Easy Steps To Protect Your Maine Nonprofit and Keep Your Nonprofit Compliant

Last Updated: May 15, 2023 By TRUiC Team

If you are starting a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Maine, you have come to the right place. After following the easy steps for Maine nonprofit formation, follow this guide to help keep your Maine nonprofit compliant and protected.

In this guide we cover:

How to Protect Your Maine Nonprofit
How to Keep Your Maine Nonprofit Compliant

How to Protect Your Maine Nonprofit

Get Business Insurance

As with any other business, there may be risks involved in running the nonprofit. Getting insurance for your nonprofit allows you to focus on your passion while minimizing your liability.

Here are some of the common types of insurance you may want to consider for your organization:

General Liability Coverage
Directors and Officers Coverage
Social Service Professional Coverage

Your coverage needs will vary based on your organization and the work you do.

Properly Sign Legal Documents

There will be times when you will be signing a document on behalf of your nonprofit. It is important that these times are easily distinguishable from when you are signing a document as an individual. If a document isn’t properly signed, you might suddenly find yourself personally responsible for something the organization should have been liable for.

To avoid such confusion we recommend you and all the members of your organization follow the following format:

The official name of your nonprofit
Your signature
Your full legal name
Your position in the organization

How to Keep Your Maine Nonprofit Compliant

Maintain a Maine Registered Agent

Nonprofits that have incorporated are required to maintain a registered agent with an office address in Maine. If the agent or the office address changes, you must file Form MNPCA-3-CRA or Form MNPCA-3-NCRA with the Secretary of State to effect a change to the articles of incorporation. You can mail these forms to the address found below:

Secretary of State
Division of Corporations, UCC and Commissions
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0101

For more information, you can call the Division of Corporations at (207) 624-7752 or email them at CEC.Corporations@Maine.gov.

File Required Periodic Reports

The Secretary of State requires all nonprofit corporations to submit an annual report by June 1 of each year. This report can be completed online or by mail.

Mail paper forms to the address found below:

Division of Corporations
Reporting and Information Section
101 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0101

Filing Fee: $35

For more information, you can call the Division of Corporations at (207) 624-7752, call them at (207) 287-5874 for form-related questions, or visit them at their website.

Determine Maine Business Permits and Licenses

As a nonprofit in the state of Maine, your organization may need a general business license. These are handled at the town/city level. Access contact information for your local government through this website.

Depending on your nonprofit’s purpose, you may need to obtain a professional license. Information on those can be found on the Maine.gov website's Resources by Profession page.

If your organization will be hosting charitable gaming of any kind, it will need to register for a gaming license.

For more information on business licenses in the state of Maine, access the Maine.gov website’s business license page.

Fundraising

If your nonprofit is a charity, and it will be soliciting charitable contributions, it will most likely need to register as a charitable organization. The application form is located on the Maine.gov website, as is information regarding the Annual Fundraising Activity Report, which is due annually. Learn more about soliciting charitable contributions in the Maine Charitable Solicitations Act.

Mail the application form to the address found below:

State of Maine
Office of Professional & Occupational Regulation
Charitable Solicitations
35 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0035

Filing Fee: $25

For more information, you can call the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation at (207) 624-8603 or fax them at (207) 624-8637.

Employees

If your organization will have employees you must register with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

You can easily register online or find the contact information for your district office on the Department of Health and Human Services' website.

You will also need to register with the Department of Labor regarding unemployment taxes.

For more information, you can call the Department of Labor at (207) 621-5120 and select Option 3, or visit them at the office address found below:

Maine Department of Labor
47S State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0047

Public Inspection Rules for All 501(c)(3) Organizations

All organizations that have been granted the 501(c)(3) status are required to disclose the following documents to the public when requested:

Annual returns for three years after the due date (this includes returns like Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, and any Forms 990-T)
All Form 990 Schedules (except portions of Schedule B), attachments and supporting documents.
Application of exemption and all supporting documents such as Form 1023
The official paperwork from the IRS that shows that your organization has tax-exempt status.

The following do NOT need to be shared with the public

Portions of schedule B of Form 990/990-EZ that identify the contributors. (You only need to disclose the amount contributed and the nature of the contributions)
Any unfavorable rulings such as an earlier denial of tax-exempt status.
Any information the IRS has said you can withhold. This may include things like sensitive patents and trade secrets.

FAQ:

How long do I have to produce these documents if requested?

Ideally within the same day. If your organization doesn’t have an office or maintains limited hours during parts of the year, the information should be made available within two weeks.

Do I need to provide copies of the documents?

If someone asks for copies in person or in writing you must provide them with copies.

Can I charge for copies?

You can charge a reasonable amount for making copies of the documents requested.

NOTE: It may be easiest to have the documents available on your website so that anyone who requests copies can be sent to the site. This allows you to stay compliant without having to spend a lot of time dealing with document requests.

Annual Returns for Tax-Exempt Organizations

Most tax-exempt nonprofit organizations are required to file an annual return with the IRS (Check the list of exceptions).

Which form you should use to file the annual returns depends on the annual gross receipt amounts for your organization.

"Gross receipt" is defined by the IRS as “the total amounts the organization received from all sources during its annual accounting period, without subtracting any costs or expenses.”

For gross receipts ≤$50,000 --- File 990-N
Gross receipts <$200,000 and total assets <$500,000 --- File 990- EZ
Gross receipts >$200,000 or Total assets >$500,000 --- File 990

For any questions, you can call the IRS at

(800) 829-3676 (Form-related questions)
(800) 829-1040 (General information)

When is form 990 due?

You have a little over 4 months after your taxable year comes to an end to file Form 990. It is due on the 15th day of the 5th month. So if your taxable year ends on Dec 31st, your form 990 is due on May 15th.

NOTE: If your organization fails to file form 990 for 3 consecutive years, it will automatically lose its tax-exempt status.

Report Unrelated Business Income

If your organization has a gross income of >$1000 from a trade or business that is not related to the stated purpose of the organization, then it must file Form 990-T to pay tax on that income.