- Beginning July 1, 2019
- Changes only affect paid solicitors
- Volunteers are exempt
If your nonprofit solicits funds in Mississippi, you need to be aware of a new act that will be implemented very soon.
Beginning July 1, charities that use paid telephone solicitors to prospect for new donors could be fined $10,000 per violation if they don’t register in Mississippi and allow people to opt out of telemarketing calls.
Until now, all charities have been exempt from the rules. Under a law passed earlier this year, though, only charities that are contacting existing donors, or who are making phone calls with volunteers will be exempt.
The act gives Mississippi residents the ability to opt out of receiving unwanted telephone calls and text messages from telephone solicitors by placing their telephone number(s) on the Mississippi Do-Not-Call List. The act requires telephone solicitors to purchase the Do-Not-Call List, maintained by the Mississippi Public Service Commission. The list must be purchased annually, and it is the responsibility of the nonprofit to ensure that no one on that list receives a telephone solicitation from them. They must also post a bond.
Contact us today for all of your charitable solicitation registration needs!
