Alaska is an extremely unique state that resides separated from the mainland of the United States. In addition to its beautiful environment it’s an opportune atmosphere for creating and maintaining nonprofits such as booster clubs. The process for creating an Alaska booster club, in comparison to the other 50 states, is complex. This is why Booostr.co has created a basic outline for what you need to know about establishing your own Alaska booster club! Similarly, Booostr.co has created a number of articles that detail the different processes of creating a booster club in other areas of the United States. The Booster Club Management By State tab is constantly expanding, growing to eventually include all 50 states. If you’d like to learn exactly how create a booster club in Alaska, keep reading! Or, if you’re interested in learning about the booster club creation process for other states, take a look at the Booster Club Management By State section!
When you found an Alaska booster club, it’s important that you research any and all state laws that involve corporate or organizational regulations. To establish a booster club, your booster club will need to review the Alaska Statutes Chapter 10.20, which you can find here. There, you’ll find a list of substantive provisions outlined by the state of Alaska that your booster club will need to take into account as you build your Alaska booster club.
Before you can take any more steps with your organization, you should decide on a name that you can register with the state. The title of your Alaska booster club is required to be distinguishable from any other registered organizations within the area. If you’d like to check whether or not the name you’re considering for your Alaska booster club is available, take a look at the Corporations Section of the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development website. From there, find the Search Corporations Database.
If you believe your organization has reached a consensus on your Alaska booster club’s name, you can reserve it with the state. This will prevent any other organizations from registering under your title as you continue to build your Alaska booster club. For more information on how you can reserve or register a name, explore this page on the Commerce Alaska official website.
Alaska state law requires that any and all nonprofit organizations assign at least three members the position of director. This is, of course, to ensure that there’s a solid system of leadership established within your booster club. As you take steps to ensure you have the correct Alaska booster club structure, you’ll need to include the names and addresses of each member on the founding board of directors in your booster club’s articles of incorporation. The general term for any nonprofit director is one year. These first three (or more!) directors will maintain their positions until the first annual re-election. The timing of said re-election will be specified in your booster club’s articles, as well.
As we mentioned above, your Alaska booster club will need to incorporate their board of director’s information in their articles of incorporation. But what do the articles of incorporation consist of, exactly? In some states, they are filed with the Secretary of State. However, when you create a booster club in Alaska, you’ll need to file the articles with the Corporations Section, Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing because to the states lack of a secretary.
The information that your Alaska booster club should include in its articles of incorporation should include crucial pieces of data such as the name of the organization, how long it plans to remain active, the purpose of the club, and the address of its initial home base or office. Additionally, as we said before the name and address of each founder or director should be included as well. For more information on what the state of Alaska requires of your booster club’s articles of incorporation, take a look at the Alaska Statutes Chapters 10.20.151 and 10.20.153. To access the actual articles of incorporation form, click here. Otherwise, you can fill out and submit your articles online.
In order to legally found an Alaska booster club, your club needs to fill out more than just the articles of incorporation. To create a booster club in Alaska requires a good amount of federal paperwork and research as well! In order to obtain 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, which is necessary for the establishment of your organization, you’ll need to incorporate a statement of purpose in your articles of incorporation that meets the requirements of the IRS. Additionally, you must agree that your nonprofit will not take part in any sort of political activity or hand over its assets in the scenario of disbandment or dissolution. Furthermore, the IRS requires that your organization file Form 1023 as part of the Application for Recognition of Exemption under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. If your Alaska booster club has a smaller annual gross, meaning $50,000 or less, it may be eligible for the more streamlined application of the form, Form 1023-EZ. For more information on the requirements of the IRS and how they impact your booster club, check out IRS Publication 557, or Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization. By acquiring tax-exempt status, your booster club will automatically become exempt from Alaska’s state income tax.
In addition to the articles of incorporation and IRS forms, as you build your Alaska booster club, you should register for an Employee Identification Number, or EIN, with the IRS. An EIN is necessary in the process of creating a legitimate nonprofit organization, acting as a way to formally identify any active organizations within the U.S. For instructions on filling out the form, click here. Or, to access the EIN registration form itself, click here!
Once that additional step is completed, your Alaska booster club should think seriously about establishing its own bank account. Keeping financial transactions away from any one members bank account will help avoid confusion or dishonesty in your organization, meaning it is in your booster club’s best interest to have a bank account of its own that you can monitor closely.
As you take care to build your Alaska booster club, it’s important that the founding members and volunteers have a frank discussion about how the organization is to be run. Creating bylaws that abide by Alaskan state law is crucial when organizing meetings, electing officers and future directors, and more. To make sure your organization has the correct Alaska booster club structure, create a thorough outline of the objectives and expectations of each member and how their actions will benefit the booster club as a whole. Your first meeting should consist of the creation and approval of your booster club’s bylaws. That first meeting can also serve as an inauguration of sorts for the booster club’s first assigned officers.
Keeping a record of that meeting and all future correspondence is also an enormous part of creating a booster club in Alaska. Creating a system where all important documentation can be found and referenced easily and efficiently is crucial when maintaining a nonprofit. Assign a bookkeeper for the club that will have the responsibility of organizing documentation and taking minutes during meetings. This will keep the trajectory of your booster club on track, promoting its growth and reach in the community!
Alaska is an extremely unique state that, while isolated from the mainland of the United States, has an incredible environment for establishing nonprofit organizations. With a complex governmental system that bypasses the responsibilities of the Secretary of State, the process for building an Alaska booster club is more personal and involved, making the end result of creating the booster club that much more satisfying!
If you’d like to learn more about how you can create a booster club in other areas of the United States, take a look at Booostr.co’s Booster Club Management By State section! Otherwise, you can access the Booostr Booster Club Blog for more general advice on how to create and maintain booster clubs, regardless of location.
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Booostr is the first booster club software platform with a connected set of tools designed to help booster clubs and nonprofits better manage their organization. From Communication, to Management, to Fundraising, Booostr's connected software improves booster club efficiency and allow them to focus on surpassing their goals.
