To start a nonprofit in Washington D.C. and get 501(c)(3) status, follow these steps:
Step 1: Name Your Washington D.C. Nonprofit
Step 2: Choose Your Registered Agent
Step 3: Select Your Board Members & Officers
Step 4: Adopt Bylaws & Conflict of Interest Policy
Step 5: File the Articles of Incorporation
Step 6: Get an EIN
Step 7: Apply for 501(c)(3)
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Starting a 501c3 Nonprofit in DC Is Easy
To start a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization in Washington D.C., you must first start a nonprofit in Washington D.C. according to the rules of the state and then apply for 501c3 status with the IRS.
Learn more about 501(c)(3) eligibility in our What is a 501(c)(3) guide.
Want to form a nonprofit elsewhere? Check out our other How to Start a Nonprofit guides. Also, check out our best nonprofit formation services review.
Step 1: Name Your Washington D.C. Nonprofit
Choosing a name for your organization is the first and most important step in starting your nonprofit corporation. Be sure to choose a name that complies with Washington D.C. naming requirements and is easily searchable by potential members and donors.
To learn more, read our How to Name a Nonprofit in Washington D.C. guide.
1. Follow the naming guidelines:
The name of your organization must include:
- “corporation,” “incorporated,” “company,” or “limited,” or the abbreviation “Corp.”, “Inc.”, “Co.”, or “Ltd.”, or words or abbreviations of similar import in another language
Read the official guidelines for the complete rules on naming a Washington D.C.-based organization.
2. Is the name available in Washington D.C.? Make sure the name you want isn’t already taken by doing a name search on Washington D.C.’s website.
3. Is the URL available? We recommend that you check to see if your business name is available as a web domain. Even if you don’t plan to make a business website today, you may want to buy the URL in order to prevent others from acquiring it.
Now that you have verified your name and secured the URL, you can select a professional service to complete the Washington D.C. nonprofit formation process for you. We recommend going with a company with decades of experience and a proven record of customer-focused service:
Northwest ($29 + State Fees)
Step 2: Choose a Registered Agent in Washington D.C.
Your nonprofit is required to nominate a Washington D.C. registered agent for your organization.
What is a Registered Agent? A registered agent is an individual or business entity responsible for receiving important legal documents on behalf of your business. Think of your registered agent as your business’ point of contact with the state.
Who can be a Registered Agent? A registered agent must be a resident of Washington D.C. or a corporation, such as a registered agent service, authorized to transact business in Washington D.C. You may elect an individual within the company including yourself.
Need help choosing a registered agent? Check out our complete guide on How to Choose a Registered Agent for your Washington D.C. Nonprofit.
Step 3: Select your Directors & Officers
The directors of an organization come together to form a board of directors. This board of directors is responsible for overseeing the operations of the nonprofit.
The president, secretary, and other members of the nonprofit who have individual responsibilities and authorities are known as officers.
Both Washington D.C. and the IRS require 501c3 nonprofits to have at least three directors to be eligible for 501c3 status. The majority of directors should not be related to each other.
Washington D.C. also requires that the nonprofit’s officers include:
- A president
- A treasurer
Officers can hold multiple titles if the bylaws allow for it.
To learn more about electing a Washington D.C. nonprofit board of directors, read our full guide.
Step 4: Adopt Bylaws & Conflict of Interest Policy
To be eligible to apply for 501(c)(3) status, your nonprofit is required to have the following two documents:
- Bylaws
- Conflict of interest policy.
What are Bylaws? Bylaws are the rules outlining the operating procedures of the nonprofit.
What is a Conflict of Interest Policy? A Conflict of Interest Policy is the collection of rules put in place to ensure that any decisions made by the board of directors or the officers benefits the nonprofit and not individual members.
NOTE: The bylaws and conflict of interest policy must be adopted by the nonprofit during its first organizational meeting where the directors and officers are officially appointed.
Step 5: File the Washington D.C. Articles of Incorporation
To register your nonprofit, you will need to file the Washington D.C. Articles of Incorporation.
To ensure that your nonprofit is eligible to apply for 501(c)(3) status, in the Articles of Incorporation you must explicitly state the following:
1. Purpose:
In order to qualify for 501(c)(3) status, the organization’s purpose must explicitly be limited to one or more of the following:
Charitable, Religious, Scientific, Educational, Literary, Fostering national/international amateur sports competition, Preventing cruelty to animals/children, testing for public safety
2. Dissolution:
You must explicitly state what the assets of the organization will be used for, and what will happen to the assets if the organization is dissolved.
To be eligible for 501(c)(3) status, the assets of your organization must only ever be used for purposes approved under section 501(c)(3).
Section 5 of this sample IRS document provides an example of these provisions required for 501(c)(3) eligibility.
File the Articles of Incorporation
OPTION 1: File Online With DC CorpOnline
– OR –
OPTION 2: File Form DNP-1 by Mail or In Person
District Filing Cost: $80
Mail to:
Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection
Corporations Division
P.O. Box 92300
Washington, DC 20090
To learn more, read our How to File Nonprofit Articles of Incorporation in Washington D.C. guide.
Step 6: Get an EIN
What is an EIN? The Employer Identification Number (EIN), or Federal Tax Identification Number, is used to identify a business entity such as your nonprofit corporation. It is essentially a social security number for your organization.
Why do I need an EIN? An EIN is required for the following:
- To open a business bank account for the company
- For Federal and State tax purposes
- To hire employees for the company
How do I get an EIN? An EIN is obtained from the IRS (free of charge) by the business owner after forming the company. This can be done online or by mail. Check out our EIN Lookup guide for more information.
Step 7: Apply for 501(c)(3) Status
Before a nonprofit can apply for 501(c)(3) status it must,
- Elect at least 3 directors not related to each other
- File the Articles of Incorporation with the required provisions (As covered in Step 5)
- Adopt the bylaws and conflict of interest policy
- Have an EIN number
Once these four conditions have been met your nonprofit can apply for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by filing Form-1023 online.
If your application is approved, the IRS will send you a determination letter stating that your organization is exempt from federal taxes under section 501(c)(3).
See if your nonprofit has 501(c)(3) status in Washington D.C.. Use our Washington D.C. 501(c)(3) lookup table to find all Washington D.C. nonprofits.
FAQ: Starting Your Nonprofit
When should an organization apply for federal tax exemption?
Form 1023 must be filed within 27 months from the end of the first month your organization was created.
How long will it take for the IRS to process Form 1023/1023-EZ?
Soon after sending your application you should receive an acknowledgment of receipt of your application.
If your application is simple and complete, IRS will send your determination letter within 180 days for Form 1023
If you have not heard from them by that time you can call (877) 829-5500 to inquire about your application.
Recommended: Learn more about keeping your Washington D.C. nonprofit compliant here.