Every guide we've written for newly approved 501(c)(3)s, in one place. Start with the First 90 Days checklist if you're brand new, then come back here when a specific question comes up.
Bank account, EIN letter, your annual filing deadline, state fundraising registration, and the governance basics nobody explains up front.
What it is, which states require it (38 + DC), the 10 that don't, and how to decide whether to file it yourself or use a service.
The questions people ask most: (c)(3) vs (c)(4) vs (c)(6), paying board members, annual filing even with no money, multi-state registration.
Who qualifies, the first- and second-year threshold rules, the 8 items it asks for, the deadline, and what really happens if you miss it.
Deductibility, lobbying and political activity limits, which one most founders actually want, and how the applications differ.
What you need to open one, and an honest comparison of online, credit-union, and traditional-bank options.
Real fee structures, no invented winner, matched to what a zero-budget org actually needs first.
Enter your real donation volume and see what you'd actually keep under each platform.
Fund accounting vs a spreadsheet, when to hire a bookkeeper, and what your 990 actually needs from your books.
Employee vs contractor, what a payroll service actually handles, and the tax filings a new employer suddenly owes.
Most new orgs don't. A spreadsheet is fine at first. Here's how to tell when that changes.
General liability, D&O, and when you can skip the rest: matched to org size, not a scare-tactic checklist.
The state-by-state fundraising registration question, answered honestly instead of state-by-state upsold.
Probably not on day one. Here's when you do, and honest hosting options once you're ready.
What funders actually want to see from a brand-new org, and why most first grants come from somewhere smaller than you'd guess.
Board resolution, donation receipt, gift acknowledgment letter, and conflict-of-interest policy: free, no email required.
Start with the national step-by-step guide: the honest sequence from idea to IRS approval, with real costs. Then pick your state below for the formation filing, fees, charitable registration, and tax-exemption specifics that vary.
The full step-by-step: incorporation, board, bylaws, EIN, Form 1023, with verified IRS fees and realistic timelines.
Forming with the Secretary of State, then the AG Registry + FTB dual track every California nonprofit navigates.
Form 202 filing, and why Texas skips general charitable registration (plus what it still requires).
Sunbiz incorporation, FDACS registration, and the dual annual-report deadline trap.
Department of State forms you; the AG Charities Bureau governs your fundraising. Both explained.
The two-newspaper publication step nobody expects, BCO-10 registration, and the new annual report rule.
Form 532B filing, and the sliding-scale AG registration that doubles as your annual report.
The $20 filing, free CTS-01 registration, and automatic state income-tax exemption.
Two separate filings: Secretary of State to form, AG Charitable Trust Bureau before you fundraise.
SCC incorporation, and the generous under-$25K small-org exemption from full registration.
Corporation Commission filing, the newspaper publication quirk, and the narrowest registration rules in our set.
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