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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>71322</law_id><section_number>57-54</section_number><catch_line>Contracts between charitable or civic organizations and professional fund-raising counsel or professional solicitors</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>57-61.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="57">Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5">Solicitation of Contributions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Every <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or agreement between <span class="dictionary">professional fund-raising counsel</span> and a charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span> shall be in writing and shall be filed with the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> within 10 days after such <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or written agreement is entered into. <a id="paragraph-257103" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/57-54/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Every <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, or a written statement of the nature of the arrangement to prevail in the absence of a <span class="dictionary">contract</span>, between a <span class="dictionary">professional solicitor</span> and a charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span> shall be filed with the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> at least 10 days prior to commencement of the <span class="dictionary">contract</span>. <a id="paragraph-257104" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/57-54/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> All agreements and arrangements between <span class="dictionary">professional fund-raising counsel</span> and charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organizations</span> shall be reduced to writing before executed or acted upon. <a id="paragraph-257105" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/57-54/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">contract</span> between a <span class="dictionary">professional solicitor</span> and a charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span> shall specify the percentage of gross <span class="dictionary">contributions</span> that the charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span> will receive or the terms upon which a determination can be made as to the amount of the gross revenue from the <span class="dictionary">solicitation</span> campaign that the charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span> will receive. If a reasonable estimate is used to make such determination, the <span class="dictionary">contract</span> shall clearly disclose the assumptions or the formula upon which the estimate is based; however, if a fixed percentage is used, such percentage shall exclude any amount that the charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span> is to pay as an expense of the <span class="dictionary">solicitation</span> campaign, including the cost of any merchandise or services <span class="dictionary">sold</span>. The <span class="dictionary">professional solicitor</span> shall, at the conclusion of a charitable <span class="dictionary">appeal</span>, provide to the charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span> a final accounting of all expenditures. Such final accounting may not be used in violation of any state or federal trade secret <span class="dictionary">laws</span>. The <span class="dictionary">contract</span> shall disclose the average percentage of gross <span class="dictionary">contributions</span> collected on behalf of charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organizations</span> that such organizations received from the <span class="dictionary">professional solicitor</span> for the three years preceding the year in which the <span class="dictionary">contract</span> was formed. The <span class="dictionary">contract</span> shall also specify that at least every 90 days the <span class="dictionary">professional solicitor</span> shall provide the charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span> with access to and use of all information in the <span class="dictionary">professional solicitor</span>&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">possession</span> concerning contributors, including the name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number of each contributor and the date and amount of each <span class="dictionary">contribution</span>. A <span class="dictionary">professional solicitor</span> shall not restrict a charitable or <span class="dictionary">civic organization</span>&#x2019;s use of any such contributor information. <a id="paragraph-257106" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/57-54/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1974, c. 574; 1979, c. 595; 1983, c. 374; 1988, c. 322; 2023, c. 289.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
