§13A-9-70. Definitions.

The following words and phrases as used in this article shall have the following meanings unless a different meaning is required by the context:

(1) CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION. Any benevolent, philanthropic, or patriotic person, or one purporting to be such, consistent with the then-controlling definition provided in the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of America, which solicits and collects funds for charitable purposes and includes each local, county, or area division within this state of the charitable organization; provided the local, county, or area division has authority and discretion to disburse funds or property otherwise than by transfer to any parent organization.

(2) CHARITABLE PURPOSE. Any charitable, benevolent, philanthropic, or patriotic purpose which is consistent with the then-controlling definition provided in the Internal Revenue Code of the United States of America.

(3) CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. Any charitable organization exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code that is organized to protect the rights of persons against deprivation, discrimination, or denial of their right to equal protection of the laws under the Constitution of the United States of America because of color, race, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.

(4) COMMERCIAL CO-VENTURER. Any person who for profit or other commercial consideration, conducts, promotes, underwrites, arranges, or sponsors a sale, performance, or event of any kind which is advertised, and which will benefit, to any extent, a charitable or religious organization. However, any such person who will benefit in good will only, is not a commercial co-venturer if the collection and distribution of the proceeds of the sale, performance, or event are supervised and controlled by the benefiting charitable or religious organization.

(5) CONTRIBUTION. The promise or grant of any money or property of any kind or value, including the promise to pay, except payments by members of an organization for membership fees, dues, fines, or assessments, or for services rendered to individual members, if membership in the organization confers a bona fide right, privilege, professional standing, honor, or other direct benefit, other than the right to vote, elect officers, or hold offices, and except money or property received from any governmental authority. Reference to the dollar amount of "contributions" in this article means in the case of promises to pay, or payments for merchandise or rights of any other description, the value of the total amount promised to be paid for the merchandise or rights and not merely that portion of the purchase price to be applied to a charitable purpose.

(6) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. A school, college, or other institution which has a defined curriculum, student body, and faculty and which conducts classes on a regular basis.

(7) PERSON. Any individual, organization, group, association, partnership, corporation, trust, or any combination of them.

(8) POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. A party, committee, association, fund, or other organization, whether or not incorporated, which is organized and operated primarily for the purpose of directly or indirectly accepting contributions or making expenditures, or both, for an exempt function pursuant to 26 U.S.C. §527.

(9) PROFESSIONAL FUND RAISER. Any person who for compensation or other consideration plans, conducts, manages, or carries on any drive or campaign in this state for the purpose of soliciting contributions for or on behalf of any charitable organization or any other person, or who engages in the business of, or holds himself or herself out to persons in this state as independently engaged in the business of soliciting contributions for such purposes. A bona fide officer or employee of a charitable organization is not a professional fund raiser unless his or her salary or other compensation is computed on the basis of funds to be raised, or actually raised. This section shall not apply to persons who solicit political campaign contributions on behalf of candidates for public office or initiatives on a ballot.

(10) PROFESSIONAL SOLICITOR. Any person who is employed or retained for compensation by a professional fund raiser to solicit contributions for charitable purposes in this state.

(11) RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION. Any society, sect, persuasion, mission, church, parish, congregation, temple, convention, or association of any of the foregoing, diocese or presbytery, or other organization, whether or not incorporated, or any employee thereof, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private party or individual associated with such an organization and that otherwise qualifies as an exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of Title 26, United States Code, as amended.

(Acts 1987, No. 87-605, p. 1052, §1; Acts 1996, No. 96-547, p. 786, §1.)