People also ask
The program does NOT:
- Help participants change their identities or relocate.
- Remove or delete existing public records.
- Offer legal advice.
- Relieve participants of their legal or financial responsibilities.
Under the Tennessee Public Records Act, T.C.A. § 10-7-501 et. seq., all state or local government records are considered public and are available for public inspection and copying, unless specifically protected by other law. This means that any member of the public can request that a state or local government official allow them to inspect and/or take a copy of certain records, which may contain an another individual’s name, address, or phone number. This means that an abuser may be able to track or discover the residential address of a victim through public records. The primary goal of the Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program is to prevent this from happening and provide victims of domestic violence and other crimes with a sense of security in their own homes and freedom from intimidation or further abuse.
"Solicit" or "solicitation" means any oral or written request, however, communicated, whether directly or indirectly, for a contribution. See T.C.A. §48-101-501(11).
The Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program is a statewide address confidentiality program administered by the Office of the Tennessee Secretary of State. It is open to all victims of domestic abuse, stalking, human trafficking, rape, sexual battery, or any other sexual offense who satisfy eligibility and application requirements at no cost. Once a participant has been approved, they are provided with a ‘substitute’ address that can be used by them and their children as their official mailing address for all state and local government purposes, including public school or public benefits enrollment, subject only to a few limited exceptions.
RDA means “Records Disposition Authorization”. A Records Disposition Authorization (RDA) defines the proper storage and disposal method for a State record series. It includes a description of the record series, a retention schedule, destruction method, and other information.
An organization must file an Application for Registration of a Charitable Organization, along with its organizing documents (e.g. a charter) and, if it has obtained one, a letter of determination of tax-exempt status from the IRS. If an organization has completed an accounting year, it must file also file a Summary of Financial Activities form, an IRS form 990 (if the organization is required to file such), and an audited financial statement if its revenues exceed $500,000, excluding government grants and grants from private foundations.
“Contributions" means the promise or grant of any money or property of any kind or value, including the payment or promise to pay in consideration of a sale, performance or show of any kind which is advertised or offered in conjunction with the name of any charity. “Contribution” does not include 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. See T.C.A. §48-101-501(3).
“Charitable organization” means a group which is or holds itself out to be a benevolent, educational, voluntary health, philanthropic, humane, patriotic, religious or eleemosynary organization, or for the benefit of law enforcement personnel, firefighters, or other persons who protect the public safety, or any person who solicits or obtains contributions solicited from the public for charitable purposes. “Charitable organization” does not include any authorized individual who solicits, by authority of the organization, solely on behalf of a registered or exempt organization, or on behalf of an organization excluded from the definition of a charitable organization.
The initial registration fee is $10 dollars.
You can edit and resubmit the registration again and include those items for which the previous application was denied. Additionally, if you believe the application was denied in error, the organization can ask for a hearing. The request must be made within 7 days of the date you receive notification that your application has been denied. A hearing shall occur within 7 days of receiving your request for a hearing. A determination shall be reached within 3 business days of your hearing.
Yes, the initial registration and renewal forms shall be signed by two (2) authorized officers of the charitable organization, one of whom shall be the chief fiscal officer
The IRS grants federal tax exempt status. Contact information and detailed explanations of the tax exemption approval process can be found on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website.
Organizations that are exempt from the registration requirements of the Act include bona fide religious institutions, as defined by T.C.A. §48-101-502(c); educational institutions and supporting organizations as defined by T.C.A. §48-101-502(b); volunteer fire departments, rescue squads and local civil defense organizations; political parties, candidates, and Political Action Committees; hospitals; nursing homes; any corporation established by an act of congress of the United States that is required by federal law to submit annual reports of its activities to congress containing itemized accounts of all receipts and expenditures after being fully audited by the department of defense; and organizations that do not intend to solicit and receive and do not actually raise or receive gross contributions from the public in excess of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) during a fiscal year. Organizations that do not intend to solicit and do not actually raise or receive gross contributions from the public in excess of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) during a fiscal year must file an Exemption Request annually.