Let's Go Legal - The right road to compliance and protection - State Law

Before you drive a car, you need to register it. You need to know the rules of the road. You need a license plate and a driver’s license.

We begin with state law because that is where a nonprofit first registers to become official. The Articles of Incorporation are filed to create the corporation and the board adopts Bylaws and sets out a plan to monitor money and keep records. The organization stays compliant with state corporation law and other state law requirements, including filing corporation and charity reports every year. In Washington state, the governing law is the Washington Nonprofit Corporation Act (RCW 23.04A), which was updated on January 1, 2022.