Forming a 501c3 Nonprofit Corporation in New Jersey

A New Jersey nonprofit corporation is registered at the state level; many nonprofit organizations that want to obtain tax-exempt status go on to form a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. This step takes place at the federal level, with the IRS, and requires that certain legal language is included in the formation documents of the New Jersey nonprofit—if this information was not included at the time that the business was formed, the articles will need to be amended.

Register your New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation

In order to register a New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation at the state level, you must file Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State’s office. Once these Articles are filed, your corporation will be a legal “person.”

Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation will be similar to for-profit New Jersey Articles of Incorporation—your business name, address, and so on—but you will have no shares of stock and you will include 501c3 information, if applicable.

Any corporation, including a nonprofit corporation, should have an FEIN for accounting and identification purposes. This can be obtained from the IRS.

Applying for 501c3 Tax-Exempt Status from the IRS

In addition to your state filing information, the IRS will require a great deal of information from you, including but not limited to the following:

  • Form 1023
  • Articles of Incorporation, including specific 501c3 language
  • Three years of donation estimates
  • Detailed description of your business activities
  • Three years of expense estimates
  • Bylaws
  • Conflict of Interest form
  • Information about any organization from which you are involved in fundraising or donations
  • Depending on the amount of compensation they are to receive, a list of any independent contractors or officers
  • Copies of any leases or contracts with any of the above persons

This is only a sample of the information required by the IRS. Your requirements may vary based on your location, business purpose, and unique situation.

How Click and Inc Can Help

Your business may be required to apply for permits or licenses outside of the Articles of Incorporation and the 501c3 nonprofit status. You can either check with each level of government for their requirements, or you can take advantage of our all-in-one Business License Services to make sure you’re in compliance at all jurisdictions.

If you let Click and Inc take care of your nonprofit filings, we will include the IRS-required 501c3 nonprofit language in your Articles the first time, so you won’t have to go back and amend your Articles. If you’d like, we can even take care of the 501c3 nonprofit filing for you!

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Other Types of Businesses in New Jersey

For information on other types of businesses in New Jersey, please explore the links below.