"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).
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.
How do I find deeds?
The Tennessee State Library and Archives has microfilmed copies of older deeds for every county in Tennessee. The deeds records are arranged by the name of the seller/buyer (grantor/grantee). We do not have a means to search for a deed record by knowing the area, address, or longitude & latitude of the property. Information for ordering deed records can be found in Ordering Records. To see inventories of what deed year coverage we have for each county, see our county inventories of microfilmed records.
When a deed search is requested, we follow these procedures:
We locate the cumulative index (if available), usually in a book separate from the deed books. If there is no cumulative index, we use the index appearing in each volume of deeds.
We check to see if the index indicates the date of the deed. If it does, we search the portion of the index covering the dates requested for the name requested.
If the dates are not shown in the index entries, we determine which deeds books were in use during the dates requested in the search. For example: if the request is for a deed dated 1860-1865, and we find that Deed Book C covered 1856-1861 and Deed Book D covered 1861-1866, we would search that portion of the index that includes entries for Deed Books C and D.
Within the time period requested, we look for deeds matching the name of the person requested. Both grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer) indexes are searched. Deed indexes are not always completely alphabetized, but only grouped under each letter of the alphabet. For example: to locate deeds for Jasper Bates, we scan the entire letter & #8220;B” in the index.
If an entry matching the request is found, we copy the deed and mail it to the client.
If more than one matching entry is found, we copy the index pages containing them and mail them to the client, with instructions to select one to be copied at the standard fee.
If no related entry is found, we advise the client that the index was searched, indicating the dates covered by the search.
Deeds are not always recorded in the year they are written, so a deed written in 1865 but not recorded until 1875 will not be located using this search strategy. We have no way of ascertaining whether a deed was recorded when it was written. Name of grantor is not always the expected name; some properties are sold by power of attorney, sheriff or court clerk to satisfy a legal judgment, so the deed would be indexed under the name of that person.
Please note: Archival materials are available for retrieval between the hours of 8:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. If you know you will need materials between 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, please call ahead to the Public Services section at 615-741-2764 or visit the Ask Us a Question! web page. We will do our best to accommodate your request.
What is a contribution?
“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).
What types of business entities file documents with the Secretary of State?
Corporations*
Limited Liability Companies (LLC’s)*
Limited Partnerships (LP’s)*
Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP’s)*
General Partnerships+
*All of the above business entities file formation documents.
+Filings by general partnerships are not for the purpose of forming or maintaining a general partnership in Tennessee. Document filing is for the purpose of providing public notice of basic information about a general partnership, such as the agency authority of its partners, and such filings are optional and voluntary.
“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 Library and Archives will, for a fee, search a five year date span in the indexed minutes from the County or Quarterly Court, Circuit Court, or Chancery Court. Please go to Ordering Records for instructions on ordering a court record.
The records at the Tennessee State Library and Archives are open to the public. You are welcome to come in 8:00am - 4:30pm (Central Time) Tuesday through Saturday to search the court records yourself & make your own copies for research. Please see the Tennessee State Library and Archives Visitors Page for information on directions, parking, and holiday hours.
Please note: Archival materials are available for retrieval between the hours of 8:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. If you know you will need materials between 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, please call ahead to the Public Services section at 615-741-2764 or visit the Ask Us a Question! web page. We will do our best to accommodate your request.
How do I get the books?
All special library materials--books, magazines and playback equipment--are circulated through the mail postage free. Patrons must borrow books each year to remain eligible for the service.
How do I start the service?
You must first complete an application for service and send it to the Tennessee library. All states provide the service for their residents.
How much does it cost to register a charitable organization?
The initial registration fee is $10 dollars.
How do I know what titles are available?
Bimonthly magazines will tell you about newly released books and related library services: Talking Book Topics and Braille Book Review. You may also order general catalogs. You can always call the library to ask about authors and titles. The National Library Service catalog is searchable online.
What can I do if the application for registration is denied?
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.
How do I play the talking books?
Special playback equipment is loaned to patrons who use the library service. Books and magazines in the TLABM collection are recorded at a slower speed than conventional recordings and the books require special players. Players are mailed to patrons postage free. The library repairs and replaces equipment as necessary. For patrons who wish to purchase their own equipment, a vendor list is available.
What is TSLA Record Certification?
If needed, the Library and Archives can certify a copy of a record held in our collection. There is a fee of $5.00 to certify one copy of the document, in addition to the initial search fee. If you wish for more than one copy of a record to be certified, each additional certification is $5.00.
If you think certification may be needed, please indicate this when the initial copy order is placed, as we cannot certify after-the-fact any copies that have left our facility. We cannot certify copies of items that we have not copied ourselves. If you decide at a later date that you need items certified that you have already received, we will have to charge you for the order a second time and re-copy all the materials.
The Library and Archives cannot certify electronic copies (scans) of documents.
If you pay in advance for a record search and certification and the record is not located, neither the search fee nor the certification fee are refundable. For this reason, when searching for a record that you wish to have certified, the Library and Archives suggests that you use our downloadable forms and pay by credit card. If you pay by credit card and a record is not located, then you will not be charged the additional $5.00 certification fee.
What is provided?
The library service loans recorded, large print and braille books and magazines, music scores in large print and braille and special playback equipment. The TLABM book collection of over 50,000 titles includes popular fiction and nonfiction, best sellers, classics, history, biographies, religious literature, children's books and books in foreign language. There are over 70 popular magazines available. Go to Available Materials to find out more.
Does it matter which officers sign the Charitable Organization registration form?
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
How do I get a 501(c)(3) letter?
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.
What charitable organizations are exempt from registration?
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.