Start a nonprofit · Arkansas
How to Start a Nonprofit in Arkansas
Arkansas charges $45 to file the articles of a nonprofit corporation online, or $50 on paper. The annual report, due each August 1, costs nothing to file. A charity does not pay to register with the Secretary of State, and one that stays at or under $25,000 in contributions and uses unpaid workers can claim an exemption.
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 Arkansas requirements in one table.
| Type of entity | An Arkansas nonprofit corporation, created by filing Articles of Incorporation (Form NPD-1) with the Secretary of State. Sources: SOS nonprofit page |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $45 online or $50 on paper. The 501(c)(3) version of the form carries the same fees. Sources: SOS nonprofit page |
| Name reservation | $25, optional. Sources: SOS fee list |
| Federal exemption | Form 1023 ($600) or Form 1023-EZ ($275), filed electronically on Pay.gov. Sources: IRS fee page, IRS e-filing notice |
| Annual report | Due August 1 each year under Act 569 of 2007. No charge to file a nonprofit annual report. Sources: SOS nonprofit page |
| Charity registration | No fee for a charitable organization. An exemption is available at $25,000 or less in annual contributions with unpaid workers. Sources: SOS charity guide |
The steps
Four steps, in the order they happen.
Choose a name and reserve it if needed.
The Secretary of State lists a name reservation at $25. Reserving is optional and only matters if there is a gap between choosing a name and filing.
Sources: SOS fee list
File the Articles of Incorporation.
File Form NPD-1, or the 501(c)(3) version of it, with the Secretary of State. The fee is $45 online or $50 on paper.
The sources reviewed for this page do not state the minimum number of directors or incorporators, so confirm those requirements on the form before filing.
Sources: SOS nonprofit page
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
Register as a charity or claim the exemption.
Under the Secretary of State's charitable registration guide, a charity registers before soliciting contributions, using fund-raising counsel or paid solicitors, or running a sales promotion. There is no fee for a charitable organization. Paid solicitors pay $200 plus a $10,000 bond, fund-raising counsel $100 and professional telemarketers $10.
A charity can claim an exemption if it does not intend to solicit or receive, and does not actually receive, more than $25,000 in a calendar year, provided unpaid workers carry out its functions and no assets or income go to officers or members. The claim uses Form EX-01 with proof of IRS status if applicable and the articles.
Sources: SOS charity guide
Charity rules
What the Arkansas charity rules do and do not require.
The Secretary of State's guide sets two financial lines.
No registration fee.
A charitable organization pays no fee to register in Arkansas. The fees apply to paid solicitors, professional telemarketers and fund-raising counsel.
Sources: SOS charity guide
Audit at $500,000.
A charity whose gross revenue exceeds $500,000 in any fiscal year includes a CPA-prepared audit report with its annual financial report.
Sources: SOS charity guide
After you form
Staying in good standing.
Two things recur.
File the annual report by August 1.
Nonprofit corporations file yearly by August 1 under Act 569 of 2007. The Secretary of State states there is no charge to file any nonprofit annual report.
Sources: SOS nonprofit page
File the charity annual financial report.
A registered charity's annual financial report is due August 1. An extension of up to six months may be granted for good cause, requested by email to the Secretary of State.
Sources: SOS charity guide
Common questions
Quick answers.
How much does it cost to start a nonprofit in Arkansas?
The articles cost $45 online or $50 on paper, plus the IRS user fee of $275 for Form 1023-EZ or $600 for Form 1023. Online, that totals $320 or $645 as of the date this page was verified.
Does an Arkansas nonprofit pay to file its annual report?
No. The Secretary of State states that there is no charge to file any nonprofit annual report, which is due August 1.
Do I have to pay to register as a charity in Arkansas?
No fee applies to a charitable organization. A charity at or under $25,000 in annual contributions with unpaid workers can claim an exemption using Form EX-01.
After the filing
What comes next for a Arkansas 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.
- Arkansas Secretary of State, Nonprofit / Charitable Entities
- Arkansas Secretary of State, Nonprofit corporation fees
- Arkansas Secretary of State, Charitable Registration in Arkansas
- 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.