Colorado Nonprofit Association

Refund Co

ReFund CO

Your refund. Your community. Your choice.

In 2018 Colorado Nonprofit Association spearheaded a law that the Legislature adopted allowing Coloradans to donate all or part of their state income tax refund directly to one of the more than 7,000 eligible nonprofits registered with the state.

How does “Donate to a Colorado Nonprofit Fund” work?

When a taxpayer has determined they will get a Colorado state income tax refund, they will use the “Voluntary Contributions” schedule to choose an eligible nonprofit.

Taxpayers should look for the option of “Donate to a Colorado Nonprofit Fund” on that schedule and insert all three of the following:

  1. Nonprofit’s name
  2. Nonprofit’s Secretary of State CCSA Registration Number (not the EIN)
    • Both name and number are required to efficiently and accurately make sure that the nonprofit the taxpayer intended gets the donation
  3. Amount of donation

Looking for the organization’s CCSA number? This page from the Colorado Department of Revenue can help!

To be eligible nonprofits must be:

  • A 501(c)(3) organization as determined by the Internal Revenue Service
  • Registered with the Secretary of State pursuant to the Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act (“CCSA”) for at least five years. Just being incorporated as a nonprofit corporation is not sufficient. Your organization must be registered under the CCSA.
  • In good standing as of September 1 of the tax year. The CCSA requires nonprofits to renew their registration annually. The deadlines for registration are tied to the nonprofit’s fiscal year. Your organization is in good standing when you have met the deadline for annual registration. The Secretary of State provides information about registration requirements.

If your organization meets all of the above, you are automatically eligible for Donate to a Colorado Nonprofit. No other registration or enrollment is required.

To confirm your eligibility, you can search the Secretary of State’s list here or review your organization’s record on the Secretary of State’s charities web site.

Nonprofit How-to Guide may be found here.