Follow these procedures to establish a charity in Alaska and get 501(c)(3) status:
Step 1: Give Your Alaska Nonprofit a Name
Step 2: Select Your Registered Agent; Step 3: Choose Your Board Members & Officers
Step 4 Adopt Bylaws and a Conflict of Interest Policy
Step 5: Submit your Articles of Incorporation.
Step 6: Obtain an EIN
Step 7: Apply for 501(c)(3) status (3)
Table of Contents
It is simple to establish a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation in Alaska.
To establish a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organisation in Alaska, you must first establish a nonprofit under Alaska law and then apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status.
Step 1: Give Your Alaska Nonprofit a Name
The first and most crucial step in establishing your nonprofit company is deciding on a name. Make sure your name meets Alaska naming regulations and is readily searchable by prospective members and contributors.
1. Follow the naming conventions:
Your organization’s name must: be distinct from other firms in Alaska.
Not imply that the nonprofit company was founded for any purpose other than those specified in the Articles of Incorporation.
Unless your charity has the necessary licence, do not use phrases like engineer (or other words with professional-licensing limitations).
Any words or phrases that might be deemed vulgar or violate local authorities or laws.
If your company is not incorporated, it cannot use terms like corporation or incorporated. If, on the other hand, your company is incorporated, the name must contain the relevant designation.
For the entire requirements on naming an Alaska-based organisation, see the Department of Commerce’s official recommendations.
2. Does the name exist in Alaska? Do a name search on the State of Alaska Website to ensure that the name you choose isn’t already used.
3. Is the URL accessible? We propose that you investigate if your company’s name is accessible as a web domain. Even if you don’t intend to create a company website right away, you may wish to purchase the URL to prevent others from doing so.
Step 2: Select an Alaska Registered Agent.
A registered agent in Alaska must be designated by your nonprofit.
What exactly is a Registered Agent? A registered agent is a person or corporate organisation that accepts vital legal papers on your behalf. Consider your registered agent to be your company’s point of contact with the state.
Who is eligible to be a Registered Agent? A registered agent must be an Alaska person or a company, such as a registered agent service, that is permitted to do business in Alaska. You may choose someone from your organisation, even yourself.
Step 3: Choose your Directors and Officers
A board of directors is made up of an organization’s directors. This board of directors is in charge of managing the nonprofit’s activities.
Officers are the president, secretary, and other members of a nonprofit who have specific roles and authority.
Your Alaska nonprofit’s organisational structure MUST include:
At least three independent directors A president A vice-president A secretary
A treasury official
Step 4 Adopt Bylaws and a Conflict of Interest Policy
Your organisation must have the following two papers in order to apply for 501(c)(3) status:
Bylaws
Policy regarding conflicts of interest
What exactly are bylaws? Bylaws are the guidelines that outline the nonprofit’s operational processes.
What is the definition of a Conflict of Interest Policy? A Conflict of Interest Policy is a set of guidelines put in place to guarantee that any decisions made by the board of directors or officials benefit the organisation rather than individual members.
NOTE: The nonprofit must adopt its bylaws and conflict of interest policy during its first organisational meeting, when the directors and officers are formally selected.
Step 5: Submit the Articles of Incorporation to the State of Alaska.
You must submit the Articles of Incorporation with the State of Alaska to register your nonprofit.
To guarantee that your organisation is qualified to qualify for 501(c)(3) status, you must expressly declare the following in the Articles of Incorporation:
1. Function:
To be eligible for 501(c)(3) status, the organization’s purpose must be expressly confined to one or more of the following:
Charitable, religious, scientific, educational, literary, and other organisations promoting national/international amateur sports competition, preventing animal/child maltreatment, and testing for public safety
2. Decomposition:
You must indicate exactly what the organization’s assets will be used for and what will happen to the assets if the organisation is disbanded.
To be qualified for 501(c)(3) status, your organization’s assets must only be utilised for purposes authorised by Section 501(c) (3).
Section 5 of this sample IRS filing offers an illustration of these 501(c)(3) eligibility conditions.
Step 6: Obtain an EIN
What exactly is an EIN? The federal government uses an Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Federal Tax Identification Number (FTIN) to identify a company organisation. It is effectively the company’s social security number.
Why do I need an EIN? An EIN is necessary for the following activities:
To establish a commercial bank account for the firm
In terms of federal and state taxation
To recruit workers for the firm
Step 7: Apply for 501(c)(3) Status Prior to applying for 501(c)(3) status, a charity must,
Elect at least three independent directors. File the Articles of Incorporation with the necessary conditions (As covered in Step 5)
Adopt the bylaws as well as the conflict of interest policy.
Do you have an EIN?
Once these four qualifications have been completed, your organisation may file Form-1023 online to petition for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
If your application is granted, the IRS will issue you a letter confirming that your organisation is tax-exempt under Section 501(c) (3).