The first step in forming a 501(c)(3) charity in Illinois is to file your Articles of Incorporation. This article will help you through the seven procedures necessary to submit the Articles of Incorporation in Illinois and formally create a nonprofit.

In order to incorporate a domestic nonprofit organisation in Illinois, you must first submit the Articles of Incorporation (General Not for Profit Corporation Act). This tutorial covers every step you need to take to properly complete this paperwork and get started on the path to founding an Illinois charity.

Step 1: List the Name of Your Nonprofit

Step 2: Select a Registered Agent

The first step in completing the Illinois Articles of Incorporation is to enter the name of your organisation. If you haven’t yet decided on a name for your organisation, these are the prerequisites for naming a nonprofit in Illinois:

You may register for a trademark for your organisation after you have confirmed that no one else has previously trademarked your selected name.

In Illinois, the Articles of Incorporation must be filed with a registered agent. This job may be filled by an Illinois person or a domestic or international organisation authorised to operate as a registered agent. 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 company cannot act as its own registered agent.

This section’s requirements include:

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In article three, include the entire number of directors on your nonprofit’s original board of directors, along with their names and addresses. Your organisation must have at least three directors in order to qualify for 501(c)(3) status.

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Follow these guidelines while creating your nonprofit’s inaugural board of directors:

Describe the mission of your organisation in article four. For your organisation to be qualified for 501(c)(3) status, it must have one or more of the following characteristics:

To qualify for 501(c)(3) status, you must include certain extra provisions in your Articles of Incorporation regarding the disposition of your nonprofit’s assets upon dissolution.

Here is what you need to know in order to properly share this information:

Describe how your nonprofit corporation’s assets will be dispersed upon dissolution on a piece of paper the same size as your Articles of Incorporation.

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.

Any individual who takes part in the completion and filing of the Articles of Incorporation is considered an incorporator. On this formation paper, incorporators must sign and specify their postal address.

Note: If a corporation serves as an incorporator, the name of the company as well as the state of incorporation must be provided, and the document must be signed by a lawfully authorised corporate official.

In Illinois, you may submit your Articles of Incorporation online or by mail.

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