Under California law, nonprofits are not immune to lawsuits, and you can seek legal redress for breach of contract, discrimination, or other rights violations. Given your circumstances, consulting an attorney who can guide you through this process would be beneficial.
Nonprofit corporations have taken that further step, submitting articles of incorporation and other forms to the state. There are other important distinctions between these two types of entity, but neither of them have “owners.” Instead of owners, nonprofits have stakeholders.
The Attorney General regulates charities and the professional fundraisers who solicit on their behalf. The purpose of this oversight is to protect charitable assets for their intended use and ensure that the charitable donations contributed by Californians are not misapplied and squandered through fraud or other means.
§ 460/4 | Effective Jan. 1, 2024, a charitable organization with annual contributions more than $500,000 must file an audited financial statement prepared by an independent CPA. A charitable organization with contributions between $300,000 and $500,000 must file a financial statement with the Attorney General.
Although organizations don't need to file these bylaws with the state, California law requires that the treasurer or other designated member of the organization maintains a copy on file.
Charter and Bylaws respectively, mean with respect to any corporation, those instruments that, among other things, (i) define its existence, as filed or recorded with the applicable Authority, including such corporation's Articles or Certificate of Incorporation, and (ii) otherwise govern its internal affairs, in each ...
How to Start a Nonprofit in California Name Your Organization. Choose a California nonprofit corporation structure. Recruit Incorporators and Initial Directors. Appoint a Registered Agent. Prepare and File Articles of Incorporation. File Initial Report. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) ... Store Nonprofit Records.
California mandates that all nonprofit organizations and corporations establish bylaws as a fundamental part of their formation process.
Are bylaws filed with the state of California? No. Your corporate bylaws are internal documents, which means they should be kept on file with your business records.
A California nonprofit corporation must have: 1) either a chairperson of the board or a president or both; 2) a secretary; and 3) a treasurer or a chief financial officer or both.