Tennessee Urges Donors to Verify Charities

The Secretary of State's office is encouraging residents to check charities before giving during Charity Fraud Awareness Week.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Philanthropy

Bold flat-color vector editorial illustration of a plain sealed donation box with a keyhole lock on a cream surface, conveying charity verification. — Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett urged residents to verify charities through the state's website before donating during Charity Fraud Awareness Week. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett urged residents to verify charities before donating during Charity Fraud Awareness Week. The Secretary of State's Division of Business and Charitable Organizations offers resources to help residents avoid fraudulent fundraising.

Why it matters

Fraudulent fundraising requests can put donors' money at risk, and the state is directing residents to official tools for checking a charity before giving in Tennessee. Verifying a request before paying helps protect household donations.

Residents can obtain charity information by calling 615-741-2555, and the state investigations tip line for charity fraud is 1-800-861-7393. Charity fraud reports can also be emailed to charitable.solicitations@tnsos.gov.

The players

Tre Hargett

Tre Hargett is the Tennessee Secretary of State, whose office oversees charity registration and consumer protection for the state.

Tennessee Secretary of State's Division of Business and Charitable Organizations

This state division provides resources to help Tennessee residents avoid fraudulent fundraising and handles charity-related oversight.

The details

Donors can look up a charity through the Secretary of State's website at sos.tn.gov/charities or by phone, checking its exact name. Donation requests received by text, email, or social media should be verified by contacting the charity directly, and donors can ask how much of a donation goes to the charity when a paid fundraiser makes contact.

November 4, 2026: Secretary of State issued the charity fraud warning during Charity Fraud Awareness Week.

Season Trajectory

Charity Fraud Awareness Week is an annual campaign that brings attention to fraudulent fundraising each year. Tennessee's warning applies that national focus to residents' giving through the Secretary of State's verification tools.

Before donating, residents can look up a charity at sos.tn.gov/charities or by calling 615-741-2555 to confirm its exact name. Paying by check or credit card provides a transaction record of the gift.

The takeaway

Verifying a charity's exact name and contacting it directly before responding to a donation request can help donors keep their money with legitimate organizations. Donors can report suspected fraud to the state investigations tip line at 1-800-861-7393.