CALIFORNIA NON PROFIT

California nonprofit corporation guidelines

How to form a California non profit corporation:

You draft and submit Articles of Incorporation in duplicate, with the filing fee to the document filing support unit. You have to either mail them in or deliver them in person. You can use our sample articles below.

What are the filing fees for a California nonprofit corporation?

The filing fee for CA Articles of Incorporation – Nonprofit is $30. California takes checks or money orders by mail and also credit cards if you walk it in.

How long does it take to form a California nonprofit organization?

California Secretary of State takes about two months to process your incorporation request. If you walk it in with an additional $350, they will complete it in 24 hours.

What types of endings are allowed when naming a California non profit organization?

The name of the CA non profit corporation needs to have one of the following business ending words; “Incorporated,” “Company,” “Corporation,” “Limited,” “Inc,” “Co,” “Corp” or “Ltd.”

How many directors are required in California?

California Nonprofit Corporation Code says that you shall have a board of directors, but doesn’t mention how many. The board of directors agrees to bylaws and manages the non profits activities by majority vote; which implies at least three. The bylaws can set up any number of directors, and they are not filed with the state.

How many incorporators do I need on my Articles of Incorporation in California?

You need one or more persons as incorporators in California.

Does California need a principle office and mailing address listed on the articles?

No.

Do I have to be specific about the purpose of a California nonprofit corporation?

California allows a general non profit clause for the mutual benefit and religious non profits. The public benefit nonprofit articles must have a description of its purpose.

Are you required to list the officers and directors in California?

No!! If you list directors, all directors have to sign. If you list multiple incorporators, they all have to sign.

Are there annual report requirements to keep my California nonprofit organization active?

File a Statement of Information, Form SI-100 within 90 days after filing your non profit articles, and then biennially after that with a $20 filing fee. The CA Statement of Information form will be mailed to you after your CA nonprofit is filed.

California charities have to submit their Annual Registration Renewal Fee Report by April 15th every year. It can cost from $0 to $300. That all depends on your revenue for the year.

In addition, non profits with gross receipts of less than $25,000 have to file for FTB 199N with the California Franchise Tax Board by May 15th each year. If gross receipts exceed $25,000, use form FTB 199.