Ireland Stapleton attorneys Tom Downey, Lidiana Rios, Katherine Struthers, and David Manush recently filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Colorado Nonprofit Association, in support of the Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act (“Act”).
The Act, enacted to limit charitable fraud, regulates paid solicitors and requires them to disclose certain information. For instance, they must disclose that they are being paid to make the solicitation and what percentage of the contribution will be paid to the charitable organization. The Act also requires charitable organizations to register with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office and to report accurate financial data.
A for-profit call center that was unable to operate in Colorado because of the Act has sued the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office, claiming that the Charitable Solicitations Act is a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech. In the brief, the Ireland Stapleton attorneys assert that the Charitable Solicitations Act is essential for Colorado’s nonprofits, and that it promotes public trust in nonprofit organizations, provides transparency, and protects the public from fraudulent charitable solicitations.
Tom and Lidiana were recently interviewed about this legal battle by Westword. Read the article here: https://www.westword.com/news/challenge-to-colorado-charitable-solicitations-act-could-decrease-trust-in-nonprofits-16135797