The first step in forming a 501(c)(3) charity in Florida is to file your Articles of Incorporation. This tutorial will help you through the nine procedures necessary to submit the Articles of Incorporation and formally establish a nonprofit in Florida.
You must submit the Not for Profit Articles of Incorporation in Florida to form a domestic nonprofit company. This tutorial covers every step you need to take to properly complete this paperwork and get started on the path to founding a Florida charity.
The first step in completing the Florida Not for Profit Articles of Incorporation is to provide the name of your organisation in article one of the paperwork. If you haven’t yet decided on a name for your charity, these are the prerequisites for naming a nonprofit in Florida:
You may register for a trademark for your organisation after you have confirmed that no one else has previously trademarked your selected name.
Enter the street address of your nonprofit’s main office in article two. If your organization’s postal address differs from its street address, provide it as well.
Describe your nonprofit’s organisational mission in article three of the formation document. To be qualified for 501(c)(3) status, its objective must incorporate one or more of the following characteristics:
Describe how your organisation will elect and select its board of directors in article four.
In Florida, you must list at least three board directors on your Articles of Incorporation, along with their postal addresses. Follow these guidelines while creating your nonprofit’s inaugural board of directors:
In Florida, the Articles of Incorporation must be filed with a registered agent. This position may be filled by either a person or a company. A registered agent’s duties include receiving and sending service of process paperwork for the company as well as acting as the entity’s point of contact.
Your non-profit organisation cannot act as its own registered agent.
Article six requires you to submit the name and street address of your selected registered agent.
Before you submit this formation paperwork with the state, your registered agent must sign it either physically or electronically.
The incorporator must sign the formation instrument and indicate their postal address in article seven.
To qualify for 501(c)(3) status, you must incorporate certain extra provisions in your Articles of Incorporation regarding asset distribution upon 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.
In Florida, you may submit your Articles of Incorporation online or by mail.
