If you’re thinking of starting a non-profit and wondering what form of entity you should use, this is the post for you.  Non-profits are different than for-profits, as I’m sure you know, because non-profits do not have "owners" in the traditional business sense.  You can’t build equity in a non-profit because all of its profits are plowed back into its activities.  So, for that reason, the form of business is different than traditional for-profit entities.

In Virginia, you may form a "non-stock corporation" as the entity.  This is very similar to a traditional corporation but with no shares of stock (hence the "non-stock" in the name).  The non-stock corporation is run by either a Board of Directors or Members, or a combination of the two.  More information regarding exactly how to form a non-stock corporation for your non-profit can be found here: http://www.dietzlawfirm.com/VirginiaNonprofits.htm.

And if you’re ready to start your non-profit and want to make sure it’s done properly, check out our new quick and easy formation service for non-stock corporations. 

Yes!  If you operate a charity in Virginia, you must first register with the state before soliciting contributions.  The Virginia Code requires that before you start soliciting funds from Virginia residents you first register with the state and pay the required filing fee. 

If you’re planning on soliciting charitable donations from more than one state, however, you can file a unified registration statement to save time.  To learn more about unified registration statement, you can visit this site.