Download signNow app
4.7 / 5 rating on

Purely Public Charity Registration Form

Use a Purely Public Charity Registration Form template to make your document workflow more streamlined.

What the Purely Public Charity Registration Form does

The Purely Public Charity Registration Form records the information a nonprofit uses to register as a purely public charity with the applicable state authority. It generally identifies the organization, charitable purpose, governing details, responsible officers, and supporting declarations required by that jurisdiction. Because no single nationwide form controls charitable registration, the issuing state’s Secretary of State, charities bureau, or attorney general determines the required fields, attachments, filing fee, signature rules, and renewal obligations. Use the exact state-issued version, verify its instructions, and retain the submitted copy and confirmation.

Who completes this charity registration form

Charity officers

Board officers and authorized nonprofit representatives use the form to identify the charity, describe its public purpose, and attest that the registration information is accurate. They should coordinate the organization’s legal name, formation details, governing documents, and authorization before signing. State instructions may require an officer, director, or authorized agent to sign, so the signer should confirm the applicable Secretary of State or attorney general requirements rather than assuming any volunteer may execute the filing.

Nonprofit administrators

Counsel, formation providers, and nonprofit administrators use the registration record alongside articles of incorporation, bylaws, IRS determination materials, financial statements, and fundraising disclosures. The form is not a substitute for those documents. Its role is to present the state-required registration information consistently and create a traceable submission package for the agency reviewing the charity’s eligibility.

Complete the charity registration form online

Use this sequence to prepare the state-specific registration document, collect the authorized signature, and retain the completed filing package.

  • Upload form:

    Upload the state-issued charity registration form.
  • Check fields:

    Review detected fields and add missing signer or date fields.
  • Add signer:

    Enter the authorized nonprofit signer’s email address.
  • Send form:

    Send the registration form for review and signature.
  • Store record:

    Download the completed form and preserve its audit trail.
be ready to get more
Get legally-binding signatures now!
  • Best ROI. Our customers achieve an average 7x ROI within the first six months.
  • Scales with your use cases. From SMBs to mid-market, airSlate SignNow delivers results for businesses of all sizes.
  • Intuitive UI and API. Sign and send documents from your apps in minutes.

Recommended charity form workflow setup

Use a controlled setup that identifies the authorized nonprofit signer, preserves the state submission record, and protects the completed charity registration form.

SettingRecommendation
Authentication methodEmail link with SMS code
Signature typeTyped or drawn eSignature
Audit trailEnabled for every submission
Document retentionState rule plus IRC §6501(a)
EncryptionTLS 1.2/1.3 and AES-256

What the charity form audit trail records

The audit trail separates the charity registration workflow from the completed form, preserving evidence about authentication, timing, document activity, and retrieval.

01

Signer authentication:

Records the authentication event tied to the authorized nonprofit signer.
02

Timestamp capture:

Captures signing time and related document activity in the audit trail.
03

Document integrity:

Associates the completed registration file with its recorded signing history.
04

Tamper evidence:

Preserves changes and signing events for later review.
05

Completion record:

Links the final charity registration record to completion evidence.
06

Audit export:

Allows authorized users to retrieve or export the audit trail.

Connect charity registration workflows

Connect the registration workflow to systems that hold nonprofit records, approval data, and the final signed submission package.

Salesforce
Procore
Zapier
Microsoft Teams
Hub spot
Box
Microsoft

Protect charity registration information

Data in transit:

TLS 1.2/1.3 encryption

Data at rest:

AES-256 encryption

Independent controls:

SOC 2 Type II certified

Security management:

ISO 27001 certified

Electronic signatures:

ESIGN and UETA compliant

Protected health data:

HIPAA compliant with BAA

Technical requirements for the charity form

Prepare the Purely Public Charity Registration Form in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge on Windows or macOS. signNow also provides mobile apps for iOS and Android, allowing an authorized nonprofit signer to review and sign from a supported device over TLS-protected connections.

  • Browser support Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
  • Operating systems Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
  • Signing devices Desktop and mobile signing

Organizations should manage access through approved accounts and devices, particularly when registration records contain officer addresses, tax information, or other personal data. Larger nonprofits can evaluate signNow’s integrations, SSO, API access, and certificate or long-term-validation requirements against the state agency’s submission and retention rules.

Retain charity registration records carefully

Retention depends on the state filing rule and the supporting record’s purpose. Apply the state’s requirements first, then preserve tax records under the applicable federal rule.

01

State rule governs

Apply the state’s specified rule for charitable registration records.
02

Corporate records retained

Keep the submitted registration and evidence with corporate records.
03

Three years from filing

Retain tax-related supporting records under IRC §6501(a).
04

Six years for understatement

Keep records six years when IRC §6501(a) applies to a 25% income understatement.
05

Indefinite for fraud

Retain indefinitely when fraud occurred or no return was filed, under IRC §6501(a).

Troubleshoot charity registration workflows

These answers address state-form accuracy, authorized signatures, electronic-record evidence, plan limits, and controlled retention for nonprofit registration workflows.

Upload the exact state-issued Purely Public Charity Registration Form and confirm that detected fields match the agency’s current version. signNow’s document editor lets you review and place fields before sending, but it does not determine whether a state has changed its filing form or instructions.

The authorized officer should sign only after reviewing the organization name, charitable purpose, governing information, and attachments. Under ESIGN and applicable UETA rules, electronic signatures can support enforceability when intent, consent, attribution, and record retention are established, but state filing rules still control acceptance.

If the state requires notarization, witnesses, an original signature, or a separate filing portal, signNow cannot replace that requirement. Confirm the state Secretary of State or attorney general instructions, then use signNow only for permitted preparation, signature collection, and recordkeeping.

Use signNow’s audit trail to preserve signer activity, timestamps, and document history with the completed registration. For consumer-facing electronic records, review the ESIGN consumer-disclosure requirements in 15 U.S.C. §7001(c), including access to electronic records and paper-copy rights.

The Business plan includes legally binding eSignatures, audit trails, templates, and mobile apps at $8 per user per month when billed annually. Subscription plans include 100 signature invites per user per year; confirm overage terms before sending large registration campaigns.

Use role-based access, a controlled template, and an exportable audit trail for the nonprofit’s final record. signNow is SOC 2 Type II certified and ISO 27001 certified; HIPAA protections require a BAA and matter only when the workflow handles protected health information.

ROI at a Glance

Key performance indicators that demonstrate SignNow's proven track record.

28M+Documents signed
13+Years in business
4.6/5Average G2 rating

BE READY TO GET MORE

Get this form now!

If you believe that this page should be taken down, please follow our DMCA take-down process.