CHARITABLE OHIO

About the Charitable Law Section

Charities fulfill a critical role in Ohio, meeting needs that the market and the government cannot or will not. The attorney general has the privilege of being the state officer charged with protecting and regulating the charitable sector, a role which affords him the opportunity to support such a wonderful segment of Ohio’s civil society.

The mission of the Ohio Attorney General’s Charitable Law Section is “Thriving Charities, Safe Giving.” To fulfill that mission, we must carry out two parallel duties. First, we have a duty to the public to ensure trust in the sector through transparency and accountability. Second, we have a duty to the charitable sector itself to level the playing field for all charities by enforcing consistent standards and holding bad actors accountable.

Day to day, the Charitable Law Section carries out these duties through registration of charities, fundraisers, and professional solicitors, by investigating abuses of charitable trusts, by cooperating with local law enforcement officials to prosecute crimes against charities, by licensing and regulating charitable bingo, by providing tools for the public to research charities and their fundraisers, and by offering resources and training to charitable organizations.

In addition, the Charitable Law Section represents several administrative agencies or divisions that deal mainly with liquor and gambling: the Department of Commerce, Division of Liquor Control; the Department of Public Safety, Ohio Investigative Unit; the Liquor Control Commission; the Casino Control Commission; the Ohio Racing Commission; and the Ohio Lottery Commission.
 

Who We Are

Daniel W. Fausey
Headshot of Daniel W. Fausey
Section Chief
Thaddius A. Townsend
Headshot of Thaddius A. Townsend
Assistant Section Chief

Community Outreach

The Charitable Law Section provides many resources to assist nonprofit leaders in understanding their legal obligations. Charitable University is an online learning platform that covers many of the basics of charitable operations. In addition to online training resources, staff are also available to provide presentations about charitable matters.

Section Attorneys

Following is a list of the attorneys currently employed in the Charitable Law Section. Click an attorney's name to learn more about him or her.