Where can I find examples of articles of incorporation for nonprofits?

Sample articles of incorporation are usually difficult to find, via print or the Internet, because they are typically very specific to the individual organization and its mission.

• IRS Publication 557 has an example of articles of incorporation on page 20.

• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (http://www.mncn.org/doc/MCN%20Articles.pdf) has a template for nonprofit articles of incorporation.

• California Crime Stoppers (http://www.c-s-i.org/calif.pdf) has sample template nonprofit articles of incorporation on pages 6 through 10 of this PDF file.

• The Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits (http://www.mapnp.org/library/legal/articles.htm) from Minnesota offers this sample template article of incorporation on its site.

• The RECA Foundation (http://www.recafoundation.org/articles.htm), a nonprofit from Washington state, has posted a template article of incorporation on its site.

• WorldLawDirect.com (http://www.worldlawdirect.com/article.php/814) has a template sample form available on its site.

• The Arizona Corporation Commission (http://www.cc.state.az.us/corp/filings/forms/cf0041.pdf) has instructions for nonprofit articles of incorporation in the state of Arizona available in PDF format.

• You can also try a number of Internet search engines such as Google using the keywords "sample nonprofit articles of incorporation".

Keep in mind that sample articles of incorporation are specific to the organization involved and the state in which it is located. Your situation may differ.

The following print resources contain additional information on sample articles of incorporation:

• Clow, Faye and Daniel G. Zack (eds.) Forming and Funding Public Library Foundations. Chicago, IL: Public Library Association. 1993. Includes sample articles of incorporation and sample bylaws.

• Adler, Betsy Buchalter. The Rules of the Road: A Guide to the Law of Charities in the United States. Washington, DC: Council on Foundations. 1999. For both a domestic and international audience, explains the U.S. laws as they pertain to charities. Defines "charity" and describes the tax benefits of the charitable status; various categories of public charities; certain regulations of private foundations; issues related to lobbying and advocacy; foreign charitable activity; governance and accountability; and commercial activities. Appendices provide samples of articles of incorporation and the foreign equivalence affidavit as well as the IRS Forms 5768, 990, 990-PF, and 1023.

For other books and articles with sample articles of incorporation, try searching our Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (CNL), the Center's bibliographic database. You could begin by searching on the term "articles of incorporation & sample*" in the keyword field (with the ampersand and asterisk but without the quotation marks).

Many of the books and articles found through CNL can be located in Center Libraries and some Cooperating Collections. It is best to call ahead to verify a specific library's holdings.

To learn more about articles of incorporation, attend our Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits, a free one and a half-hour class.

Can't find the answer you're looking for in our FAQs? Ask our Online Librarian.