Nonprofit organisations in North Carolina will almost certainly need to designate and have a registered agent.
A registered agent receives any official documents from the State of North Carolina, as well as any service of process that may be served on a firm in a lawsuit.
A registered agent is a professional who will represent your organisation to the North Carolina Secretary of State while you do business. Registered agents are sometimes known as resident agents, statutory agents, or service of process agents in certain jurisdictions.
Typically, your registered agent will receive mail on your behalf, such as compliance information and tax notices. Registered agents are also in charge of receiving process paperwork. This simply implies that your registered agent will receive court summons and paperwork on your nonprofit’s behalf if it is sued.
The following are the criteria for registered agents in North Carolina:
As long as they complete the qualifications outlined above, anybody may act as your nonprofit’s registered agent. You may choose to be your nonprofit’s registered agent, or you can designate a member of your board of directors or a trustworthy friend.
If you decide to serve as your organization’s registered agent, you must grasp the significance of this role. If you miss a filing date or misplace a document, your nonprofit’s compliance status may be jeopardised, and the Secretary of State may revoke your nonprofit’s corporate registration.
Many organisations and other companies engage a professional registered agent service to guarantee that their company is always in compliance.
Before you choose a North Carolina registered agent firm, think about the benefits and drawbacks of this technique.
There are various reasons why you should consider employing a registered agent service for your nonprofit organisation. This strategy, in particular, can:
The sole downside of using a registered agent service is that it is expensive, while you may serve as your own registered agent for free.
While employing a professional registered agent service is a good idea for many reasons, in other cases it is required. If you answered “yes” to any of the following questions, your organisation should use a registered agent service.
When you submit your North Carolina nonprofit’s Articles of Incorporation, you must name a registered agent. In North Carolina, the fundamental nonprofit creation document is the Articles of Incorporation.
Online Nomination of a Registered Agent North Carolina provides two online filing alternatives for Articles of Incorporation. You may utilise the state’s company creation wizard or fill out a PDF form and submit it to the Secretary of State’s website.
Both alternatives are accessible on the North Carolina Secretary of State’s website, as is the $60 filing cost. You may choose your nonprofit’s registered agent when you complete the Articles of Incorporation online.
To create your North Carolina nonprofit by mail or in person, download Form N-01 – Articles of Incorporation, complete it completely, and return it to the North Carolina Secretary of State along with the $60 filing fee. Sections 3 and 4 will include the name and contact information for your registered agent.
Simply fill out Form BE-06 – Statement of Change of Registered Agent and send it to the North Carolina Secretary of State along with the $5 filing fee to legally change your North Carolina nonprofit’s registered agent.
When you work at a charity, you have more essential things to worry about than monitoring the mail, submitting legal paperwork, and remembering compliance deadlines. A registered agent can help you with that. When you engage a professional registered agent service, you can put these responsibilities in their skilled hands and completely concentrate on what is most important to your firm.