The first step in forming a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Massachusetts is to file your Articles of Organization. This article will help you through the 11 steps necessary to submit the Articles of Organization in Massachusetts to formally create a nonprofit.
To establish a domestic nonprofit company in Massachusetts, the Articles of Organization must be filed. This tutorial covers every step you need to take to properly complete this paperwork and get started on the path to founding a Massachusetts charity.
Step 1: List the name of your nonprofit.
Step 2: Describe the purpose of your nonprofit.
The first step in completing the Massachusetts Articles of Group is to specify 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 Massachusetts:
You may register for a trademark for your organisation after you have confirmed that no one else has previously trademarked your selected name.
Describe the goal of founding your nonprofit company in article two. For your organisation to be qualified for 501(c)(3) status, it must have one or more of the following characteristics:
Your nonprofit company may have one or more membership classes. If your organisation will have voting members or several member classes, such information may be disclosed in article three or in your bylaws.
If you want to share such information in this formation document, be sure to include details on how your charity will elect or appoint its members, the length of their membership, and the qualifications and privileges of each member class.
If your organisation will not have any members, enter “none” in this field.
You must include some additional statements in your Articles of Organization to qualify for 501(c)(3) status. Because the Massachusetts formation agreement lacks a section on asset distribution upon dissolution, add an attachment to indicate how the assets of your nonprofit company will be allocated following dissolution.
Dissolution assets must only be distributed for authorised, tax-exempt uses. 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.
If your intended effective date is not the date of your submission, specify it in article six.
Please keep in mind that your effective date cannot be more than 30 days from the date of your filing.
Include the street address of your nonprofit’s main office in article seven. A P.O. Box cannot be included.
Massachusetts requires you to include the names and addresses of your original board of directors, which includes the elected officials listed below:
President\sTreasurer\sClerk
Indicate the month and day when your nonprofit’s fiscal (tax) year will come to a conclusion. Most organisations choose December 31, however this is not needed.
In Massachusetts, the Articles of Organization must be filed with a resident agent, also known as a registered agent in most states. This position may be filled by either a person or a corporation having a physical address in Massachusetts. A resident 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 resident agent.
This section’s requirements include:
Each of your incorporators should sign the Articles of Organization and provide their business or home address. On the last page of the paper, you must also provide contact information for your company.
You may submit your Massachusetts Articles of Organization in four ways: online, via mail, by fax, or in person.