Start a nonprofit · Alaska
How to Start a Nonprofit in Alaska
Alaska charges $50 to file the articles of a nonprofit corporation, and state law calls for at least three directors. A nonprofit files a $25 biennial report every two years, due July 2. A charity registers with the Department of Law for $40 before soliciting, and registration renews each September 1.
Every fee and rule on this page was checked against the agency's own publication on November 8, 2026. Sources are linked under each item.
At a glance
The Alaska requirements in one table.
| Type of entity | An Alaska nonprofit corporation, formed by filing Articles of Incorporation (Form 08-0438) with the Division of Corporations. Sources: Corporation forms and fees |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $50 for the Articles of Incorporation. The Initial Report that follows has no fee. Sources: Corporation forms and fees |
| Name reservation | $25 for 120 days. Sources: Corporation forms and fees |
| Initial board | At least three directors under AS 10.20.086. Sources: Nonprofit FAQs |
| Federal exemption | Form 1023 ($600) or Form 1023-EZ ($275), filed electronically on Pay.gov. The state does not grant tax-exempt status. Sources: IRS fee page, IRS e-filing notice, Nonprofit FAQs |
| Biennial report | $25, due July 2 every two years. Sources: Biennial report FAQs |
| Charity registration | $40 for charities, filed online, renewing each September 1. Sources: Law Dept. charity page |
The steps
Four steps, in the order they happen.
Seat at least three directors.
The Division of Corporations states that the number of directors of a non-profit corporation is at least three under AS 10.20.086. A narrow exception exists for certain homeowners associations with fewer than 12 units.
Sources: Nonprofit FAQs
File the Articles of Incorporation and pay $50.
Form 08-0438 is available online or as a PDF. The fee is $50. Name reservation, if wanted, is $25 for 120 days. The Initial Report filed after incorporation has no fee. The page reviewed does not state the registered agent rules, so confirm them on the form. A change of agent or officials later takes a $25 filing fee.
Sources: Corporation forms and fees, Nonprofit FAQs
Apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status.
Forming a corporation does not make it tax-exempt. The federal application is Form 1023, with a $600 user fee, or the shorter Form 1023-EZ, with a $275 user fee, for smaller organizations that pass the eligibility worksheet in the form instructions. Both are filed electronically on Pay.gov, and the IRS returns paper applications. The IRS notes that the amounts can change.
The IRS answers with a determination letter, the written ruling that recognizes the exemption.
Sources: IRS fee page, IRS e-filing notice
Get an Alaska business license and register with the Department of Law.
The Division of Corporations lists an Alaska Business License before engaging in business activity, and registration with the Department of Law for a charitable organization. A gaming permit from the Department of Revenue is also needed for bingo or raffles.
A charity registers before soliciting money or property in Alaska. A charity is a nonprofit operated for relief of poverty, distress or another condition of public concern in the state, or one the IRS recognizes under 501(c)(3). The fee is $40, paid and filed online. Exempt charities submit a Notice of Exemption online once. Exemptions include charities with no paid employees or board members that do not intend to raise or receive more than $5,000 a year, or to receive contributions from more than 10 persons a year, and religious organizations not required to file federal annual information returns.
Sources: Nonprofit FAQs, Law Dept. charity page
Charity renewal
How the Alaska charity registration renews.
The Department of Law sets a single yearly date.
September 1.
Registrations expire September 1 each year, and the form opens July 1. No extensions are granted.
Sources: Law Dept. charity page
No late fee.
No late fees are charged, but an organization is not registered until its filing is received and approved, and it cannot solicit until then.
Sources: Law Dept. charity page
After you form
Staying in good standing.
Two things recur.
File the biennial report by July 2.
The fee is $25. Entities created in an even-numbered year file in even-numbered years, and those created in an odd-numbered year file in odd-numbered years. Filing opens April 2. Reports postmarked on or after August 2 bring the total to $30. Missing reports can lead to involuntary dissolution.
Sources: Biennial report FAQs
Renew the charity registration by September 1.
The renewal is $40, filed online. Online filers can auto-fill the next year's form using the FEIN and the prior confirmation number.
Sources: Law Dept. charity page
Common questions
Quick answers.
How much does it cost to start a nonprofit in Alaska?
The articles cost $50, plus the IRS user fee of $275 for Form 1023-EZ or $600 for Form 1023. That totals $325 or $650 as of the date this page was verified. Charity registration adds $40.
How many directors does an Alaska nonprofit need?
At least three, under AS 10.20.086.
How often does an Alaska nonprofit file a report?
Every two years, by July 2, at $25. The year follows the parity of the year the entity was created.
After the filing
What comes next for a Alaska nonprofit.
The state filing is the short part. These are the next four jobs, and the book that handles each.
- Book I
Get the federal application and first-year budget right
The name, bylaws, the IRS application, a founding board and a first-year budget that balances.
- Book X
Start from finished documents
Forty annotated documents, including bylaws, budgets, policies, job descriptions and board papers, as editable Word files.
- Book VII
Build the board on purpose
What a board is for, recruiting for the skills you lack, working with the chair and running meetings that reach decisions.
- Book VIII
Stay in good standing
Charitable solicitation registration, operating in a second state, insurance and annual filings.
The complete set
All ten books and forty documents, $149.
All ten books in PDF and EPUB, plus the forty documents from Book X as editable Word files. The books are not sold separately.
Free when you join the list
Every Document a New Nonprofit Needs
Articles, bylaws, minutes, the exemption application, the policies and the filings: the whole sequence a new organization has to produce, in the order it arrives.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
- Alaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, Corporation Forms and Fees
- Alaska Division of Corporations, Nonprofit and Religious FAQs
- Alaska Division of Corporations, Biennial Reports FAQs
- Alaska Department of Law, Charity and Paid Solicitor Registration
- IRS, Form 1023 and 1023-EZ: amount of user fee
- IRS, Changes to the exempt organization determinations process
Last verified November 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the agency before you file. This page is general information and not legal or tax advice.