How to Start a Nonprofit in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is one of a handful of states organized as commonwealth, so the formal name for the state is The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Pilgrim State is the most populous in New England, and also contains its largest city: Boston. Originally a manufacturing economy, Massachusetts has become world-renowned for biotechnology, finance, higher education, and engineering.The nonprofit sector is no less dynamic than the rest of the Massachusetts economy, generating over $118B of total revenue and employing over 455,000 people—almost 17% of the state’s workforce. (Source: Independent Sector.)Starting a nonprofit in Massachusetts is a three-step process.

1. Form your board of directors.
2. Perform a name search or reservation.
3. Create your nonprofit corporation.

Step #1: Your Massachusetts Nonprofit Board of Directors

A minimum of three people are required in Massachusetts to fill the roles of President, Treasurer, and Secretary. You won’t need to collect Social Security Numbers for your directors but you will need a valid physical address.The board of directors officially controls the nonprofit and has overall decision-making power. The board can appoint another person (or multiple people) to run the nonprofit on a day-to-day basis but this is not required to get started.Once you’ve formed your board, you can move on to the next step.

Step #2: Name Search or Reservation

One of the most common reasons for rejecting a nonprofit application is a name that is too close to the name of an existing nonprofit. You can check name availability by searching on the website of the Massachusetts Secretary of State.Although it is not strictly required, you can also reserve your name on this site. Reserving your name guarantees that it will be available when you file your nonprofit application.

Step #3: File Your Articles of Incorporation

Setting up your Massachusetts nonprofit corporation can be done either online or by paper using either the online tool of by filling out the Articles of Organization form. The cost to start a nonprofit with the Massachusetts Secretary of State is $35 at the time of writing.You will be notified of the results of your application via mail.

A Faster, Easy Way to Start Your Nonprofit in Massachusetts

Now you have your Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 Kentucky Nonprofit Corporation.