Summer State Registration Compliance Updates 

Alison C. Trianfo, Manley Burke Compliance, LLC, ali.trianfo@manleyburke.com

In recent years, state charitable registration offices have transitioned their registration processes to digital platforms. And, with new technology comes new challenges. Recently, two states, Mississippi and New Jersey, have introduced updates to their charitable registration portals that filers should be aware of.

Many organizations that register with Secretaries of State and Attorneys General for charitable solicitation purposes are familiar with the state-specific signature portal process in Colorado, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Tennessee. Filers may now add New Jersey to the list of states seeking digital signatures.

After several weeks of maintenance, the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs rolled out a series of updates to its online portal in late May 2025. While New Jersey’s statute and registration requirements are unchanged, the updates change the user experience for organizations and third-party filers. Most notably, the report must now be signed via the state portal, rather than by uploading a separately executed authorization page. Two authorized officers, one being the Chief Financial Officer or equivalent, will now receive an email via DocuSign from the NJ Department of Consumer Affairs to review and sign the report prepared by a third-party or other filer. The report may not be submitted until both authorized signors have executed the DocuSign. Signors may receive an invitation through the website to create an account to manage his or her own access to the organization’s record, but no login or password is required simply to sign a report.

Separately, in Mississippi, the state has begun to reject renewal registrations that do not include an email address for each officer of the organization. Historically, the state has requested street and email addresses for two officers listed in the application, but now requires that a list of all officers’ email addresses be uploaded with the application. This list is provided to the state but is not made publicly available on the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website when searching for an organization.

While neither of these changes are drastic, we understand that small changes in all states over the last several years have increased the time and attention officers and foundation staff must spend on compliance-related matters. At Manley Burke Compliance, LLC, we have made strides to streamline and digitize our own processes to efficiently prepare and file reports with each state’s unique signature process, timeline, and nuanced financial and organization information. We are thankful to our existing nationwide state charitable registration partners, and are happy to connect with fraternal foundations to address charitable, corporate, and tax filing needs.