If your nonprofit raises money in Hawaii, it is now subject to a new "good standing" requirement for charities that use online fundraising platforms. Importantly, there is an amnesty window for delinquent organizations to fix their status, but it closes on August 31, 2026 – just 12 days from now. Nonprofits that don't act in time risk losing access to online fundraising, certainly from donors in Hawaii but potentially everywhere in the United States.

Here's what's happening, why it matters and what to do before the amnesty window closes.

What's happening in Hawaii

According to nonprofit law firm Perlman & Perlman:

The State of Hawaii, Department of the Attorney General, issued a news release on June 30th announcing a 60-day amnesty period for delinquent charitable organizations to return to “good standing.” During the amnesty period, which runs through August 31, 2026, eligible charitable organizations may correct overdue filings, pay required registration or filing fees, and complete other outstanding compliance requirements. Organizations that meet the requirements during the amnesty period may receive a waiver of applicable late fees and penalties.

The Hawaii AG’s Charities Division website FAQ includes the following question: “Is there a list of charities in good standing?” The answer states, “For the purposes of compliance with HRS 467B-2.3 (charitable fundraising platforms) and 467B-2.7 (platform charities), a charity is in good standing with our office if it has an active registration or an active exemption on file.  A list of these organizations can be found here.”  

While the news release does not directly address a connection between this amnesty period and the new law governing charitable fundraising platforms and platform charities, which took effect on July 1, 2026, the amnesty period appears to be related to that law. The new law requires charitable fundraising platforms and platform charities to register and comply with additional requirements, including facilitating or enabling only online solicitations and donations (including grants received through a platform charity) for charities in good standing. Under the new law, delinquent charities that are not in good standing will be unable to receive online donations from individuals in Hawaii through fundraising platforms or platform charities.

Read this article for additional information on Hawaii’s new law governing charitable fundraising platforms and platform charities.

What should my organization do now?

• If your organization has registered or filed for exemption from registration in Hawaii, but you are not sure if your registration/exemption status is in good standing, you can check in Hawaii’s searchable online registry.
• If your organization’s Hawaii registration status is deficient, and/or if you have received a notice of suspension from Hawaii, take all steps necessary to address the deficiencies and get back into good standing before August 31, 2026.
• If your organization is currently not registered in Hawaii and would like to speak with an attorney to discuss whether such registration is required or warranted, please contact us, and we would be happy to speak with you.

The information above is reproduced here with permission from Perlman & Perlman. The original version of this blog post is found at Hawaii Attorney General Announces a 60-Day Amnesty Period for Delinquent Charities.

Why the amnesty period matters more than it might seem

With only 12 days left before it closes, two reasons stand out.

First, state registration backlogs move slowly. Filing a correction doesn't mean your status updates overnight. When fundraising platforms check Hawaii's registry after August 31, if they find your organization listed as delinquent, they must disable your organization’s pages. The law gives platforms no discretion to make exceptions while your paperwork is in process.

Second, the penalty waiver only applies to organizations that come into compliance during the amnesty period itself. Once the window closes, any outstanding late fees and penalties are back on the table, in addition to the loss of access to online fundraising tools.

The bottom line: check your nonprofit's Hawaii registration or exemption today, especially if there's any chance it has lapsed. With 12 days left in the amnesty period, there's no room left for "next week."

Getting ahead of this now matters more than the size of the affected donor pool might suggest. Like many fundraising platforms, Give Lively does not currently geo-locate donors, meaning we won't detect and block the donations coming only from Hawaii residents. When a nonprofit is delinquent under Hawaii's law, its fundraising pages have to be disabled for all donors everywhere, not just those based in Hawaii. A registration lapse in one state effectively shuts down a nonprofit's fundraising nationwide.

California did it first – and Hawaii may not be the last

If Hawaii’s legal steps feel familiar, they are. Hawaii's law follows "good standing" requirements for charitable fundraising platforms first used by California.

California's Assembly Bill 488 requires platforms like Give Lively to disable the fundraising pages of nonprofits identified as delinquent by the California Attorney General's Office, and to do so for any nonprofit registered in California, whether or not it's headquartered there.

As we wrote when the law was first implemented, the rollout was rocky. California took time to publish finalized implementing rules, gave platforms and nonprofits little runway to prepare and moved slowly to update delinquency records even after nonprofits fixed underlying problems. Many organizations ended up flagged for simple clerical issues, like a returned piece of mail, and then waited weeks or months for California to reflect their corrected status. Read the full account here: California's frustrating shakeup of online fundraising.

The mechanics are worth understanding because Hawaii's law works on the same basic logic. A government agency maintains a list. A fundraising platform is legally required to check that list and restrict access accordingly. The platform has no authority to grant exceptions, extend deadlines or expedite an agency's internal review, no matter how minor the underlying issue turns out to be.

We've laid out how this works for Give Lively members facing delinquency through the California Attorney General’s Office, the California Franchise Tax Board and Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including grace periods, what triggers a warning versus the disabling of a fundraising page and what to do if your status changes. Everything in that guide about checking your status early, keeping registrations current and acting the moment you receive a warning applies equally to Hawaii's new requirements.

What to do right now

Don't wait for a warning notification to learn your organization has a problem. With 12 days left in the amnesty period, take these steps before August 31:

• Check your Hawaii status. Use Hawaii's searchable online registry to confirm whether your organization has an active registration or an active exemption on file.
• Fix any deficiencies immediately. If your registration has lapsed or you've received a suspension notice, submit the required filings and fees now. The amnesty period's fee and penalty waiver only applies to corrections made before it ends.
• Confirm your standing everywhere you fundraise, not just in your home state. If your nonprofit solicits donations from Hawaii residents online, this law applies to you even if you're headquartered elsewhere, the same way California's law reached far beyond its borders.
• Talk to a professional if you're unsure. If you don't know whether Hawaii registration applies to your organization, consult a nonprofit attorney.
• Don't assume a fix is instant. Even after you submit corrections, it takes time for state agencies to update their records. Build in a buffer instead of filing at the last possible moment.

The pattern to watch

It is possible that Hawaii and California won’t be the only states to tighten good standing requirements for online charitable fundraising. If more states adopt similar laws, the safest posture for any nonprofit is the same one we recommended during California's rollout: know your registration status in every state where you fundraise, keep filings current before a deadline forces the issue and treat compliance as an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-time task.

Give Lively has no influence over any Attorney General's office. We're required to follow the law exactly as it's written, and we will. The organizations that come through changes like this unaffected are the ones that check their status before a deadline arrives.

If your Hawaii registration needs attention, start today and act before the amnesty period ends on August 31, 2026.