Page 26 - Washington Nonprofit Handbook 2018 Edition
P. 26
Nonprofit Formation Checklist (https://wayfindlegal.org/) is a helpful resource to
refer to throughout the process.
a. Name Legal Requirements for a Name
Choose a name for the While your chosen corporate name may be
corporation that signifies a creative and catchy, there are certain things it
message. The organization’s name cannot be under the Act. The organization’s
should convey a message consistent name:
with its mission. Your corporate
name should suggest what your y CANNOT be the “same as or deceptively
organization is about and should similar to” an existing or reserved corporate
name, or limited partnership or limited
arouse interest in your organization. liability company name.
Sometimes both the name and its
abbreviation or acronym can convey y CANNOT include or end with “incorporated,”
a message. For example, both “corporation,” “company,” “incorporated,”
“Progressive Animal Welfare Society” “limited partnership,” “Ltd.,” or any other
and the abbreviation “PAWS” corporate designation.
express the organization’s mission y CANNOT describe the purpose of your
to protect animals. organization in a misleading way. Any word
or phrase that indicates that the corporation
Once you have chosen a is organized for any purpose other than the
name for the organization, you must purpose contained in the Articles of
determine whether some other Incorporation is not permitted. For example,
organization already has used the if your organization plans to work on AIDS,
name or a name similar to it. If no you cannot call it “The Cancer Foundation.”
other organization has chosen the
name, it is available for your y CANNOT be in a foreign language unless the
name is spelled with letters from the English
organization’s use. alphabet. For example, “El Centro de la Raza”
is permitted because it is spelled with English
To determine whether the
name is available in Washington letters.
State, you must check with the Your organization’s name can include words
Corporations Division of the such as “club,” “league,” “association,” “services,”
Secretary of State. It is now possible “committee,” “fund,” “society,” “foundation,” or
to conduct a search on the Secretary “[your corporate name], a nonprofit
of State’s website. At the same time, corporation.” See Chapter 59 for further
you may reserve the exclusive right discussion of fiscal sponsorship.
to use the corporate name so that it
will still be available when you file your articles of incorporation.
WASHINGTON NONPROFIT HANDBOOK -15- 2018
