How To Start a Nonprofit in New Jersey

The Garden State is known for its beautiful greenery and is in fact 45% covered in forest. The other 55% of New Jersey is packed to the brim with around 30,000 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations and a higher population density than China. The state has great focus on biopharmaceuticals and technology, making it a great place for innovation and the next home for your nonprofit (NJNonprofits). To get started on your your New Jersey nonprofit, you'll first have to:

1. Choose initial directors
   • An organization must have three or more board of directors. When filing the proper forms, a physical address of each director is required. The social security number of your board members is not required.
2. Create a purpose and a mission
   • A major part of starting a nonprofit or becoming tax-exempt is your mission statement. This should include a purpose of your organization and how your business will be conducted.
3. Prepare and file your nonprofit’s Articles of Incorporation
   • Articles of Incorporation must be filed with the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue. The filing fee is $75 and can be done online or sent through the mail. When filing Articles of Incorporation, you will be required to supply your mission statement/purpose, a dissolution clause and a primary physical address. A registered agent is required and will act as the liaison between the state and your organization. The registered agent must be a resident of the state in which your organization operates (New Jersey).

A Faster, Easy Way to Start Your Nonprofit in New Jersey

Now you have your New Jersey nonprofit corporation, you can use your state information and federal EIN to open a bank account for your nonprofit. However, setting up your nonprofit in New Jersey is just part of the process of becoming a formal tax-exempt organization. The next step is to file for a federal tax exemption using either IRS form 1023 or 1023EZ.The average nonprofit takes 100+ hours of time and often several thousand dollars in professional  fees to create. In the past, you were faced with locating, understanding, and filing the forms yourself or hiring an expensive attorney who likely doesn’t specialize in nonprofits.ExemptMeNow is the only secure, fully automated, online platform for creating your New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation.