A Portion of all Sales goes to Charity! Selling Your Work while Helping Worthy Causes.
Many artists would love to use their art to help bring about the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible. Donating a portion of their art sales to a worthy cause is one simple way to lend a hand. But is it really simple?
It can be.
There are a couple of key issues to keep in mind. Does the organization want your help? Let’s suppose it does. Does the government regulate sales offers promising charitable donations? Yes, most states have rules regulating these kinds of sales.
To-the-letter rule compliance can involve a lot of red tape. Fortunately, if you get a written agreement with the charity and stick to it, you might not need to deal with complicated forms and regulations. Consider this:
Pick a charity you want to support. Tell them what you’d like to do. Assuming they’re up for it, ask them to send you an agreement. If they don’t have an existing agreement, make a simple one yourself. Whether it’s their agreement or yours, at a minimum it should:
Name the charity and you or your art business entity as parties
Describe what’s being sold (e.g. all prints)
Describe how the donation amount is computed (e.g. 10% of retail price collected)
Say how long the donation period is (e.g. the month of May)
Say when the funds will be sent (e.g. within 10 days of the end of the donation period)
Promise to provide a short accounting of sales (like a royalty report)
Get the agreement signed and run the donation campaign.
What about government regulation? Technically, some states’ laws facially require you to sign up and fill out a bunch of forms to run a charitable sales promotion and failing to do so could result in a fine. But if you run a small campaign, have an agreement with the charity, honor it, and keep good records, even if you were contacted by the state–not likely to begin with–providing good records showing you ran the promotion as promised would probably be enough to satisfy the inquiry. Probably.
If you have questions, especially on this last point, read the more detailed explanation that follows:
When you advertise that the sale of your artwork, prints, or products will benefit a charity—such as saying “10% of proceeds go to Wildlife Rescue” or “100% of profits will be donated to Charity X”—you’re running what what most states call a charitable sales promotion or commercial co-venture. In legal terms, this means you are acting as a for-profit seller who promises the public that purchases will trigger a contribution to a named charitable organization. Because such promises invite the public to buy in reliance on a charitable appeal, many states regulate them to ensure honesty and follow-through. That doesn’t mean you can’t do it—it just means you need to handle the promotion transparently, have a simple written agreement with the charity, make clear disclosures to buyers, and, in some states, file a report with the relevant state authority.
These laws exist because charitable-sales promotions can be abused. When a buyer sees a message like “your purchase helps feed shelter dogs” or “all profits go to cancer research,” that statement can influence the decision to buy—essentially turning the purchase into a form of donation. States learned long ago that some companies made charitable claims but never actually sent the money, sent only a fraction of what was promised, or used vague terms like “a portion of proceeds” that meant almost anything. The commercial co-venturer rules were created to prevent that kind of consumer deception and to make sure that charities really receive the funds that buyers think they’re supporting. In short, the laws are there to keep good intentions honest and transparent.
The first key requirement is a written agreement. Whenever you run a charitable sales promotion, most states expect you and the charity to have a written agreement spelling out the basic terms of your collaboration. This doesn’t have to be long or filled with legal jargon—it can be a simple one-page document that both of you sign. The purpose is to show that the charity knows and approves of the promotion and to create a paper trail showing how the donation will be calculated and delivered. The agreement should name the charity, describe the product or collection being sold, state the start and end dates of the promotion, explain exactly how the donation is computed (for example, “$5 per print” or “10% of sales price”), and say when and how the funds will be sent. Some states also require that you promise to give the charity a short accounting at the end. Having this signed agreement also protects you by confirming that the charity has consented to the use of its name in your marketing and that everyone understands the terms before the campaign begins. Accordingly, even if your state does not explicitly require such an agreement, having one is to your advantage.
When you run the sale, you must tell buyers exactly how their purchase benefits the charity. Every place you promote the offer—your website, product page, social media post, or email—should include a short disclosure that names the charity, states the amount or percentage being donated, and gives the start and end dates of the campaign. For example: “From November 1 to December 15, 2025, I will donate $5 from each print sold to Wildlife Rescue Fund.” Avoid vague phrases like “a portion of proceeds” or “profits will go to charity,” because they don’t tell buyers what portion that really means. Clear, specific language not only builds trust but also satisfies the legal requirement to make truthful, transparent representations to the public.
After the sale ends, you must follow through on the charitable promise you made. That means calculating the total amount owed to the charity based on the formula you advertised—whether that’s a set dollar amount per item or a percentage of sales—then sending the payment within the time stated in your agreement. You should also give the charity a short written accounting showing how you arrived at the total, including the number of units sold and the total donation amount. Keep copies of your records, receipts, and correspondence for at least three years. Finally, it’s good practice to close the loop publicly—thank your buyers and, if you wish, share the total donated—so the campaign ends with transparency and goodwill.
You may also have an obligation to file a results report with one or more state regulators in addition to providing the donation to the charity. In many states the law requires you (as the commercial co-venturer) or the charity to submit a closing statement or joint financial report showing the number of items sold, gross receipts, total donation amount, and other summary data. Failing to file can potentially result in civil fines, e.g., $1000 levied by the state attorney general.
In practice, however, regulators use discretion. Attorneys general do not typically spend resources prosecuting small, transparent campaigns that honored their promises — especially when the amount is nominal (e.g., $300). When small sellers are contacted, the agency usually just asks for a copy of the written agreement, proof the charity received the funds, and assurance that future promotions will comply. Often the matter ends there with a “no further action” letter.
So, in small dollar situations there’s a kind of risk-benefit you might engage in. It may feel disproportionate to spend more time and money filling out forms than you actually raised for the cause. Some people take a practical approach. They turn over the money right away, keep good records, and take the position (and small risk) of waiting to respond to regulatory inquiries if any.