You’re passionate, dedicated, and motivated. You want to help people. You want to give your time, money, and treasure. You want to change lives. Where do you start? To learn how to start a nonprofit Minnesota organization, your first step is to work with a non-profit attorney dedicated and experienced enough to help you. It sounds simple, but what it is, is much more. Legal formation of your organization needs to be the first step you take every time. This is all there is to help ensure that your organization gets a good start.
How to Start a Nonprofit Minnesota Organization
To start an organization, it’s important to work through the entity formation process. Being recognized in the state as a nonprofit means taking several key steps to show that you are worthy of this designation. It starts with incorporation through the Secretary of State’s Office. At this point, you’ll need to have clearly defined goals and a business plan of sorts for your organization.
From here, you’ll then need to apply for a 501 (c) income tax exemption. This is done through the IRS. Many organizations don’t recognize the importance of this step, but it is critical to ensuring your organization gets the support it needs tax wise. From here you will need to request sales tax exemption. This step is done through the Minnesota Department of Revenue.
It’s a rather complex process, no matter if you are an easy to recognize church or a harder to understand non-profit. However, you can learn how to start a nonprofit Minnesota organization that’s clearly registered and legally operating by working with your dedicated and experienced non-profit attorney. The process takes a bit of time but ensures your organization gets the footing it needs.
