Certificate of Incorporation
I belong to a sorority and we are seeking information on how to get incorporated. Can you provide me with information as to how to go about that? We want to make sure no other organizations uses/has our name.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Certificate of Incorporation
You can file a Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the state in which you are located. I suggest that you file it as a not-for-profit corporation. Then you should also apply to IRS for recognaition of your non-taxable status, so the dues do not become taxable income. You will also probably have to register with with the state as a non-profit corporation, after you have been incorporated. While filing the C/I will give you some local name protection, you might want to consider also protecting the name by filing a tradename application. I suggest you consider using an attorney familiar with non-profit corporations and, possibly a patent and trademark attorney also, so you will have national protection on the name.
Re: Certificate of Incorporation
You can do a lot of this on the web.
The New York Secretary of State has a website which lists all corporations in existence in the State.
A sorority would incorporate as a Not for Profit corporation. The text of this statute is also available on the web.
A good place to start is findlaw.com and go to New York and then follow the various sources listed.
You can do it; so get going.
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