How To Start a Nonprofit in Washington State

Did you know that Washington is the only state named after an American president? It is also home to many things such as Microsoft, Starbucks, and the oldest functioning gas station. However, the Washington state nonprofits have also had an impactful presence in the Evergreen State. According to the Washington Nonprofits public policy, nonprofits provide upwards of 236,000 jobs and leverage more than $5 billion in volunteer services every year. Check out these steps to start your Washington Nonprofit.

1. Choose initial directors
   1. When filing the proper paperwork, you are required to have a minimum of three board of directors (president, secretary, and treasurer). The name and physical address of each director are also required.
2. Appoint a registered agent
   1. A registered agent acts as the middleman between your corporation and the state/federal government. Your registered agent must be a current resident in Washington.
3. Prepare and file your nonprofit’s Articles of Incorporation
   1. Your Articles of Incorporation must be filed with the Washington Secretary of State Department. The filing fee is $30 by mail, $50 using online service, or $80 if expedited. Some basic information you will need when filling out the form are:
      1. Name of your corporation
      2. Primary physical address of your organization
      3. Mission statement
      4. Type
      5. Duration of your organization
      6. Purpose Clause
      7. Dissolution clause
      8. Names and addresses of incorporators, directors, and your registered agent

A Faster, Easy Way to Start Your Nonprofit in Washington

Now you have your Washington 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 Washington 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 1023-EZ.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 Washington Nonprofit Corporation.