Your bylaws should help you resolve internal conflict, and demonstrate your commitment to responsibly managing donations to both the IRS and the general public. Not all states require nonprofits to draft these governing documents, but Texas does.
501(c)(3) entities are typically classified into three major categories: Public Charities: These receive a significant portion of their income from the public or governmental grants. Examples include churches, schools, hospitals, and broadly-supported charities.
To receive a 501(c)(3) tax exemption, federal requirements stipulate that all members of your board of directors be unrelated. Texas requires only two officers appointed for every nonprofit: a president and a secretary. You may add other officers as preferred or needed while establishing your nonprofit.
501(c)(3), (4), (8), (10) or (19) organizations are exempt from Texas franchise tax and sales tax. A federal tax exemption only applies to the specific organization to which it is granted.
Traditionally, when starting a nonprofit, the best choice for legal structure is to form a nonprofit corporation at the state level and to apply for 501(c)(3) tax exemption at the federal level.
Incorporation gives trustees greater protection from being personally liable. A charity that employs people or promises to provide services (that is, most of them!) will normally choose to be incorporated.
The most common nonprofit board member positions are a president (also called the chairperson), vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer. A president, secretary, and treasurer are the mandatory positions, but many nonprofits also have a vice-chair.
Top-down. A top-down org chart has the board of directors at the top, followed by the executive team, and then the staff. Decision-making authority flows from the top down, with limited input from lower levels. This org chart is suitable for larger nonprofits that need strong, centralized leadership.
Traditionally, when starting a nonprofit, the best choice for legal structure is to form a nonprofit corporation at the state level and to apply for 501(c)(3) tax exemption at the federal level.