225 ILCS 460/11

(225 ILCS 460/11) (from Ch. 23, par. 5111)

Sec. 11. (a) No person shall for the purpose of soliciting contributions from persons in this State, use the name of any other person, except that of an officer, director or trustee of the charitable organization by or for which contributions are solicited, without the written consent of such other persons.

(b) A person shall be deemed to have used the name of another person for the purpose of soliciting contributions if such 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 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.

(c) Nothing contained in this Section shall prevent the publication of names of contributors without their written consents, 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.

(d) No charitable organization or professional fund raiser soliciting contributions shall use a name, symbol, or statement so closely related or similar to that used by another charitable organization or governmental agency that the use thereof would tend to confuse or mislead the public.

(d-1) No Public Safety Personnel Organization may by words in its name or in its solicitations claim to be representing, acting on behalf of, assisting, or affiliated with the public safety personnel of a particular municipal, regional, or other geographical area, unless: (1) 80% or more of the organization's voting members and trustees are persons who are actively employed or retired or disabled from employment within the particular municipal, regional, or other geographical area stated in the name or solicitation; (2) all of these members are vested with the right to vote in the election of the managing or controlling officers of the organization either directly or through delegates; and (3) the organization includes in any solicitation the actual number of active or retired police officers, or police officers with disabilities, peace officers, firemen, fire fighters, emergency medical technicians - ambulance, emergency medical technicians - intermediate, emergency medical technicians - paramedic, ambulance drivers, or other medical assistance or first aid personnel who are members of the organization who are actively employed, retired, or disabled from employment within the particular municipal, regional, or other geographical area referenced in the solicitation.

(d-2) No person or organization may have a name or use a name using the words "officer", "police", "policeman", "policemen", "trooper", "sheriff", "law enforcement officer", "deputy", "chief of police", or similar words therein unless 80% or more of its trustees and voting members are active or retired law enforcement personnel or law enforcement personnel with disabilities.

(d-3) No person or organization may have a name or use a name using the words "fireman", "firemen", "fire fighter", "fire chief", "paramedic", or similar words therein unless 80% or more of its trustees and voting members are active or retired fire fighters or fire fighters with disabilities, firemen, emergency medical technicians - ambulance, emergency medical technicians - intermediate, emergency medical technicians - paramedic, ambulance drivers, or other medical assistance or first aid personnel.

(d-4) No person by words in a Public Safety Personnel Organization name or in solicitations made therefor shall state he or she or his or her organization is assisting or affiliated with a local, municipal, regional, or other governmental body or geographical area unless 80% of its trustees and voting members are active or retired police officers or police officers with disabilities, law enforcement officials, firemen, fire fighters, emergency medical technicians - ambulance, emergency medical technicians - intermediate, emergency medical technicians - paramedic, ambulance drivers, or other medical assistance or first aid personnel of the local, municipal, regional, or other geographical area so named or stated. Nothing in this Act shall prohibit a Public Safety Personnel Organization from stating the actual number of members it has in any geographical area.

(e) Any person or organization that willfully violates the provisions of this Section is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any person or organization that willfully violates the provisions of this Section may in addition to other remedies be subject to a fine of $2,000 for each violation, shall be subject to forfeiture of all solicitation fees, and shall be enjoined from operating as a fund raiser and soliciting the public for fundraising purposes.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)