The first step in forming a 501(c)(3) charity in California is to file your Articles of Incorporation. This tutorial will help you through the seven procedures necessary to submit the Articles of Incorporation in California and formally create a charity.
You must submit the state’s Articles of Incorporation of a Nonprofit Public Benefit Company to form a domestic nonprofit corporation in California. This tutorial covers every step you need to take to properly complete this paperwork and get started on the path to founding a California charity.
Optional: Include the following information if you wish to include the state’s Mail Submission Cover Sheet with your Articles of Incorporation:
The first step in completing the California Articles of Incorporation is to provide the name of your organisation in article one of the document. If you haven’t yet decided on a name for your charity, these are the prerequisites for naming a nonprofit in California:
You may register for a trademark for your organisation after you have confirmed that no one else has previously trademarked your selected name.
When providing your organization’s street address in article 2a, please adhere to the following requirements:
In California, the Articles of Incorporation must be filed with an Agent for Service of Process. This position may be filled by either an individual agent or a registered corporate agent. An agent for service of process’s duties include receiving and transmitting service of process paperwork for the company as well as acting as the organization’s point of contact.
Individual Agent — This is a California citizen having a physical street address in the state. You may choose an officer or director as your agent for process service. The following are the filing requirements for this sort of agent:
In article 4a, check the relevant box to indicate whether you want to create your nonprofit company for “public” or “charitable” reasons. If you choose “public” or plan to seek for 501(c)(3) status, you must specify a purpose in article 4b.
If you tick the “charitable” purposes box, it is optional to provide a particular purpose in article 4b.
To be qualified for 501(c)(3) status, your organization’s mission must incorporate one or more of the following characteristics:
You must incorporate certain extra declarations in your Articles of Incorporation to qualify for 501(c)(3) status. These pertain to the board of directors of your organisation and the allocation of assets following dissolution.
Here is what you need to know in order to properly share this information:
To qualify for 501(c)(3) status, your organisation must only disperse its assets to recognised, tax-exempt causes upon dissolution. Refer to the sixth section of the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS’) proposed wording for corporations and organisations for further information on the requirements of dissolution and 501(c)(3) status.
Each incorporator must sign the Articles of Incorporation and indicate their postal address. The following are the requirements for these signatures:
In California, you may submit your nonprofit Articles of Incorporation online, via mail, or in person.
Please keep in mind that California has eliminated nonprofit formation costs from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.