Basic Steps for Starting a California Nonprofit

	Step	Agency	Fee
1	Check name availability	Secretary of State	n/a
2	Reserve corporate name	Secretary of State OR In person at any office of the Secretary of State	$10 mail in $20 in person
3	Prepare Articles of Incorporation	Secretary of State Public benefit nonprofit corp form	n/a
4	File Articles of Incorporation	Secretary of State By mail to Secretary of State OR In person at Sacramento or LA offices	$30 mail in $30 + $15 fee in person
5	Apply for EIN	IRS Form SS-4	n/a
6	Generate Bylaws	The bylaws lay out the operating rules for your nonprofit. Issues to address include: purposes, number of directors (variable recommended), terms of office, meeting schedule, fiscal year, etc.	n/a
7	File Statement of Information	Secretary of State Online OR Mail	$20
8	Prepare State Exemption Application	Franchise Tax Board Form 3500	$25
9	Generate IRS Exemption Application	Internal Revenue Service Form 2023 EZ	$400
10	Register with Registry of Charitable Trusts	Attorney General	$25
11	Understand and comply	Attorney General California Nonprofit Integrity Act of 2004	n/a

Source: Nonprofit Resource Center