Columbus professional fundraiser bonds.
$100 flat.
The City of Columbus requires a $5,000 bond from professional fundraisers who solicit charitable contributions in the city. The price you see is the checkout price — $100 flat — and the application collects no credit information.
Trusted by industry leaders
Three steps. One sitting.
License bonds are the simplest thing in surety. Here's the entire process:
Apply online
Business details and an effective date. That's the application — no financials, no credit section, no follow-up scavenger hunt.
Pay & e-sign
License bonds like this are among the thousands of bond types that issue right after purchase. At most, 1–2 business days.
File with the City of Columbus
Your executed bond arrives by email, ready to file with your Columbus professional fundraiser registration. Wet-ink original mailed on request.
What it is and who needs it.
What the bond actually guarantees
A professional fundraiser (or paid solicitor) raises charitable contributions on behalf of others. The City of Columbus requires these solicitors to register with the city and conditions that registration on a $5,000 surety bond running to the City of Columbus.
It's a three-party arrangement: you (the principal), the surety carrier, and the City of Columbus (the obligee), with donors and the charities you raise for as the protected parties. The bond is a consumer-protection guarantee — if you mishandle solicited funds or violate the city's fundraising rules, harmed parties can recover against the bond.
It is not insurance for you. If the surety pays a claim, you repay the surety. Honest fundraisers treat the $5,000 bond as a registration formality. We track the term and notify you 60 and 30 days out.
You need this bond if you are
One application, issued instantly.
These are the actual issuing fields — no credit section, because this bond doesn't have one.
Start the application →Common questions.
Other Ohio bonds.
Register to fundraise in Columbus today.
$100 flat, no credit review, bond often issued in the same sitting. Free until issued.