South Carolina § 33-56-120 - Misrepresentations prohibited.

§ 33-56-120. Misrepresentations prohibited.

(A) In connection with the solicitation of contributions or the sale of goods or services for charitable purposes, a person shall not misrepresent or mislead, knowingly and wilfully, a person by any manner, means, practice, or device.

(B) A charitable organization, professional fundraising counsel, or professional solicitor shall not use or exploit the fact of registration so as to lead the public to believe that the registration in any way constitutes an endorsement or approval by the State. However, the use of the following statement is not considered a prohibited exploitation: "Registered with the Secretary of State as required by law". Registration does not imply endorsement of a public solicitation for contributions.

(C) In connection with the solicitation of contributions or the sale of goods or services for charitable purposes, a person shall not represent to or mislead a person by any manner, means, practice, or device to believe that another person sponsors or endorses the solicitation of contributions, sale of goods or services for charitable purposes, or approves of the charitable purposes or a charitable organization connected with it when the other person has not given written consent to the use of his name for these purposes. A member of the board of directors or trustees of a charitable organization or another person who has agreed either to serve or to participate in a voluntary capacity in the campaign is considered to have given his consent to the use of his name in the campaign.

(D) A person shall not make any representation that he is soliciting contributions for or on behalf of a charitable organization or shall not use or display any emblem, device, or printed matter belonging to or associated with a charitable organization for the purpose of soliciting or inducing contributions from the public without first being authorized to do so by the charitable organization.

(E) For the purpose of soliciting contributions from a person in this State, a person shall not use the name of another person except that of an officer, a director, or a trustee of the charitable organization by or for which contributions are solicited, without the written consent of the other person. A person is considered to have used the name of another person for the purpose of soliciting contributions if the latter person's name is listed on any stationery, advertisement, brochure, or correspondence in or by which a contribution is solicited by or on behalf of a charitable organization or if his name is listed or referred to in connection with a request for a contribution as one who has contributed to, sponsored, or endorsed the charitable organization or its activities.

(F) Nothing contained in subsection (E) prevents the publication of names of contributors, without their written consent, in an annual or other periodic report issued by a charitable organization for the purpose of reporting on its operations and affairs to its membership or for the purpose of reporting contributions to contributors.

(G) A person shall not knowingly or wilfully use a misleading practice or device to solicit the contribution or sale of goods or services for a charitable purpose in connection with a declared state of emergency or disaster as described in Section 39-5-147. Penalties provided in this chapter are cumulative of and in addition to those provided in Section 39-5-147.

HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 461, SECTION 1; 1996 Act No. 458, Part II, SECTION 28M; 1998 Act No. 368, SECTION 14; 2000 Act No. 336, SECTION 1; 2002 Act No. 339, SECTION 20; 2014 Act No. 135 (H.3367), SECTION 5, eff March 13, 2014.

Effect of Amendment

2014 Act No. 135, SECTION 5, in subsection (A), substituted "or the sale of goods or services for charitable purposes" for "for or the sale of goods or services".