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Dissolving a Nonprofit

Are you starting to feel something is not right with your nonprofit? Is money running low, are board members hard to find, or are programs that once thrived no longer working in today’s environment? You may wonder if it is time to think about dissolving your nonprofit. Just as there are thousands of nonprofits starting each year, there are many organizations that decide to wrap up their work. The dissolving of some organizations is healthy within communities so that time, energy, and money may focus on other organizations. 

Dissolving a Nonprofit takes you through the decision-making and actions involved in closing down a nonprofit organization. The guide provides guidance on the key compliance steps as well as information on how to manage communication and community outreach in a way that honors your nonprofit’s legacy. This resource represents a distillation of knowledge, experience, and research from nonprofit leaders, people who have experience dissolving nonprofits, lawyers, and capacity builders. 

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What We Cover in Dissolving a Nonprofit

Part 1: Exploring What You Need to Know

If you are thinking about dissolving a nonprofit, there are five main concepts to explore before making a decision. 

Part 2: Making Your Decision

Once you know what is involved in dissolving a nonprofit, you enter a decision-making process. There are two main stages for this decision-making: whether to dissolve and, if you decide to, how to dissolve.

Part 3: Dissolving a Nonprofit

The decision was made to dissolve your nonprofit. Due diligence was completed in making a decision that you, your board, and your community support. Now what comes next?

Dissolving a Nonprofit in Washington State

Dissolving a Nonprofit Guide

Download the Dissolving a Nonprofit guide that includes checklists, activities, and reflection questions. 

Download the Guide

More Resources

Internal Revenue Service

Washington State Department of Revenue

Washington State Office of the Secretary of State

Important Note: This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or technical advice. If you are unsure about anything covered in Dissolving a Nonprofit, we suggest that you contact the appropriate agency or seek professional advice.

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