Formation

Proposal stage. Nothing in this folder has been filed, signed, or adopted. The materials below are a proposed roadmap for forming the Guild as a state nonprofit corporation and obtaining 501©(6) recognition from the IRS. Final decisions — including state of incorporation, registered agent, board composition, and timing — belong to the Guild's prospective founding board after review by qualified tax-exempt counsel.

This folder collects what would be needed to form the Guild as a state nonprofit corporation and obtain 501©(6) recognition from the IRS.

Status checklist

• State of incorporation selected (Maine or Minnesota)
• Name reserved
• Initial Board of Directors identified (minimum 3)
• Articles of Incorporation drafted
• Articles filed with state
• EIN obtained
• Bylaws drafted
• Bylaws adopted at organizational meeting
• Core policies adopted (Conflict of Interest, Whistleblower, Document Retention, Gift Acceptance)
• Officers elected
• Registered agent appointed
• Bank accounts opened
• Insurance procured (GL, D&O, Cyber, E&O, Event)
• Form 1024 filed with IRS
• State charitable solicitation registrations (where required)
• First IRS Form 990 filed
• First state annual report filed

Subfolders

• maine/ — Maine-specific formation materials and references
• minnesota/ — Minnesota-specific formation materials and references
• irs/ — Form 1024 application materials and IRS correspondence

See the full state comparison and step-by-step checklist in ../blueprint/launch-blueprint.md, Section 3.