(Amended by Ord. No. 175,060, Eff. 3/4/03.)
For the purposes of this article, the following terms are defined and shall be construed as indicated here unless it is apparent from the context that they have a different meaning:
(a) “Charitable” shall include philanthropic, social service, benevolent, patriotic, and religious, whether they are actual or purported.
(b) “Contribution” shall include food, clothing, money, property and the loan of money or property.
(c) “Department” shall mean the Police Department.
(e) “Commercial Fund-Raiser” shall mean any person who for pecuniary compensation or consideration received solicits or purports to solicit charitable contributions on behalf of any other person. Pecuniary compensation or consideration shall include, but is not limited to, participation on a percentage basis in any funds solicited or raised. No natural person who is an officer, director, or bona fide paid employee of a charitable organization that is operating in compliance with this article shall be considered a commercial fund-raiser within the meaning of this article. Nor shall any natural person who is working under the direction and control of a commercial fund-raiser be considered a commercial fund-raiser within the meaning of this article.
(f) “Solicitor” shall mean any person who for pecuniary compensation or consideration received solicits or purports to solicit charitable contributions but who is not licensed as a commercial fund-raiser; provided that no natural person who is an officer, director, or bona fide paid employee of a charitable organization that is operating in compliance with this article shall be considered a solicitor within the meaning of this article.
(g) “Solicitation” shall mean and include the following:
(1) Any oral or written request for a charitable contribution made, transmitted, or distributed by any means; and
(2) Any offer to sell any service, item, or right to attend any function or participate in any activity, which offer includes reference to any actual or purported charitable purpose or charitable organization as an inducement to purchase the service, item, or right to attend.
A solicitation shall be deemed completed when made, whether or not the person making it receives a contribution or makes a sale referred to in this article. No communication between natural persons personally known to each other shall constitute a solicitation for purposes of this article. No communication made by electronic mail shall constitute a solicitation for purposes of this article unless the person making the communication is aware that the recipient of the e-mail is located in the City of Los Angeles. No information contained on any website or presented on any television or radio broadcast that is subject to regulation by the Federal Communications Commission shall constitute a solicitation for purposes of this article. Nor shall any statement that a charitable organization is nonprofit, tax-exempt, or funded or supported by charitable contributions by itself constitute a solicitation for purposes of this article. For purposes of this article, “solicitation” shall not include any raffle within the meaning of California Penal Code Section 320.5.