How to Name a Nonprofit in Pennsylvania

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Truic Team

Choosing a name for your 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is the first step in our complete guide, How to Start a Nonprofit in Pennsylvania. One of the most important decisions any founder will make is selecting the right name. We’re here to help with our full guide to choosing, validating, and registering a Pennsylvania nonprofit name in four easy steps.

Check out our other guides for a look at How to Start a Nonprofit Organization or How to Name a Nonprofit in other states.

Recommended: Use our Business Name Generator to brainstorm hundreds of catchy names (with available URLs) for your nonprofit. 

Name Your Nonprofit in 4 Easy Steps

Naming your Pennsylvania nonprofit is easy. Just follow these four simple steps to secure the best name for your 501(c)(3).

SKIP AHEAD
Step 1: Choose the Right Name for Your Nonprofit
Step 2: Follow the Nonprofit Naming Rules in Pennsylvania
Step 3: Check if Your Business Name is Available
Step 4: Register Your Nonprofit Name

Use our 501(c)(3) Lookup Table to see if your nonprofit’s name is already in use.

Step 1: Choose the Right Name for Your Nonprofit

Selecting the right name for your organization is an important task. In order to choose the name that best represents your nonprofit’s mission and purpose, we recommend following these guidelines:

  • Be specific. A nonprofit’s name should be direct and specific enough to convey its mission. Avoid using vague words or terms that could confuse donors and prospective clients about your organization’s purpose.
  • Make it memorable. Memorability is essential when selecting a name for any business. For nonprofits, selecting a name that will stick in the minds of those who come across it will not only improve your organization’s exposure among donors and volunteers but also make it easier for potential clients to find your services.
  • Keep it professional. Nonprofits rely heavily on their public image in order to attract donors or clients who may use their services — and their first impression will stem from your organization’s name. For this reason, your nonprofit needs a professional name that communicates a serious dedication to its mission and purpose.
  • Make it emotional. Whether your organization provides services for animals, displaced persons, or any other community, emotion and charity have a strong bond. Selecting a name that appeals to the emotions of both donors and clients will help build trust as well as your organization’s credibility.

We recommend selecting at least four to five names that fit your criteria before you start researching their availability. This approach will increase your chances of securing a unique and available name.

Recommended: Use our Business Name Generator to help you find an available and unique name in your state.

Step 2: Follow the Nonprofit Naming Rules in Pennsylvania

Corporation Name Requirements

Your Pennsylvania nonprofit name must adhere to the guidelines laid out in Section 203 of the Nonprofit Corporation Law:

(a) Business corporations.–The proper name of a domestic or registered foreign business corporation must contain:

(1) the word “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated” or “limited” or an abbreviation of any of the terms;

(2) the word “association,” “fund” or “syndicate”; or

(3) words or abbreviations of like import used in a jurisdiction other than this Commonwealth.

(b) Nonprofit corporations.–The proper name of a domestic nonprofit corporation or registered foreign corporation not-for-profit shall not be required to contain one of the words or abbreviations described under subsection (a).

Putting It Into Practice

Most nonprofits in Pennsylvania are organized as corporations, but you can choose to organize a nonprofit in four other ways: an unincorporated association, a trust, an association, or a limited liability company (LLC). Each option has specific naming requirements you must follow.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on the requirements for naming a nonprofit corporation.

Incorporating is the most common way to organize a nonprofit. While naming rules for corporations vary by state, some requirements apply nationwide. State requirements in Pennsylvania include:

  • Your corporation’s name must be distinguishable from any other name on record within the state of Pennsylvania, including any reserved names.
  • Your corporation’s name can’t include any words or phrases considered grossly offensive.
  • Your corporation’s name can’t imply the organization is affiliated with a government agency or public utility company.
  • Your corporation’s name can’t include words or phrases that imply it is a financial institution such as “bank and trust,” “Bank,” “trust” or “trust company.”
  • Your corporation’s name can’t include words or phrases that imply it is an educational institution such as “university,” “college” or “seminary.”
  • Your corporation’s name can’t include words or phrases that imply it is an insurance company such as “casualty,” “annuity,” or “insurance.”
  • Your corporation’s name can’t include words or phrases associated with a specific profession such as “public accountant,” “certified public accountant,” “architect,” “surveyor,” “engineer,” “pharmacist” or “homeopathic.”
  • Your corporation’s name can’t use any words or phrases associated with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) nor can it include words or phrases that imply the organization is associated with the YMCA unless proper regulations have been followed.

Unlike many other states, Pennsylvania doesn’t require a nonprofit corporation’s name to include an identifier such as “company,” “incorporated,” “corporation,” “limited partnership,” “partnership,” or any equivalent abbreviation.

Tax Exemption Requirements

If you plan to file for tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pay close attention to the wording you use in your nonprofit’s name. Any words that imply a political or lobbying affiliation may hinder your ability to file for 501(c)(3) status.

Step 3: Check If Your Business Name Is Available

After you chose one or several name options for your nonprofit, you’ll need to make sure it’s available. Every nonprofit must have a distinguishable name so it’s helpful to confirm the availability of your desired name prior to incorporation.

The top four searches you should perform include: 

Pennsylvania Business Name Search

To operate a nonprofit corporation in Pennsylvania, its name must be unique. You can easily check if your chosen name is available by performing a search using the Pennsylvania 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.

If you need help with getting a logo for your nonprofit, try branding your business with our Free Logo Generator! Get a unique logo in minutes and start building your nonprofit’s brand immediately.

Web and Social Media Search

A strong social media presence will play a key role in expanding your reach to potential donors or 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 4: Register Your Nonprofit Name

After you choose your nonprofit’s name and confirm its availability, the next step involves registering the organization’s name. You have a few options to achieve a name registration:

Recommended: Read our full, step-by-step guide on How to Register a Business Name in Pennsylvania.

File for a Name Reservation

In Pennsylvania, domestic nonprofit corporations are not required to file for a name reservation before incorporation. However, reserving a name can prove beneficial — especially if you aren’t ready to incorporate, but want to ensure the availability of your chosen name.

To file a corporate name reservation in the state of Pennsylvania:

Name reservations for nonprofit corporations in Pennsylvania last 120 days and can be renewed once it expires.

Form a Corporation

Incorporating is the most common way to organize a nonprofit and, once you select a name, it’s the next step in making your nonprofit official. Forming a corporation in Pennsylvania involves a few easy steps:

  1. Name Your Corporation
  2. Choose a Registered Agent
  3. Choose Your Corporation’s Initial Directors and Share Structure
  4. File the Formation Documents
  5. Get an EIN

File for a DBA Name

Filing a trade name, also called a doing business as (DBA) name, in Pennsylvania allows your nonprofit to operate using a different name than its legal, registered business name. This can prove especially helpful if you want to change the name of an existing organization without filing an amendment to your Articles of Incorporation.

To learn how to file a DBA or trade name in Pennsylvania, check out our step-by-step guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start a nonprofit corporation in Pennsylvania?

To officially incorporate a nonprofit in Pennsylvania, you must file the Articles of Incorporation with the Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. You also must complete several other essential steps before you file that formation document, which you can find in our step-by-step guide to starting a nonprofit in Pennsylvania.

How much does it cost to start a nonprofit in Pennsylvania?

To file nonprofit Articles of Incorporation in Pennsylvania, you can expect to pay $125 in filing fees. In addition to this, there is a filing fee of $70 for the Decennial Report of Continued Existence as well as a filing fee between $15 and $250 for Charitable Organization Form BCO-10.

How do I find nonprofits in Pennsylvania?

Use our handy Pennsylvania 501(c)(3) Lookup Table to find nonprofits in Pennsylvania. You can use this tool to see if your preferred nonprofit name is in use or not.

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