Starting a Non-profit Corporation in Florida

When starting your nonprofit organization it is wise to register a fictitious name and also file incorporation papers. Incorporation forms can be downloaded and prepared or filled out online. You will also find a fee schedule listed in the links below.

Fictitious Name Registration (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)*

Incorporation Forms (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)*

List of Fees

When operating as a nonprofit organization, it is best to apply for an Employee Identification Number or EIN, rather than using your personal Social Security number. The following links provide you with instructions and forms.

Instructions for EIN (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)*

Employee Identification Number (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)*

An application with IRS for 501(c)(3) status must be completed as well as the form 1023 for what is known as "recognition of exemption." Most nonprofit funders or grantmakers will require a copy of your “Letter of Recognition of Exemption” if you are applying for a grant.

IRS Charitable Organization & 501(c)(3) Information (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)*

Instructions and Form 1023 (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)*

RECOMMENDED READING

Demystifying grant seeking : what you really need to do to get grants / Larissa Golden Brown, Martin John Brown
Call Number: 658.15224 Brown

Written for nonprofit professionals and fundraisers of varying levels of expertise, this guide provides crystal clear, practical guidelines for writing grants, based on a five-step program and a definition of the principles that underpin a successful grant-seeking process. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Keep the money coming : a step-by-step strategic guide to annual fundraising / Christine Graham
Call Number: 658.15224 Graham

Offers nonprofit organizations the basic skills for annual fundraising. Includes charts, checklists, and guidelines as well as proven methods to help you raise the money your organization needs every year. New edition includes on updated bibliography and information on software Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc

Starting and running a nonprofit organization / Joan M. Hummel
Call Number: 658.048 Hummel

Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization is a book for people who are forming new nonprofits; thinking about converting an informal, grassroots group into tax-exempt status; reorganizing an existing agency; or currently managing a nonprofit. It provides practical and basic how-to information on legal, tax, organizational, and other issues particular to nonprofits. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Private sector strategies for social sector success : the guide to strategy and planning for public and nonprofit organizations / Kevin P. Kearns
Call Number: 658.048 Kearns

This practical guide offers a realistic approach to strategic management, while borrowing from the most helpful and relevant business ideas, allows the public or nonprofit organization to achieve success without compromising its unique mission or constituency. Executives, managers, and policymakers will find key principles for everyday application.

Cultivating diversity in fundraising / Janice Gow Pettey
Call Number: 361.70681 Pettey

As contemporary American communities become ever more ethnically diverse, companies and organizations seeking to raise funds are discovering that generic fundraising approaches are no longer effective. In order to be successful, fundraisers in today’s multicultural world must gain a better understanding of the critical factors that motivate different ethnic groups to give.

Grant seeker’s budget toolkit / James Aaron Quick, Cheryl Carter New
Call Number: Mix 658.15224 Q (Pt. 1 & 2)

Quick and New (both with Polaris Corporation, a grants consulting business) provide a step-by-step guide to the grant application process, with a particular focus on budgeting and financial planning aspects. Coverage includes project development, budget concepts and terms, definitions and explanations of direct costs, and the computation and capturing of personnel and travel costs and other direct costs and prices. The final section explains how to report a finished budget. The text is clearly organized and readable. The included CD-ROM contains forms, spreadsheets, and checklists. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

How to form a nonprofit corporation / Mark Warda
Call Number: 346.73064 Warda

With over a million active organizations, America has the most advanced system of nonprofits in the world. From social clubs to cancer research laboratories, these groups show the generosity and willingness of Americans to work together for the common good. This new edition addresses recent changes in both federal and state laws regarding tax exemptions.

Ten steps to fundraising success : choosing the right strategy for your organization / Mal Warwick, Stephen Hitchcock
Call Number: 658.15224 Warwick (Pt. 1 & 2)

A couple of professional fundraisers provide detailed instructions on how to develop a mission-driven fundraising strategy which centers around ten basic steps, from assessing an organization’s current fundraising efforts to measuring progress. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.