“Attorney General” means the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey or his designee.

“Charitable organization” means: (1) any person determined by the federal Internal Revenue Service to be a tax exempt organization pursuant to section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. § 501(c) (3); or (2) any person who is, or holds himself out to be, established for any benevolent, philanthropic, humane, social welfare, public health, or other eleemosynary purpose, or for the benefit of law enforcement personnel, firefighters or other persons who protect the public safety, or any person who in any manner employs a charitable appeal as the basis of any solicitation, or an appeal which has a tendency to suggest there is a charitable purpose to any such solicitation.

“Charitable purpose” means: (1) any purpose described in section 501(c) (3), of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. § 501(c) (3); or (2) any benevolent, philanthropic, humane, social welfare, public health, or other eleemosynary objective, or an objective that benefits law enforcement personnel, firefighters, or other persons who protect the public safety.

“Charitable sales promotion” means an advertising or sales campaign, conducted by a commercial co-venturer, which represents that the purchase or use of goods or services offered by the commercial co-venturer will benefit a charitable organization or purpose.

“Commercial co-venturer” means any person, including, but not limited to, any assignee, subcontractor, independent contractor or successor in interest, who, for profit or other consideration is regularly and primarily engaged in trade or commerce other than in connection with the raising of funds or any other thing of value for a charitable organization, and who advertises that the purchase or use of his goods, services, entertainment or any other thing of value will benefit a charitable organization or charitable purpose.

“Contribution” means the conveyance, promise or pledge of money, credit, property, financial assistance or other thing of any kind or value in response to a solicitation. It does not include any of the following: bona fide fees, dues or assessments paid by members provided that membership is not conferred solely as consideration for making a contribution in response to a solicitation; moneys received pursuant to a governmental grant or contract; or, personal services rendered by a volunteer.

“Federated fund raising organization” means a federation of independent charitable organizations which have voluntarily joined together for purposes of raising and distributing money.

“Fund raising counsel” means any person, including, but not limited to, any assignee, subcontractor, independent contractor or successor in interest, who is retained by a charitable organization for a fixed fee or rate to plan, manage, advise, consult or prepare material for or with respect to the solicitation in this State of contributions for a charitable organization, but who does not solicit contributions or employ, procure or engage any compensated person to solicit contributions. A bona fide salaried officer, employee, or volunteer of a charitable organization shall not be deemed to be a fund raising counsel. No attorney, accountant or banker who renders professional services to a charitable organization or advises a person to make a charitable contribution during the course of rendering professional services to that person shall be deemed, as a result of the professional service or advice rendered, to be a fund raising counsel.

“Independent paid fund raiser” means any person, including, but not limited to, any assignee, subcontractor, independent contractor or successor in interest, who for compensation performs for or on behalf of a charitable organization any service in connection with which contributions are or will be solicited in this State by that compensated person or by any compensated person he employs, procures, or engages, directly or indirectly to solicit contributions. A bona fide salaried officer, employee, or volunteer of a charitable organization shall not be deemed to be an independent paid fund raiser. No attorney, accountant or banker who advises a person to make a charitable contribution during the course of rendering professional services to that person shall be deemed, as a result of that advice, to be an independent paid fund raiser.

“Local unit” means a charitable organization that is affiliated with a parent organization under terms specified in the parent organization’s charter, articles of organization, agreement of association, instrument of trust, constitution or other organizational instrument or bylaws.

“Membership” means a relationship which entitles a person to the privileges, professional standing, honors or other direct benefit of the organization and either the right to vote or elect officers, or hold office in the organization. Membership shall not include any relationship granted solely upon making a contribution as a result of a solicitation.

“Parent organization” means a charitable organization which charters or affiliates local units under terms specified in the charitable organization’s charter, articles of organization, agreement of association, instrument of trust, constitution or other organizational instrument or bylaws.

“Person” means an individual, corporation, association, partnership, trust, foundation or any other entity, however established within or without this State.

“Registrant” means any person who has filed a registration statement with the Attorney General required by this act.

“Registration statement” means an initial registration, renewal, financial report, or any other document or report required pursuant to section 6, 7, 8, 10 or 11 of this act to be filed with the Attorney General.

“Secretary of State” means the Secretary of State of the State of New Jersey.

“Solicitation” or “solicit” means the request, directly or indirectly, for money, credit, property, financial assistance, or other thing of any kind or value which will be used for a charitable purpose or benefit a charitable organization. Solicitation shall include, but not be limited to, the following methods of requesting or securing money, credit, property, financial assistance or other thing of value:

(1) Any oral or written request;

(2) The making of any announcement in the press, over the radio or television, by telephone, through the mail or any other media concerning an appeal or campaign by or for any charitable organization or purpose;

(3) The distribution, circulation, posting or publishing of any handbill, written advertisement or other publication which directly or by implication seeks to obtain a contribution;

(4) The offer of, attempt to sell, or sale of any advertising space, book, card, tag, coupon, device, magazine, membership, merchandise, subscription, flower, ticket, candy, cookies or other tangible item in connection with which any appeal is made for any charitable organization or purpose, or where the name of any charitable organization is used or referred to in any appeal as an inducement or reason for making any sale, or where any statement is made that the whole or any part of the proceeds from the sale will be used for any charitable purpose or benefit any charitable organization;

(5) The use or employment of canisters, cards, receptacles or similar devices for the collection of money or other thing of value in connection with which any appeal is made for any charitable organization or purpose.

A solicitation shall take place whether or not the person making the solicitation receives any contribution, except that a charitable organization’s use of its own name in any communication shall not alone be sufficient to constitute a solicitation.

“Solicitor” means any individual who attempts to solicit or solicits contributions for compensation. A bona fide salaried officer, employee, or volunteer of a charitable organization shall not be deemed to be a solicitor.

L.1994,c.16,s.3; amended 2005, c.283, s.1.