Hawaii has extended its Charities Amnesty Program through October 31, 2026. Eligible charitable organizations that are behind on required filings or fees may use this amnesty period to catch up, return to compliance, and potentially qualify for waiver of certain late fees and penalties.
Organizations that satisfy all program requirements by the new deadline may qualify for a waiver of certain late fees and penalties.
The extension is helpful, but organizations should still review their status now so they have enough time to resolve any deficiencies.
These latest charitable fundraising rules are changing at the same time the state is preparing to regulate online charitable fundraising platforms more directly. Following California’s AB 488 framework, Hawaii SB 1048 creates new requirements for companies that enable online giving, including registration, written nonprofit consent, donor disclosures, fund handling, recordkeeping, and reporting.
For nonprofits, that means good standing is becoming even more important. For platforms and companies, it means nonprofit eligibility is becoming a core part of campaign operations.
The amnesty program is designed to help eligible charitable organizations address past filing, registration, or fee issues before additional enforcement action becomes necessary.
During the extended amnesty period, organizations that are behind on required filings or payments may be able to return to good standing by completing overdue registration statements, filing annual financial reports, paying required current fees, and correcting other outstanding deficiencies identified by the Department.
If an eligible organization fully satisfies the conditions of the program by October 31, 2026, it may qualify for waiver of certain late fees and penalties connected to the delinquent filings.
This deadline matters for any charitable organization that solicits donations in Hawaii and may be delinquent on registration, annual reporting, or required fees.
It is especially relevant for organizations that have been suspended, may soon receive a Notice of Suspension, or have received one in the past. According to the Department’s announcement, organizations in those categories may be eligible to have their registration reinstated after completing all applicable requirements.
Nonprofit officers, directors, trustees, accountants, attorneys, and advisers should review status now. Waiting until the final days of October creates unnecessary risk, especially if the Department requests additional information or documentation before the organization can qualify.
To qualify for the amnesty program, eligible charitable organizations must complete all required steps by October 31, 2026.
That includes filing all overdue registration statements, annual financial reports, and other required documents. Organizations must also pay current registration, renewal, or filing fees, since those fees are not being waived. The Department may request additional information or documentation, and organizations must correct any other outstanding registration or reporting deficiencies identified during the process.
The extension gives organizations more time, but it does not remove the underlying filing obligation. Organizations still need to complete the required filings and pay current fees.
Hawaii’s amnesty program is part of a broader shift in how states are regulating charitable fundraising in a digital environment.
California moved first with AB 488, which created a compliance framework for charitable fundraising platforms and platform charities. Hawaii is now following suit with SB 1048, which applies to companies that use the internet to provide a website, service, or platform to people in the state and enable charitable solicitations.
Both laws are built around similar principles: donor protection, nonprofit consent, transparency, an organization’s good standing, and reliable fund handling. In practice, these requirements make nonprofit registration status more operationally important than it has been in the past.
For nonprofits, falling out of good standing can create real fundraising consequences. Donations may be delayed, online platforms may require additional review, and corporate campaigns may become harder to launch. If a nonprofit is listed in a customer-choice donation program, round-up campaign, or charitable fundraising platform, its registration status can affect whether funds can continue moving smoothly. We’ve seen this with popular fundraising platforms, like GoFundMe and Charity Navigator.
For companies and charitable fundraising platforms, this creates a new diligence obligation. Teams need reliable ways to confirm whether nonprofit partners are registered, eligible, and able to receive funds. That is especially important as Hawaiʻi’s new platform rules come online and as other states look more closely at digital fundraising.
The amnesty period gives eligible organizations a chance to address filing issues before those issues create larger problems for fundraising, partnerships, or disbursements.
Companies, platforms, and nonprofit partners should use the extended amnesty period to review registration status as soon as possible. The Hawaii Department of the Attorney General encourages charitable organizations to check their status through the Department’s online charities registry using the search function, and questions can be directed to the Tax and Charities Division.
For companies running cause marketing campaigns, round-ups, customer donation programs, auctions, raffles, sweepstakes, or other charitable fundraising activations, this should not be treated as a nonprofit-only issue. These programs often depend on accurate eligibility data, clean payout processes, and clear documentation across multiple nonprofit partners.
If your platform, brand, or fundraising program supports organizations that solicit in Hawaii, now is a good time to identify whether any beneficiary organizations are delinquent, suspended, or at risk of suspension. Affected nonprofits should be encouraged to address overdue filings, pay current fees, and complete any outstanding requirements before the October 31 deadline.
The timeline matters. The process may involve more than submitting a single form, especially if the Department requests additional information or identifies other deficiencies. A partner’s registration issue can quickly become an operational issue for a campaign, so early review helps keep donations moving and reduces last-minute disruption.
Hawaii’s extended amnesty period is a time-sensitive opportunity for eligible charitable organizations to return to compliance before the state’s new charitable fundraising platform framework takes full effect. For nonprofits, the next step is clear: check your status, identify any overdue filings or fees, and complete all required steps by October 31, 2026. For companies and platforms, this is a reminder that nonprofit good standing is now part of the infrastructure behind online giving. As state oversight continues to evolve, accurate nonprofit verification, reliable reporting, and proactive compliance workflows will become essential to keeping donations moving.
Change helps companies and platforms manage the compliance infrastructure behind charitable campaigns, including nonprofit verification, donation tracking, disbursements, and reporting. If your team supports nonprofit partners at scale, now is the right time to make sure your systems can identify registration issues before they interrupt fundraising.
