How to Start a Nonprofit in Connecticut

Introduction

Want to start a nonprofit organization in Connecticut? You’re not alone! According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 14,000 nonprofits in Connecticut—and that’s just the ones that have been officially recognized. The good news is that you don’t need to be affiliated with a big university or corporation in order to find one of these organizations. In fact, being part of the nonprofit community is an important way for citizens to make their voices heard and effect change on important issues like education, health care, economic development, and more.

Step 1: Plan Your Nonprofit

Before you can begin the process of actually starting your nonprofit, you’ll need to plan for it. This is really important! You’re going to want to create a mission statement that clearly defines what your organization does and how it plans on achieving its goals.

Next, create a plan for how you will achieve these goals—what steps will get you there? What resources do you need? How much time do they take? What sort of expertise do they require? You should also create a budget and timeline so that once the nonprofit is up and running, everything stays on track.

Lastly, make sure that when creating this list of potential donors and supporters (which we’ll discuss later) that they’re people who believe in what your organization stands for and have an interest in helping contribute financially or otherwise toward making sure those goals are met.

Step 2: Choose a Name

The name you choose for your nonprofit should be simple and easy to remember, but it should also reflect the purpose of your organization. You will want to make sure that the name you select is not already in use by another organization or company. Look up other similar organizations in your state and see if they have “incorporated” (become legal corporations) with the same or similar names. If there are other groups doing similar work in your area, try coming up with a unique variation on their name that makes yours stand out from theirs without being confusing or misleading.

If it looks like no one else has registered the name you want, go ahead and register before starting any fundraising efforts or marketing campaigns!

Step 3: File Your Articles of Incorporation

The purpose of the articles of incorporation is to provide the basic information necessary to start your nonprofit. They must include:

• The name of your organization
• The address where you will be doing business
• The name and address of an incorporator (the person who files the articles)

Once you complete these requirements and submit them, you will receive a certificate of incorporation within 30 days. This document will act as proof that your organization exists in legal terms and is eligible for tax-deductible donations from individuals.

Step 4: Appoint Directors and Officers

Directors and officers of a nonprofit are the people who make decisions on behalf of the organization. Directors are elected by members to serve as leaders and are responsible for managing the non-profit’s daily operations and overseeing its mission. Officers, like corporate officers in a for-profit company, perform certain duties required by law.

The names, dates of birth, titles, addresses, and signatures of all directors must be included in your Articles of Incorporation form (form CT-Bplus). Directors have no specific term limit but cannot serve more than two consecutive terms unless there is a change in state law or if one director is nominated as an incumbent director that has been replaced for any reason other than death or resignation within one year after his/her term ends (this applies only if there are less than six months left before his/her term expires).

You also need to appoint an executive committee which is made up entirely of directors that oversee day-to-day operations while they’re not meeting; this group needs to meet at least annually with any additional meetings being approved by directors prior through written notice sent out beforehand along with information about what will be discussed during said meeting (which should include agenda items such as finances)

Step 5: File Form 1023 or Form 1024

You’ll need to file Form 1023 or Form 1024. Form 1023 is more complicated than Form 1024 and requires you to include more information, such as a description of your organization’s mission and how it will satisfy that mission, along with information about its governance and structure. If you live in Connecticut, however, you can also choose to file a simplified version of Form 1023 called Form 1024 instead.

Form 1024 is designed for smaller organizations with gross receipts of less than $50,000 per year (this amount changes every year). When preparing this form, there are certain items that must be included in all cases:

• Name of entity (the name under which it does business)
• Address (including city/state/zip code), phone number(s), email address(es) if applicable (use parenthesis after alternate addresses)

Step 6: Apply for an EIN and a CT Tax Registration Certificate

You’ll need to apply for an EIN and a CT tax registration certificate. The EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to businesses. This number will allow you to open an account at your bank, and it’s also required when applying for a CT tax registration certificate. A CT tax registration certificate enables you to start collecting donations from the public, so this document is essential if you want people in Connecticut who want to donate money or items like food or clothing towards your cause.

Once both documents have been approved, they’ll be sent out within about one week of filing each form online or over the phone with an IRS representative.

Step 7: Hold Organizational Meetings and Adopt Bylaws

After approval, your nonprofit can hold organizational meetings to make key decisions about your organization. Be sure to include in these meetings:

• The date and location of each meeting
• The time at which each meeting will begin and end
• The name and address of each member present at the meeting, including a list of members who are participating by telephone, if any

After all these details have been approved, you’ll need to adopt bylaws, which include rules for how your organization will operate. You must adopt them at an organizational meeting and file them with the state before you apply for tax-exempt status.

Takeaway

When you’re ready to start a nonprofit organization in Connecticut, the process can seem overwhelming. There are so many steps to take, and each of them is important. If you focus on taking only the right steps and not wasting time on unnecessary ones, your nonprofit will have an easier time getting off the ground and making an impact!

For example, when selecting a board of directors for your organization make sure that they have several years of experience working in nonprofits or with related fields (like finance). If these people don’t have enough experience at this stage then they won’t be able to guide your organization through its first few years effectively.

Conclusion

Starting a nonprofit organization in Connecticut can be easier when you take the right steps. The most important thing is to plan ahead and make sure that your goals align with the laws of the state. It’s also important that you create a solid organizational structure, name your group appropriately, and file all necessary paperwork before submitting forms.