New Website Tracks Compliance By Non-profit Groups

Attorney General Spitzer said that his office has created a new website providing compliance information for all non-profit organizations registered in New York.

The website shows whether an organization is up to date in filing its annual reports and making other required disclosures.

"This new website is part of a broad effort to improve transparency and accountability in the non-profit sector," Spitzer said. "By having a timely indicator of compliance, we'll make it easier for charities to discover and correct lapses, and we'll allow donors to see which charities are complying with disclosure requirements that have been designed to protect the public."

Under state law, charitable organizations must register with the Attorney General's Charities Bureau and report annually on their use of charitable funds raised through solicitation and other means. The Charities Bureau uses these annual filings to spot abuses and otherwise oversee the activities of almost 50,000 registered non-profit organizations operating throughout the state.

The new site, which is part of the existing Attorney General's website, will show a charity's registration and compliance status in one of the following ways:

• UP TO DATE – meaning that the charity is current with all of the required filings under state law;
• DELINQUENT – meaning that the charity has failed to submit annual filings in violation of the law; or
• EXEMPT – meaning that the charity is exempt from registration and filing with the Charities Bureau (for example, religious organizations are exempt).

The Attorney General urged officials of non-profit organizations to check the website to ensure that appropriate filings have been received and processed by the Charities Bureau.

The Attorney General urged individuals, foundations and government agencies that donate or provide funding to charities to check the website to confirm compliance when considering charitable donations or grants.

The registry search site can be accessed through the Attorney General's website at the following web address: www.charitiesnys.com/RegistrySearch/search_charities.jsp

The website also provides a link to another service provided by the Attorney General's office – an annual report on fund raising by professional telemarketers.

The website was developed by Charities Bureau Registration Section Chief James Siegal, under the supervision of Charities Bureau Chief Gerald Rosenberg and with the assistance of project team leader Noah Stein. The Attorney General's Webmaster Peter Cochetti, under the direction of Chief Information Officer (CIO) Robert Vitello, Deputy CIO Benny Thottam and Assistant CIO Keith Cross, implemented the website.