Starting a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Vermont is easy — and the first task is filing your Articles of Incorporation. This guide will walk you through the 10 steps required to file the Articles of Incorporation to officially start a nonprofit in Vermont.
Start your business for $29 with Northwest
- Formation and FREE registered agent services for your first year
- Best privacy protection and customer service
And, read our best nonprofit formation services review on Startup Savant.
Getting Started
To start a domestic nonprofit corporation in Vermont, you must file the Articles of Incorporation of a Vermont Nonprofit Corporation (Form CORP-1(N)). This guide covers each step you must take to fill out this document successfully and get on the right track to forming a Vermont nonprofit.
Step 1: Provide a Return Address and Contact
Step 2: List Your Nonprofit’s Name
Step 3: Confirm Your Nonprofit’s Business Subtype and Member Organization Status
Step 4: (Optional) Describe the Business
Step 5: Provide Your Nonprofit’s Principal Office Address
Step 6: Name Your Initial Board of Directors
Step 7: Choose a Registered Agent
Step 8: List Your Incorporator Information
Step 9: Choose an Effective Date for Your Filing
Step 10: File Formation Documents
(Check out our other guides for a look at how to start a nonprofit organization or how to file articles of incorporation in other states.)
Step 1: Provide a Return Address and Contact
The first step to filling out your Vermont Articles of Incorporation is to provide the name and address of the contact to whom the Secretary of State should return evidence of the filing.
Step 2: List Your Nonprofit’s Name
Next, list your nonprofit corporation’s name. If you haven’t gone through the process of establishing a name for your organization, here are the requirements for naming a nonprofit in Vermont:
- Your nonprofit’s name must be distinguishable from any other name on record within the state of Vermont, including any reserved names.
- Your nonprofit’s name must include one of the following words or abbreviations: “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company,” “limited,” “corp.,” “inc.,” “co.,” or “ltd.”
- Your nonprofit’s name can’t include the word “cooperative” or an abbreviation of that word.
- Your nonprofit’s name can’t include language stating or implying that the corporation is organized for any purpose other than that permitted by 11B V.S.A. § 3.01 of this title and its articles of incorporation.
- Your nonprofit’s name can’t include any word not otherwise authorized by law.
Recommended: For a step-by-step guide to naming your nonprofit corporation in Vermont, read our guide on How to Name a Nonprofit in Vermont.
Search the Availability of Your Name
After selecting potential names — ideally, at least four or five — it’s important to search for their availability in your state. You can do this by conducting the four recommended searches outlined below, or use our 501(c)(3) Lookup Table.
Vermont Business Search
To operate in Vermont, a nonprofit corporation must have a unique name. You can easily check if your chosen name is available by performing a search using the Vermont business search tool.
Domain Name Search
We strongly recommend that you also check to see if your business name is available as a web domain (URL). Even if you don’t plan to create a business website today, you may want to buy the web address to prevent others from acquiring that domain name. It’s a free search.
Federal Trademark Search
You can easily check if someone already trademarked your chosen nonprofit name by using the federal Trademark Electronic Search System. This is important even if you don’t plan to incorporate your nonprofit right away.
Once you confirm that no one else already trademarked your chosen name, you can apply for a trademark for your nonprofit.
Web and Social Media Search
A strong social media presence will play a key role in expanding your reach to potential donors as well as clients that will use your services. That makes it important to search the web and popular social media platforms for your desired name before registering it to ensure it’s available on all the platforms where you plan to promote your organization.
Step 3: Confirm Your Nonprofit’s Business Subtype and Member
Organization Status
First, confirm your nonprofit’s business subtype by checking the box for one of these two options:
- Public Benefit Corporation — Choose this option if your nonprofit will exist for a public or charitable purpose and the organization will distribute its assets upon dissolution to a state or tax-exempt, approved person.
- Mutual Benefit Corporation — Choose this option if your nonprofit is classified by statute as a mutual benefit corporation or doesn’t fit the definition of a public benefit corporation.
Second, confirm its member organization status by checking the box for one of these two options:
- Member Organization — Choose this option if your nonprofit will have members. A member is a person who, on more than one occasion, has the right to vote for the election of a director or directors as written in this formation document or the corporation’s bylaws.
- Not a Membership Organization — Choose this option if your corporation won’t have members. Nonprofit corporations aren’t required to have members.
Step 4: (Optional) Describe the Business
If desired, provide a further description of your nonprofit’s business by checking the applicable box from among these options:
- Charitable organization, church or religious organization, or private foundation
- Action organization
- Political organization
- Other (If you choose this option, include the corresponding NAICS code or a statement about the primary goods or services this business will provide.)
This is an optional step and not required to file Articles of Incorporation in Vermont.
Step 5: Provide Your Nonprofit’s Principal Office Address
In this section, provide the physical address of your nonprofit corporation’s principal office (this can’t include a P.O. Box) as well as its mailing address.
Step 6: Name Your Initial Board of Directors
While the state of Vermont doesn’t require you to list your initial board of directors in your Articles of Incorporation, you must name at least three directors in your formation documents if you want your organization to qualify for 501(c)(3) status.
To successfully complete this section, you must include the following information:
- The name of each initial director
- The street or mailing address of each initial director
- An email address for each initial director
If your nonprofit will have more than three initial directors, check the box at the bottom of this section and include an attachment with the names, addresses, and signatures of all additional directors.
For a complete guide to forming your nonprofit’s board of directors, read our How to Develop a Board of Directors for a Nonprofit in Vermont article.
Step 7: Choose a Registered Agent
A registered agent is required to file the Articles of Incorporation in Vermont. An individual, a business entity, or a commercial registered agent may fill this role. A registered agent’s responsibilities include accepting and forwarding service of process documents for the corporation as well as serving as a point of contact for the entity.
Your nonprofit corporation can’t act as its own registered agent.
Requirements for this section include:
- Your registered agent’s name
- Your registered agent’s physical business address (this can’t include a P.O. Box)
- Your registered agent’s mailing address
- Your registered agent’s email address
Recommended: Using an affordable registered agent service offers many benefits. For more information on choosing a registered agent service, read our full guide.
Step 8: List Your Incorporator Information
An incorporator is any person who participates in the completion and submission of the Articles of Incorporation. In this section, check the box for one of these two options:
- The directors listed above also are the incorporators.
- The incorporator, who’s not an initial director of this nonprofit corporation, is as follows. (If you choose this option, you must then include the name, address, and email address of the non-director incorporator.)
Depending on which option you choose, either all the initial directors must sign this formation document or just the non-director incorporator.
Step 9: Choose an Effective Date for Your Filing
If you want your Articles of Incorporation to take effect after the filing date, list your preferred date in this section. That delayed date must be within 90 days of the original filing date.
Step 10: File Formation Documents
You can file your Vermont Articles of Incorporation in three ways: online, by mail, or in person.
File the Vermont Articles of Incorporation
OPTION 1: File Online With the Vermont Secretary of State
– OR –
OPTION 2: File Form CORP-1(N) by Mail or In Person
Fee: $125
Filing Address:
Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division
128 State St.
Montpelier, VT 05633-1104
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start a nonprofit in Vermont?
You can start a nonprofit in Vermont by filing the Articles of Incorporation of a Vermont Nonprofit Corporation with the Secretary of State by mail, in person, or online.
How do I find nonprofits in Vermont?
Use our handy Vermont 501(c)(3) Lookup Table to find nonprofits in Vermont. You can use this tool to see if your preferred nonprofit name is in use or not.
Vermont Nonprofit Quick Links
IRS: Information for Charities and Nonprofits
IRS: Charity – Required Provisions for Organizing Documents
IRS: Form 990 Series for Tax-Exempt Organizations
IRS: Applying for Tax-Exempt Status
IRS: 501(c)(3) Compliance Guide
US Small Business Administration: Apply for Licenses and Permits
Vermont Department of Labor
Vermont Department of Taxes
Vermont 501(c)(3) Lookup Table