitation, the following methods of requesting such contribution:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":279994,"text":"Any oral or written request;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":279995,"text":"Any announcement to the press, over the radio or television, by telephone or telegraph, or by email concerning an appeal or campaign to which the public is requested to make a contribution for any charitable purpose connected therewith;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":279996,"text":"The distribution, circulation, posting, or publishing of any handbill, written advertisement, or other publication that directly or by implication seeks to obtain public support; or","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":279997,"text":"The sale of, offer, or attempt to sell, any advertisement, advertising space, subscription, ticket, or any service or tangible item in connection with which any appeal is made for any charitable purpose or where the name of any charitable or civic organization is used or referred to in any such appeal as an inducement or reason for making any such sale, or when or where in connection with any such sale, any statement is made that the whole or any part of the proceeds from any such sale will be donated to any charitable purpose.\n\t\t\t“Solicitation,” as defined in this section, shall be deemed to occur when the request is made, at the place the request is received, whether or not the person making the same actually receives any contribution.\n\t\t\t“Terrorists and terrorist organizations” means any person, organization, group, or conspiracy who assists or has assisted terrorist organizations, as provided in 18 U.S.C. § 2339B, or who commits or attempts to commit acts of terrorism, as defined in § 18.2-46.4.","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3"}},"ancestry":[{"id":13962,"edition_id":1,"name":"Solicitation of Contributions","identifier":"5","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13324,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:26","permalink":{"id":251837,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13962,"identifier":"5","token":"57\/5","url":"\/57\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13324,"edition_id":1,"name":"Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries","identifier":"57","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":251501,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13324,"identifier":"57","token":"57","url":"\/57\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":78101,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-48","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/57-48\/","token":"57\/5\/57-48","metadata":false},{"id":86486,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-49","catch_line":"Registration of charitable organizations; prohibition against support of terrorists","url":"\/57-49\/","token":"57\/5\/57-49","metadata":false},{"id":65471,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-50","catch_line":"Reciprocal agreements with other states; online filing","url":"\/57-50\/","token":"57\/5\/57-50","metadata":false},{"id":83732,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-51","catch_line":"Nonresident registration","url":"\/57-51\/","token":"57\/5\/57-51","metadata":false},{"id":65077,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-52","catch_line":"Publication of warnings concerning certain charitable and civic organizations","url":"\/57-52\/","token":"57\/5\/57-52","metadata":false},{"id":64262,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-52.1","catch_line":"Publication of warnings concerning solicitation by professional solicitors","url":"\/57-52.1\/","token":"57\/5\/57-52.1","metadata":false},{"id":58234,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-53","catch_line":"Records to be kept by charitable organizations","url":"\/57-53\/","token":"57\/5\/57-53","metadata":false},{"id":71322,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-54","catch_line":"Contracts between charitable or civic organizations and professional fund-raising counsel or professional solicitors","url":"\/57-54\/","token":"57\/5\/57-54","metadata":false},{"id":81155,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-55","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-55\/","token":"57\/5\/57-55","metadata":false},{"id":73486,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-55.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-55.1\/","token":"57\/5\/57-55.1","metadata":false},{"id":62382,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-55.2","catch_line":"Charitable solicitation disclosure","url":"\/57-55.2\/","token":"57\/5\/57-55.2","metadata":false},{"id":57634,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-55.2:1","catch_line":"Solicitations by for-profit organizations","url":"\/57-55.2_1\/","token":"57\/5\/57-55.2_1","metadata":false},{"id":87184,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-55.3","catch_line":"Disclosure regarding financial statement required","url":"\/57-55.3\/","token":"57\/5\/57-55.3","metadata":false},{"id":70988,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-55.4","catch_line":"Collection receptacles; required disclosures","url":"\/57-55.4\/","token":"57\/5\/57-55.4","metadata":false},{"id":71585,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-56","catch_line":"Information filed to become public records","url":"\/57-56\/","token":"57\/5\/57-56","metadata":false},{"id":61492,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-57","catch_line":"Prohibited acts","url":"\/57-57\/","token":"57\/5\/57-57","metadata":false},{"id":83525,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-58","catch_line":"Ratio of fund-raising expenses to contributions to be included in registration statement","url":"\/57-58\/","token":"57\/5\/57-58","metadata":false},{"id":87099,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-59","catch_line":"Enforcement of chapter; seizure of property connected with terrorism; penalties","url":"\/57-59\/","token":"57\/5\/57-59","metadata":false},{"id":57956,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-60","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/57-60\/","token":"57\/5\/57-60","metadata":false},{"id":87040,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-61","catch_line":"Registration of professional fund-raising counsels and solicitors","url":"\/57-61\/","token":"57\/5\/57-61","metadata":false},{"id":82886,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-61.1","catch_line":"Time and effect of registration","url":"\/57-61.1\/","token":"57\/5\/57-61.1","metadata":false},{"id":77549,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-61.2","catch_line":"Commercial co-ventures","url":"\/57-61.2\/","token":"57\/5\/57-61.2","metadata":false},{"id":84845,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-62","catch_line":"Liability imposed by other laws not decreased","url":"\/57-62\/","token":"57\/5\/57-62","metadata":false},{"id":58452,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-63","catch_line":"Local ordinances","url":"\/57-63\/","token":"57\/5\/57-63","metadata":false},{"id":87043,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-64","catch_line":"Out-of-state enforcement proceedings","url":"\/57-64\/","token":"57\/5\/57-64","metadata":false},{"id":57627,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-65","catch_line":"Fees and charges","url":"\/57-65\/","token":"57\/5\/57-65","metadata":false},{"id":68709,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-66","catch_line":"Rules and regulations; model ordinance","url":"\/57-66\/","token":"57\/5\/57-66","metadata":false},{"id":55022,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-67","catch_line":"Application to court for relief","url":"\/57-67\/","token":"57\/5\/57-67","metadata":false},{"id":59430,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-68","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/57-68\/","token":"57\/5\/57-68","metadata":false},{"id":85676,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-69","catch_line":"Effective date","url":"\/57-69\/","token":"57\/5\/57-69","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":86486,"structure_id":13962,"section_number":"57-49","catch_line":"Registration of charitable organizations; prohibition against support of terrorists","url":"\/57-49\/","token":"57\/5\/57-49","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-48\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1974. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 574 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1974 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 11 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1979, chapters 124, 595, and 598; in 1983, chapter 374; in 1984, chapter 268; in 1988, chapter 322; in 1990, chapter 711; in 1996, chapter 461<\/a>; in 2003, chapters 576<\/a>, 977<\/a>, and 1009<\/a>; in 2005, chapter 329<\/a>; in 2007, chapters 92<\/a> and 907<\/a>; in 2013, chapter 24<\/a>; in 2023, chapter 289<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":75223,"section_number":"2.2-614.3","catch_line":"Charitable organization; certain government action prohibited","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-614.3\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":65851,"section_number":"18.2-46.4","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-46.4\/"},{"id":61543,"section_number":"24.2-101","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-101\/"},{"id":72836,"section_number":"32.1-291.1","catch_line":"Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act; short title","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-291.1\/"}],"permalink":{"id":251839,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78101,"identifier":"57-48","token":"57\/5\/57-48","url":"\/57-48\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-48\/","token":"57\/5\/57-48","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-48","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Board<\/span>” means the Board<\/span> of Agriculture and Consumer Services.\n\t\t“Charitable organization<\/span>” means any person<\/span> that is or holds itself out to be organized or operated for any charitable purpose<\/span>, or any person<\/span> that solicits<\/span> or obtains contributions<\/span> solicited from the public. “Charitable organization<\/span>” does not include (i) any church or convention or association of churches, primarily operated for nonsecular purposes and no part of the net income of which inures to the direct benefit of any individual; (ii) any political party<\/span> as defined in \u00a7 24.2-101<\/a> or any political campaign committee or political action committee or other political committee required by state or federal law<\/span> to file a report or statement of contributions<\/span> and expenditures; or (iii) any authorized individual who solicits<\/span>, by authority of such organization, solely on behalf of a registered or exempt charitable organization<\/span> or on behalf of an organization excluded from the definition of charitable organization<\/span>.\n\t\t“Charitable purpose<\/span>” means any charitable, benevolent, humane, philanthropic, patriotic, or eleemosynary purpose and the purposes of influencing legislation or influencing the actions of any public official or instigating, prosecuting, or intervening in litigation<\/span>.\n\t\t“Charitable sales promotion<\/span>” means advertised sales that feature the names of both the commercial co-venturer<\/span> and the charitable or civic organization<\/span> and that state that the purchase or use of the goods, services, entertainment, or any other thing of value that the commercial co-venturer<\/span> normally sells will benefit the charitable or civic organization<\/span> or its purposes. To qualify as a charitable sales promotion<\/span>, the consumer must pay the same price for the thing of value as the commercial co-venturer<\/span> usually charges without the charitable sales promotion<\/span> and the consumer retains the thing of value.\n\t\t“Civic organization<\/span>” means any local service club, veterans post, fraternal society or association, volunteer fire or rescue group, or local civic league or association of 10 or more persons<\/span> not organized for profit but operated exclusively for educational or charitable purposes<\/span> as defined in this section, including the promotion of community welfare, and the net earnings of which are devoted exclusively to charitable, educational, recreational, or social welfare purposes.\n\t\t“Commercial co-venturer<\/span>” means any person<\/span> who (i) is organized for profit, (ii) is regularly and primarily engaged in trade or commerce, other than in connection with soliciting for charitable or civic organizations<\/span> or charitable purposes<\/span>, and (iii) conducts an advertised charitable sales promotion<\/span> for a specified limited period of time.\n\t\t“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services or a member of his staff to whom he may delegate his duties under this chapter.\n\t\t“Contribution<\/span>” means any gift, bequest, devise, or other grant of any money, credit, financial assistance, or property of any kind or value, including the promise to contribute, except payments by the membership<\/span> of an organization for membership<\/span> fees, dues, fines, or assessments, or for services rendered to individual members, and except money, credit, financial assistance, or property received from any governmental authority. “Contribution<\/span>” does not include any donation of blood or any gift made pursuant to Article 2 (\u00a7 32.1-291.1<\/a> et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 32.1.\n\t\t“Department<\/span>” means the Department<\/span> of Agriculture and Consumer Services.\n\t\t“Federated fund-raising organization<\/span>” means any federation of independent charitable organizations<\/span> that have voluntarily joined together, including but not limited to a United Fund or Community Chest, for purposes of raising and distributing money for and among themselves and where membership<\/span> does not confer operating authority and control of the individual agencies upon the federated group organization.\n\t\t“File with the Commissioner<\/span>” means depositing the originals of the documents required to be filed, along with the payment of the appropriate fee and all supporting documents with the Department<\/span> or submitting the required documents and any appropriate attachments<\/span> and fees by utilizing an online filing system approved by the Commissioner.\n\t\t“Fund-raising expenses<\/span>” means the expenses of all activities that constitute or are an integral and inseparable part of a solicitation<\/span>.\n\t\t“Membership<\/span>” means those persons<\/span> to whom, for payment of fees, dues, assessments, etc., an organization provides services and confers a bona fide right, privilege<\/span>, professional standing, honor, or other direct benefit, in addition to the right to vote, elect officers, or hold offices. “Membership<\/span>” does not include those persons<\/span> who are granted a membership<\/span> upon making a contribution<\/span> as the result of solicitation<\/span>.\n\t\t“Parent organization<\/span>” means that part of a charitable organization<\/span> that coordinates, supervises, or exercises control over policy, fund raising, and expenditures or assists or advises one or more chapters, branches, or affiliates.\n\t\t“Person<\/span>” means any individual, organization, trust, foundation, association, partnership, corporation, society, or other group or combination acting as a unit.\n\t\t“Professional fund-raising counsel<\/span>” means any person<\/span> who for a flat fixed fee under a written agreement plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises, or acts as a consultant, whether directly or indirectly, in connection with soliciting contributions<\/span> for, or on behalf of, any charitable or civic organization<\/span>, but who actually solicits<\/span> no contributions<\/span> as a part of such services. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered or exempt charitable organization<\/span> or the bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered parent organization<\/span> shall not be deemed to be a professional fund-raising counsel<\/span>.\n\t\t“Professional solicitor<\/span>” means any person<\/span> who, for a financial or other consideration, solicits<\/span> contributions<\/span> for, or on behalf of, a charitable or civic organization<\/span>, whether such solicitation<\/span> is performed personally or through his agents, servants, or employees or through agents, servants, or employees who are specially employed by or for a charitable or civic organization<\/span> and are engaged in the solicitation<\/span> of contributions<\/span> under the direction of such person<\/span> or any person<\/span> who, for a financial or other consideration, plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises, or acts as a consultant to a charitable or civic organization<\/span> in connection with the solicitation<\/span> of contributions<\/span> but does not qualify as a professional fund-raising counsel<\/span>. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered or exempt charitable organization<\/span> or a bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered parent organization<\/span> shall not be deemed to be a professional solicitor<\/span>.\n\t\t“Sale,” “sell,” and “sold<\/span>” mean the transfer of any property or the rendition of any service to any person<\/span> in exchange for consideration, including any purported contribution<\/span> without which such property would not have been transferred or such services would not have been rendered.\n\t\t“Solicit<\/span>” and “solicitation<\/span>” mean the request or appeal<\/span>, directly or indirectly, for any contribution<\/span> on the plea<\/span> or representation that such contribution<\/span> will be used for a charitable purpose<\/span>, including, without limitation, the following methods of requesting such contribution<\/span>:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Any oral or written request; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Any announcement to the press, over the radio or television, by telephone or telegraph, or by email concerning an appeal<\/span> or campaign to which the public is requested to make a contribution<\/span> for any charitable purpose<\/span> connected therewith; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The distribution, circulation, posting, or publishing of any handbill, written advertisement, or other publication that directly or by implication seeks to obtain public support; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> The sale of, offer, or attempt to sell, any advertisement, advertising space, subscription, ticket, or any service or tangible item in connection with which any appeal<\/span> is made for any charitable purpose<\/span> or where the name of any charitable or civic organization<\/span> is used or referred to in any such appeal<\/span> as an inducement or reason for making any such sale, or when or where in connection with any such sale, any statement is made that the whole or any part of the proceeds from any such sale will be donated to any charitable purpose<\/span>.\n\t\t\t“Solicitation<\/span>,” as defined in this section, shall be deemed to occur when the request is made, at the place the request is received, whether or not the person<\/span> making the same actually receives any contribution<\/span>.\n\t\t\t“Terrorists and terrorist organizations<\/span>” means any person<\/span>, organization, group, or conspiracy who assists or has assisted terrorist organizations, as provided in 18 U.S.C. § 2339B, or who commits or attempts to commit acts of terrorism, as defined in § 18.2-46.4<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 57-48)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Board” means the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services.\n\t\t“Charitable organization” means any person that is or holds itself\nout to be organized or operated for any charitable purpose, or any person that\nsolicits or obtains contributions solicited from the public. “Charitable\norganization” does not include (i) any church or convention or association\nof churches, primarily operated for nonsecular purposes and no part of the net\nincome of which inures to the direct benefit of any individual; (ii) any\npolitical party as defined in \u00a7 24.2-101 or any political campaign committee or\npolitical action committee or other political committee required by state or\nfederal law to file a report or statement of contributions and expenditures; or\n(iii) any authorized individual who solicits, by authority of such organization,\nsolely on behalf of a registered or exempt charitable organization or on behalf\nof an organization excluded from the definition of charitable organization.\n\t\t“Charitable purpose” means any charitable, benevolent, humane,\nphilanthropic, patriotic, or eleemosynary purpose and the purposes of\ninfluencing legislation or influencing the actions of any public official or\ninstigating, prosecuting, or intervening in litigation.\n\t\t“Charitable sales promotion” means advertised sales that feature\nthe names of both the commercial co-venturer and the charitable or civic\norganization and that state that the purchase or use of the goods, services,\nentertainment, or any other thing of value that the commercial co-venturer\nnormally sells will benefit the charitable or civic organization or its\npurposes. To qualify as a charitable sales promotion, the consumer must pay the\nsame price for the thing of value as the commercial co-venturer usually charges\nwithout the charitable sales promotion and the consumer retains the thing of\nvalue.\n\t\t“Civic organization” means any local service club, veterans post,\nfraternal society or association, volunteer fire or rescue group, or local civic\nleague or association of 10 or more persons not organized for profit but\noperated exclusively for educational or charitable purposes as defined in this\nsection, including the promotion of community welfare, and the net earnings of\nwhich are devoted exclusively to charitable, educational, recreational, or\nsocial welfare purposes.\n\t\t“Commercial co-venturer” means any person who (i) is organized for\nprofit, (ii) is regularly and primarily engaged in trade or commerce, other than\nin connection with soliciting for charitable or civic organizations or\ncharitable purposes, and (iii) conducts an advertised charitable sales promotion\nfor a specified limited period of time.\n\t\t“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer\nServices or a member of his staff to whom he may delegate his duties under this\nchapter.\n\t\t“Contribution” means any gift, bequest, devise, or other grant of\nany money, credit, financial assistance, or property of any kind or value,\nincluding the promise to contribute, except payments by the membership of an\norganization for membership fees, dues, fines, or assessments, or for services\nrendered to individual members, and except money, credit, financial assistance,\nor property received from any governmental authority. “Contribution”\ndoes not include any donation of blood or any gift made pursuant to Article 2\n(\u00a7 32.1-291.1 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 32.1.\n\t\t“Department” means the Department of Agriculture and Consumer\nServices.\n\t\t“Federated fund-raising organization” means any federation of\nindependent charitable organizations that have voluntarily joined together,\nincluding but not limited to a United Fund or Community Chest, for purposes of\nraising and distributing money for and among themselves and where membership\ndoes not confer operating authority and control of the individual agencies upon\nthe federated group organization.\n\t\t“File with the Commissioner” means depositing the originals of the\ndocuments required to be filed, along with the payment of the appropriate fee\nand all supporting documents with the Department or submitting the required\ndocuments and any appropriate attachments and fees by utilizing an online filing\nsystem approved by the Commissioner.\n\t\t“Fund-raising expenses” means the expenses of all activities that\nconstitute or are an integral and inseparable part of a solicitation.\n\t\t“Membership” means those persons to whom, for payment of fees,\ndues, assessments, etc., an organization provides services and confers a bona\nfide right, privilege, professional standing, honor, or other direct benefit, in\naddition to the right to vote, elect officers, or hold offices.\n“Membership” does not include those persons who are granted a\nmembership upon making a contribution as the result of solicitation.\n\t\t“Parent organization” means that part of a charitable organization\nthat coordinates, supervises, or exercises control over policy, fund raising,\nand expenditures or assists or advises one or more chapters, branches, or\naffiliates.\n\t\t“Person” means any individual, organization, trust, foundation,\nassociation, partnership, corporation, society, or other group or combination\nacting as a unit.\n\t\t“Professional fund-raising counsel” means any person who for a\nflat fixed fee under a written agreement plans, conducts, manages, carries on,\nadvises, or acts as a consultant, whether directly or indirectly, in connection\nwith soliciting contributions for, or on behalf of, any charitable or civic\norganization, but who actually solicits no contributions as a part of such\nservices. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered or exempt\ncharitable organization or the bona fide salaried officer or employee of a\nregistered parent organization shall not be deemed to be a professional\nfund-raising counsel.\n\t\t“Professional solicitor” means any person who, for a financial or\nother consideration, solicits contributions for, or on behalf of, a charitable\nor civic organization, whether such solicitation is performed personally or\nthrough his agents, servants, or employees or through agents, servants, or\nemployees who are specially employed by or for a charitable or civic\norganization and are engaged in the solicitation of contributions under the\ndirection of such person or any person who, for a financial or other\nconsideration, plans, conducts, manages, carries on, advises, or acts as a\nconsultant to a charitable or civic organization in connection with the\nsolicitation of contributions but does not qualify as a professional\nfund-raising counsel. A bona fide salaried officer or employee of a registered\nor exempt charitable organization or a bona fide salaried officer or employee of\na registered parent organization shall not be deemed to be a professional\nsolicitor.\n\t\t“Sale,” “sell,” and “sold” mean the\ntransfer of any property or the rendition of any service to any person in\nexchange for consideration, including any purported contribution without which\nsuch property would not have been transferred or such services would not have\nbeen rendered.\n\t\t“Solicit” and “solicitation” mean the request or\nappeal, directly or indirectly, for any contribution on the plea or\nrepresentation that such contribution will be used for a charitable purpose,\nincluding, without limitation, the following methods of requesting such\ncontribution:\n\n1. Any oral or written request;\n\n2. Any announcement to the press, over the radio or television, by telephone or\ntelegraph, or by email concerning an appeal or campaign to which the public is\nrequested to make a contribution for any charitable purpose connected therewith;\n\n3. The distribution, circulation, posting, or publishing of any handbill,\nwritten advertisement, or other publication that directly or by implication\nseeks to obtain public support; or\n\n4. The sale of, offer, or attempt to sell, any advertisement, advertising space,\nsubscription, ticket, or any service or tangible item in connection with which\nany appeal is made for any charitable purpose or where the name of any\ncharitable or civic organization is used or referred to in any such appeal as an\ninducement or reason for making any such sale, or when or where in connection\nwith any such sale, any statement is made that the whole or any part of the\nproceeds from any such sale will be donated to any charitable purpose.\n\t\t\t“Solicitation,” as defined in this section, shall be deemed to\noccur when the request is made, at the place the request is received, whether or\nnot the person making the same actually receives any contribution.\n\t\t\t“Terrorists and terrorist organizations” means any person,\norganization, group, or conspiracy who assists or has assisted terrorist\norganizations, as provided in 18 U.S.C. § 2339B, or who commits or attempts\nto commit acts of terrorism, as defined in § 18.2-46.4.\n\nHISTORY: 1974, c. 574; 1979, cc. 124, 595, 598; 1983, c. 374; 1984, c. 268;\n1988, c. 322; 1990, c. 711; 1996, c. 461; 2003, cc. 576, 977, 1009; 2005, c.\n329; 2007, cc. 92, 907; 2013, c. 24; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 465; 2023, c. 289.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}