Arkansas charity registration renewal

The Arkansas Secretary of State’s live Charitable Entities guidance and current May 2026 CR-03 say the charity report is due no later than 180 days after the individual organization’s fiscal-year end. Calculate that date from the actual fiscal close and confirm the exact date with the Charities Division when a weekend, short period, or other edge case matters.

Arkansas also requires a domestic nonprofit corporation annual report by August 1. That corporation filing has no fee, but it is not the charity Annual Financial Report. A fundraising organization may need both records, with different forms and deadline logic.

CR-03 asks for the organization’s legal name, EIN, Secretary of State filing number, fiscal period, financial data, and certification that the registration record remains current. It also provides sections for correcting names, addresses, solicitation names, affiliates, fiscal year, and the custodian of contributions.

• Attach Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-N when the organization is required to file it.
• Attach an independent CPA review when contributions exceeded $500,000 but did not exceed $1 million during the preceding fiscal year.
• Attach an independent CPA audit when contributions exceeded $1 million during the preceding fiscal year.
• Include new or updated contracts or relationships with fundraising counsel, paid solicitors, or commercial co-venturers.
• Complete the affirmation on the current CR-03 before sending the packet.

The initial CR-01 record includes the legal identity, tax status, governing documents, consent for service when applicable, solicitation names, fundraising relationships, and affiliates. CR-03 asks whether that information is still current. Review the original submission rather than answering from memory.

If anything changed, use the update sections and attach the supporting record. The CR-01 instructions say changed information must be updated, including relationships with fundraising counsel, paid solicitors, and commercial co-venturers. An annual report should not certify an outdated registration.

The CR-03 instructions say the Secretary of State may grant an extension for good cause for no longer than six months. Send the request to the Charities Division email and place the exact words “Annual Financial Report Extension” in the subject line.

State the organization, EIN or filing number, fiscal period, original due date, reason, requested period, and responsible contact. Save the sent email and written approval. The possibility of an extension does not move the deadline until the state grants it.

The current Arkansas form directs the organization to email the form and attachments to charities@sos.arkansas.gov and warns that incomplete submissions will not be accepted. Combine the signed CR-03, federal return, CPA review or audit when triggered, updated contracts, and supporting changes into a clearly labeled evidence set.

Retain the sent message, attachments, any acceptance response, and a later public charity-search result. If the public record does not update, contact the Charities Division with the original transmission rather than resending an untracked duplicate. Keep the corporate August 1 confirmation in a separate evidence folder.