East Bay Business Daily

Are 501c3 Articles of Incorporation open to the public?

My boss wants me to find examples of articles of incorporation for a 501c3 in a caregivers field. Where can I find articles of incorporation? Are they available to the public? Is there a place to find them on line? If I contacted an association would they give them to me or is it private?

Public Comments

1. http://www.kidsinthemiddle.org/ This site posts annual reports/financials. I am familiar with the director. You can perhaps contact them and ask for a copy. Normally they are not posted, but agencies should not hesitate sharing. You will have to search each agency...nothing is "posted" in one place. If you do a google you can get info on writing one, and examples. So, it's not private, but since many compete for funding from the same grants, they may see you as competition and not share. Good luck! (psychologist)
2. Most organizations would be happy to share such. Also, use Google -- all sorts of nonprofit organizations share their articles of incorporation, bylaws, etc. freely online.
3. You can find sample articles of incorporation online. Most of the states have an official website for their Secretary of State or corporations division. Their sites will have a page (or link to a page, pdf, etc.) with their approved blank forms for filing. For example, the Nevada Secretary of State's webpage with their approved form for filing a non-profit corporation is here: http://secretaryofstate.biz/business/forms/all.asp#corporations That being said, realize that corporations are filed with a state - not federal - government agency. The non-profit corporation is a "state-created" entity. On the other hand, "501(c)(3)" is an IRS (federal) tax-exempt status that is applied to your state-chartered non-profit corporation. Your non-profit corporation applies to the IRS for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. This is different from the non-profit articles of incorporation. I have researched this extensively and put up a list, state by state, with the specific link to the page where their approved articles of incorporation forms can be found and in many cases downloaded or filed online. I have provided the link to that webpage in the source box below. I hope this is help to you.