How To Start A Non Profit Organization In 2025 Step By Step

If you just clicked on this video, then you're probably thinking about starting a non-profit this

year, and maybe you're not sure where to even begin. It can feel like a lot, especially with

all the paperwork and legal stuff. But once you break it down, it's way more doable than it seems

And if you go through the right steps, you can also apply for that 501c3 tax-exempt status

Now, forming a non-profit means doing a bunch of things manually, like picking a name that's

available, filling out your articles of incorporation with the state, appointing a registered agent

writing your bylaws, applying for an EIN, and then filing for that tax-exempt status with the IRS

It all adds up quickly, and even one small mistake can slow everything down. That's why

using a formation service can make your life so much easier. But with so many options out there

it can be hard to know which one actually delivers and which one just piles on hidden fees

So today I'm going to show you exactly how to form a non-profit using busy

Which I think is one of the best and most user-friendly options out there

Especially if you just want to focus on your mission and not get buried in legal forms

And if you end up going with busy and use my link, I'll earn a small commission

Which is a great way to support the channel so I can continue making videos like this

So first up go to busy.com and you'll see a menu labeled a business formation

Click on that and you'll notice that there's multiple entry types including non-profit

it. And that's what we're interested in. As soon as you select that, busy will walk you through

step by step. It's all laid out so anyone can figure it out, even if this is your first time

Now there's a big start button. So let's go ahead and click that. Next, you choose your entity type

And in our case, it's nonprofit. Then you pick your state. So let's pretend we're doing this in

California. And once you confirm the state, you'll see that there's three pricing packages

basic standard and premium The basic one technically shows plus the state fee of Standard starts at again plus that state filing fee and premium is

Now each of these come with different features. For example, the premium plan includes expedited

filing within three business days, business contract templates, a domain name, a business

email, and an EIN. Meanwhile, the standard package has fewer extras, but it still handles the core

things you need. The basic plan is pretty bare bones. It's the bare minimum, which might not

work for some folks. So let's say we go for standard in this demo. And after choosing the

plan, you click get started and it asks for your nonprofit name. Let's call it helping hands united

And when you pick a name, you can also select a designation like Inc, Corp or Limited. So I'll

choose limited. So we end up going with helping hands united limited. Then you describe your

nonprofit's purpose, so I'll add something like to provide support and resources to underprivileged

children through education. Just make sure this stays under 100 words. Next, you'll be asked if

your nonprofit will have members, so for small organizations, the answer is usually no, so I'll

choose that. Then you pick your general purpose, such as public benefit corporations and a subcategory

if it's relevant. We'll choose public benefit purpose and click next. At this point, you'll see

busy might also show you add-ons like faster document filing and if you select

that you'll see the fee add up to your invoice on the right. So let's say I choose the $50 expedited filing because I'm impatient and I want my documents

filed quickly. Now as you go through the process there's a progress bar up top

that shows how far along you are. Right now we're about 40% done. Next I'll ask

for your basic personal details. This includes your name, email, and phone

number So for example I put something like John Doe example organization at email and a placeholder phone number You also have to consent to receiving messages from Busy

So let's just click that and move on to the next page. Now, here comes your nonprofit's address

And if you're not comfortable with using your home address, then Busy offers a virtual business address with real time digital access to your mail

The first month is free and then it'll be $29 a month. But you could always skip it and stick to your own address

But let's pretend we go for that virtual address to keep my personal address hidden

You still will have to enter your personal address, but this is going to be hidden. So I'll enter something like 123 Street, Anytown, California, 90211

And if you click next and Busy can't automatically validate your address, you can override it by clicking use entered address

Next is premium services page. And here Busy offers a bundle that includes access to a legal document library and a business phone line app

Now normally $330 combined, but they do offer it for a deal for $99 as a one-time deal

And if you decide to add them, you'll see your invoice on the right side updates automatically

Then you get to the part where you list your directors or officers like the president

secretary, and treasurer. So let's keep it simple and say the president is John Doe

I might use that virtual address again or my own if I want. And if you have more directors, then you just add them here

You can also add other roles like VP, but they're optional. Then comes the registered agent section

Now California and many other states require every business to have one

And here, Busy offers a free year of registered agent service, which is normally $119

So after that first year, you can either pay the $119 per year to use Busy or act as your

own agent. But let go with Busy for that free first year Now onto the EIN section and this is a nine number from the IRS that identifies your business for tax purposes Busy can get it for you electronically Just enter the responsible party name John Doe in our case and a social security number but we use a placeholder for now

Next, you'll see business banking options like setting up a business bank account with Bank of America

Now that's optional. I'll say no this time. But you can choose yes if you want a quick banking solution

Now they also give you a free tax strategy consultation, which is basically a chat to

see how to maximize tax benefits. And I think it's helpful if you're new to the non-profit world

so let's say yes to that. So by now the progress shows we're about 85% done, and you'll even get a

summary of your entire order so you can check for mistakes. And if everything looks right

we can click next and enter payment info like a credit card, name, and address. Now here on the

right side you'll see the total cost. In my example it's $383. As you can see that includes

the standard package, the state fee, and the $50 expedite add-on and other options. Then you simply

hit complete and pay and that's it. You officially kicked off forming your non-profit. And after you

pay, Busy takes all that info you filed and prepares your articles of incorporation or articles of

organization depending on your state. They'll also confirm if your chosen name is available in the

state's database. Then they'll send your documents for filing which is usually within 24 hours or so

You can track everything right in your Busy dashboard. It'll give you real-time updates

and they'll also email you whenever there's a status change. And if you catch a mistake

you can make changes within those 24 hours, which is a nice little safety net. And once your

nonprofit is approved by the state, you'll still need to adopt your bylaws and hold an initial

meeting. And if you're going for that 501c3 status, then make sure you understand those

requirements too. Busy sends helpful reminders, but it's still your organization, so make sure

to check them regularly. And I hope this video helps you making your own nonprofit organization

Best of luck and thanks for watching