From idea to 501(c)(3): the Wizard knows every step.
We incorporate your nonprofit, get your EIN, and prepare and file your IRS 501(c)(3) application, start to finish, with government fees included in one price. Our team brings more than 20 years of experience and thousands of nonprofits formed. A real person calls you back within 24 hours for a free consultation, and you pay nothing until we're ready to submit your documents.
We call you back within 24 hours
Thousands of nonprofits formedTell the Wizard what you want to build. It drafts the paperwork; our team files it.
To make things easier, we gather your information with an intelligent AI that helps you fill out the documents. All you have to do is type in what you want and talk to the AI. It then propagates your answers to fill in all the information and sends it to us. We review it and get back to you with a phone call.
Type or talk
Describe your nonprofit in your own words: the name you have in mind, what it will do, who will sit on the board, and where you're located. No forms to decode. If the Wizard needs something, it asks.
The Wizard fills in the forms
Your answers flow into the drafts of your Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, and IRS application. It also flags anything missing, like a third unrelated board member or a clearer mission statement, so nothing stalls later.
A real person reviews, then calls you
Our team checks every detail against your state's rules and the IRS requirements. Within 24 hours you get a phone call: a free consultation to confirm the plan, answer your questions, and choose your program. Nothing is filed until you approve it, and you pay nothing until we're ready to submit.
What the Wizard filled in
Thousands of nonprofits, every kind you can imagine
In more than 20 years our team has formed synagogues and temples, churches, dog shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, schools, youth programs, and arts groups. Big or small, faith-based or secular, we specialize in doing it all. Each kind has its own rules, and the Wizard knows them.
Synagogues & temples
The IRS treats houses of worship as exempt even without applying. Many still want the official determination letter (the IRS's approval letter) so members and donors can give with confidence. The IRS requires the full Form 1023 from them, so we use our Long Form program and handle the extra schedule for churches, synagogues, and temples.
Churches & ministries
From a new congregation to a mission outreach, we prepare the Articles, bylaws, and full Form 1023 the IRS asks of churches. A determination letter gives donors, lenders, and grantmakers proof that your church is recognized and that gifts are deductible.
Animal shelters & rescues
Dog rescues and shelters run on donations, adoption fees, and volunteers. We prepare and file your 501(c)(3) application so that, once approved, donors can deduct their gifts and foundations that fund animal welfare can consider you. Many new rescues qualify for the Short Form.
Soup kitchens
Feeding people means partnering with food banks, restaurants, and grocers, and many of them require a recognized 501(c)(3) before they donate. We get you incorporated, your EIN in hand, and your application filed so meals can start moving.
Schools & educational programs
Private schools and preschools with a regular faculty, curriculum, and enrolled students must file the full Form 1023 (with its school schedule), and some states add steps. New York, for example, requires the Education Department's consent before it will incorporate a school. Many tutoring and after-school programs aren't schools in the IRS's eyes and can use the Short Form. We know the difference and build the right steps into your timeline.
Youth programs & sports leagues
Little leagues, after-school clubs, and mentoring programs collect registration fees and sponsorships. A 501(c)(3) lets families and local businesses support you with tax-deductible gifts and keeps the money in the program. Many leagues qualify for the Short Form.
Food pantries
Regional food banks, grant programs, and grocery partners usually ask for your IRS determination letter and EIN before they work with you. We prepare everything to be complete and accurate before it's filed, so a small pantry can be up and running on the Short Form.
Arts & culture
Community theaters, choirs, museums, and music programs rely on ticket sales plus grants from arts councils and foundations, which almost always require 501(c)(3) status. We write the mission and activity descriptions the IRS wants to see from cultural groups.
Two programs. One all-inclusive price each.
Every nonprofit travels the same road: incorporate in your state, get your EIN, and apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status. The only real fork is which IRS form you need. Our two programs match those two forms, and each price includes the government filing fees, so you pay for exactly what your organization requires and nothing more.
Short Form
- Your state's incorporation filing fee and the IRS user fee ($275 for Form 1023-EZ), included in the price
- Name check and Articles of Incorporation with the IRS-required purpose and dissolution language, filed with your state
- Federal EIN (tax ID number) obtained from the IRS
- Custom bylaws and a conflict-of-interest policy for your board
- Organizational board resolutions and minutes to adopt them
- IRS Form 1023-EZ eligibility worksheet completed for your records, and the application prepared and submitted on Pay.gov
- A plain-English checklist of what to file each year to keep your status
- A plain-English note on your state's charitable-solicitation registration, which most states require before you fundraise (registration itself is separate)
- Support if the IRS asks for more information
IRS Form 1023-EZ (streamlined application)
Grow past $50,000 later? That's fine, as long as your projections were honest when you filed. Your exemption stays in place; if your receipts normally top $50,000 you'll file Form 990-EZ or 990 instead of the 990-N postcard. If you already expect to cross $50,000 within your first three years, the Long Form is the right one from the start.
Long Form
- Your state's incorporation filing fee and the IRS user fee ($600 for Form 1023), included in the price
- Everything in the Short Form program, with the full IRS Form 1023 in place of the 1023-EZ, prepared and submitted on Pay.gov
- A detailed narrative of your activities, written the way IRS reviewers expect
- Multi-year budget or financial statements in the IRS format
- Any extra IRS schedules your organization type requires, such as the church or school schedule
- Compensation, governance, and fundraising disclosures completed and checked
IRS Form 1023 (full application)
Houses of worship are technically exempt without applying, but the IRS will not accept the short form from them. Many still apply because a determination letter gives donors, lenders, and grantmakers proof that gifts are deductible.
Rush +$99
Need it sooner? For an extra $99 we prepare everything and file your state Articles in 5 business days instead of 2 weeks, once we have your complete information. Your IRS application goes in as soon as the state confirms your incorporation. Rush speeds up our work; state and IRS review times are theirs. Many states sell their own expedited filing, which we can add at cost.
Not sure? The Short Form usually fits if you expect $50,000 or less a year for the first three years, have under $250,000 in assets, and aren't a house of worship, school, or hospital. Otherwise it's the Long Form. Tell the Wizard your numbers and we'll confirm on your free consultation call.
Government fees are included. Your price covers our work plus your state's incorporation filing fee and the IRS user fee ($275 for Form 1023-EZ with the Short Form, $600 for Form 1023 with the Long Form). Optional extras are billed only if you choose them: state expedited filing, the newspaper notice a few states require (for example, Pennsylvania and Georgia), state charitable-solicitation registration, a paid registered-agent service, and annual Form 990 returns. We tell you about any of those before you decide.
Four steps, start to finish. No smoke, no mirrors.
No phone tag, no guesswork. Here's exactly what happens after you tell the Wizard about your nonprofit, and how long each step usually takes.
Tell the Wizard
Use the AI intake or the contact form to describe your nonprofit. A member of our team reviews what you shared and calls you within 24 hours for a free consultation: we confirm details, answer your questions, and pick the right program. We're happy to talk it through with you personally, and there's nothing to pay for this call.
Free consultation within 24 hoursWe prepare everything
We draft your Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, conflict-of-interest policy, board resolutions, and your IRS application, and check each one against your state's rules. You review and sign. Preparation takes 2 weeks (10 business days) from the day we have your complete information; Rush brings it to 5 business days for $99 more. You pay only right before we're ready to submit, and then we file your Articles with the state.
2 weeks from complete info (Rush: 5 business days, +$99). Pay only before submission
We file
We file your Articles with the state. As soon as the state accepts them, we apply for your EIN, which the IRS issues online the same day. In most states you have your EIN and state filing number within about a week of our filing, which is what the bank needs to open your account; a few states take longer unless you add their expedited service, which we can do at cost. Then we submit your Form 1023-EZ or Form 1023 on Pay.gov with the user fee, once your authorized officer has reviewed and signed it.
EIN and state filing number within about a week; IRS application filed as soon as the state confirmsApproval
Your state confirms the incorporation, and the IRS reviews your application. When it approves, the IRS mails your determination letter and posts it on its public Tax Exempt Organization Search. If the IRS has questions first, we help you answer them.
A few weeks to several months, depending on your state and which IRS form you fileWhy doing it alone is so hard (and why the Wizard exists)
Starting a nonprofit means satisfying two governments at once. Your state has its own rules for incorporation, board size, and required language. The IRS has its own forms, fees, and a long list of questions about your mission, money, and governance. Miss one detail and the IRS writes back for more information, which can add months. Leave enough unanswered and the IRS can close the file, keep the user fee, and make you start over. Most founders do this once in their lives. Our team has done it thousands of times.
Two forms, one wrong choice
Form 1023-EZ is short and low-cost, but only if you pass a 30-question IRS eligibility worksheet. Churches, schools, and groups expecting more than $50,000 a year must use the full Form 1023. Pick the wrong one and you start over.
Every state plays by its own rules
Minimum directors, filing fees, expedite options, and even newspaper notices differ from state to state. New York, for example, needs a state agency's written consent before it will incorporate certain schools and health organizations.
The exact words the IRS looks for
Your Articles must include a specific charitable purpose clause and a dissolution clause sending leftover assets to another 501(c)(3) or to government for a public purpose. Leave them out (unless your state's statute supplies them) and the IRS will hold your application until they're fixed and refiled with the state.
Your board matters more than you think
Most states require at least three directors, and the IRS looks hard at boards run by one person or one family. Unrelated directors, a conflict-of-interest policy, and real meetings are the practical standard.
The most common reasons for denial
Inaccurate information, a mission that isn't clearly charitable, and missing financial details top the list. All three are avoidable with careful preparation.
Approval is the start, not the finish
Nearly every nonprofit (churches are the exception) must file a Form 990-series return each year, even while the application is pending. Miss three years in a row and the IRS automatically revokes your status, with no appeal.
Already have an accountant? Good. We work with them.
Accountants are great at books and taxes, but not every accountant specializes in forming nonprofits or in the 501(c)(3) application. We handle the formation and the IRS filing, then hand your accountant a clean package: Articles, bylaws, EIN, determination letter, and a plain-English note on which Form 990 you'll owe each year. We're glad to answer their questions along the way. If your accountant would rather hand this piece off, that's exactly what we're here for.
Send us your accountant's questionsWhat 501(c)(3) status unlocks
Recognition from the IRS is more than a letter. It changes how much of every dollar reaches your mission, and who is willing to give in the first place. This is the part the wand was for.
Federal income tax exemption
Your nonprofit pays no federal income tax on money raised for its mission, so more of every dollar goes to the work instead of to taxes.
Tax-deductible donations
Donors can generally deduct their gifts (subject to their own tax situation), which makes asking easier and gifts bigger. Apply within 27 months of forming and, once approved, your exemption reaches back to your formation date, so gifts received while you waited count too.
Access to grants
Most private foundations and many government programs fund only organizations with an IRS determination letter. Without one, the door is closed before you knock.
State sales-tax exemption
Many states let recognized nonprofits buy supplies without paying sales tax. It usually takes a separate state application, which we can point you to, and a few states don't offer it at all.
Reduced nonprofit postage
The Postal Service offers lower Nonprofit Marketing Mail rates to qualifying religious, educational, charitable, and similar groups. Your IRS letter is strong evidence, but USPS makes its own decision on its authorization form (PS Form 3624), so approval isn't automatic.
Credibility that opens doors
Banks, landlords, partners, and volunteers take a recognized 501(c)(3) seriously. Your EIN and determination letter show that your organization is real, accountable, and here to stay.
Who's behind the Wizard
Nonprofit Wizard is a program of Benny Labs Foundation Inc., an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity. We're a nonprofit ourselves, so we know this road from the inside: the forms, the waiting, the questions the IRS asks. We charge for our programs because the work is done by real people, and those fees support the team that prepares and files your documents.
Our team brings more than 20 years of experience forming nonprofits of every kind, across the country: synagogues and temples, churches, dog shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, schools, youth programs, and arts groups. Thousands of organizations later, there isn't much the Wizard hasn't seen.
As our client you get personal, prompt attention. We handle the paperwork, explain each step in plain English, and stay with you until the IRS issues its decision. If the IRS asks questions, we help you answer them. If we ever think your idea won't qualify, we tell you up front, before you pay.
Our mission
To help anyone with a good idea start a nonprofit the right way: incorporated, recognized by the IRS, and ready to accept the first gift.
Our vision
Every synagogue, shelter, pantry, school, and youth program that should exist, does, because getting started was never the hard part.
The Wizard's library: learn it yourself
Want to understand the process before you start, or check our work along the way? These are the official sources and trusted guides we use every day. Click any card to read more; each one goes straight to the source.
Short form or long form? The IRS eligibility worksheet
The IRS's own 30-question worksheet decides whether you can use the streamlined Form 1023-EZ. You need the full Form 1023 if you expect more than $50,000 in any of your first three years, hold over $250,000 in assets, or are a church, school, or hospital.
Read the IRS instructions
What your board of directors is responsible for
Your founding board is your nonprofit's legal steward. This BoardSource guide explains the duties every director carries and the practices the IRS and funders look for: regular meetings, a conflict-of-interest policy, and review of the annual Form 990.
Read the guide
Your EIN: the number that makes it real
An EIN is your nonprofit's federal tax ID. You need it to open a bank account and to apply for tax exemption, even with no employees. The IRS issues it free and immediately online during posted hours. We obtain yours as part of every program.
See the IRS EIN page
Your state's filing office, all 50 states
Incorporation happens at the state level, and each state has its own portal, fee, and rules. This IRS directory links to every state's corporation filings, charity registration, and tax exemption pages, so you can see exactly where your Articles go.
Find your state
Keeping your status: the annual Form 990
Approval is the beginning. Nonprofits with gross receipts normally $50,000 or less file the short 990-N e-Postcard each year; larger ones file the 990-EZ or 990. Miss three years in a row and the IRS automatically revokes your exemption.
Read about Form 990-N
Free grant-writing and fundraising training
Candid offers free courses and sample documents on writing proposals, building a budget, and finding the foundations most likely to fund your cause. A great first stop once your determination letter arrives.
Explore Candid Learning
Where donors look you up
Before giving, donors and grantmakers check the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search to confirm that gifts are deductible. It also shows determination letters and Form 990 filings. Once approved, your nonprofit appears here under its legal name.
Open the IRS search tool
Bylaws: your nonprofit's rulebook
Bylaws set how your board works: its size, officer roles, meetings, voting, and how to make changes. The IRS expects to see them with your application. BoardSource explains what to include and how to keep them current with state law.
Read the bylaws guide
Registering before you fundraise: your state charity regulator
Most states require a charity to register with the attorney general or secretary of state before asking the public for donations, and to renew each year. NASCO's directory shows the office and link for every state and D.C.
Find your state regulator
The IRS handbook: Publication 557
The IRS's own guide to getting and keeping tax-exempt status: the language your organizing documents must contain, the application steps, and your annual duties once approved.
Read Publication 557The Wizard's glossary
Plain-English definitions of the words you'll meet along the way.
The section of the federal tax code covering charitable, religious, educational, scientific, and literary organizations. A recognized 501(c)(3) pays no federal income tax, and its donors can generally deduct their gifts.
Your nonprofit's nine-digit federal tax ID from the IRS. You need one to open a bank account and to apply for tax exemption, even with no employees. It's free and issued online.
The document filed with your state that legally creates the corporation. For a 501(c)(3) it must include a charitable purpose clause and a dissolution clause.
Your board's internal rulebook: how many directors, officer roles, how meetings and votes work, and how to make changes. The IRS expects them with your application.
The group legally responsible for the nonprofit. Most states require at least three; the IRS looks closely at any board controlled by one person or one family.
Written rules for what happens when a director or officer could personally benefit from a decision. The IRS asks on Form 1023 whether you have one.
The full IRS application for 501(c)(3) recognition, filed online through Pay.gov with a $600 user fee. Required for larger organizations and for all churches, schools, and hospitals.
The streamlined online application for small nonprofits that pass the IRS eligibility worksheet, filed on Pay.gov with a $275 user fee.
The IRS's official letter recognizing your nonprofit as tax-exempt. It's mailed to you and posted on the IRS's public search tool. Donors and grantmakers ask for it.
The annual information return nearly every exempt organization must file (churches are the main exception). Which version you file depends on your size. It's due the 15th day of the fifth month after your year ends, May 15 for calendar-year groups.
All the money your nonprofit takes in during a year from every source, before subtracting any expenses. The IRS uses it to decide which forms you qualify for.
Language in your Articles stating that if the nonprofit ever closes, its remaining assets go to another 501(c)(3) or to a government for a public purpose, never to individuals.
The rule that no insider may pocket the nonprofit's earnings. Directors and officers can be paid only reasonable amounts, and most serve as volunteers.
The person or company at a physical street address in your state who receives legal notices and official mail for the corporation. Most states require one at formation.
The federal government's online payment site where Form 1023 and Form 1023-EZ are filed and the IRS user fee is paid. The IRS does not accept paper applications.
Questions people ask the Wizard
Straight answers. If yours isn't here, ask it in the form and we'll cover it on the call.
Which program do I need: the Short Form or the Long Form?
What's included in the program?
Are government fees included in the price?
When do I pay?
How long does the whole thing take?
How many directors do I need?
Can directors be paid?
Do I really need to file a Form 990 every year?
What is an EIN?
Can the IRS reject my application?
What if the IRS says no, or I change my mind?
Do churches and synagogues need to apply?
Can you work with my accountant?
Can I do this myself?
You're a nonprofit, so why do you charge fees?
What happens after I submit the form?
Tell us about your nonprofit. We call you back within 24 hours.
No phone tag, no hold music. Fill out the short form, or use the AI intake above, and a real member of our team calls you back within 24 hours for a free consultation. We act quickly, and we're happy to talk it through with you personally: we'll answer your questions and tell you honestly which program fits. You pay nothing until we're ready to submit your documents. That's where the magic starts.
No phone number to dial. No hold music. Just a real conversation.
