The state of California requires a minimum of one board member for each organization. It is recommended that your organization have at least three since the IRS will most likely not give 501(c)(3) status to an organization with less. 3-25 directors are recommended based on the size and purpose of your nonprofit.
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.
§ 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.
Does California Require Corporate Bylaws? No. The California Corporations Code does not explicitly state that corporations must have corporate bylaws.
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.
Code § 5510. 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.
Code § 5510. 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.
The board's key purpose “is to ensure the company's prosperity by collectively directing the company's affairs, while meeting the appropriate interests of its shareholders and relevant stakeholders” (Standards for the Board, IoD). Here we discuss what the role of the Board involves.
You not only have a duty to understand your bylaws, you are legally accountable for following them. This is not optional. A court of law will side with your bylaws in any dispute brought by another board member, an employee, volunteer or recipient of services who may have a grievance.