Paperwork for Google for Nonprofits: Examples and How to Find Yours

Yay! 🎉 If you're reading this, you're on your way to applying for Google for Nonprofits. How exciting!

Google uses a company called Goodstack to check the documents you provide when you apply. 🔍 Goodstack's job is to make sure Google for Nonprofits goes only to legitimate nonprofits, so using official documents helps you avoid delays or denials.

📄 Acceptable documents

If you're a verified 501(c)(3): use your IRS documents that show your church name, address, EIN, and 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
If you're registered with your state as a nonprofit: use state documents that show your church name, address, and EIN.
If you're part of a denomination that shares one EIN, you'll need:
- Your denomination's IRS document showing its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
- An official state or IRS document with your church's name and address
- A letter on your denomination's letterhead stating that your church's name and address are covered under its 501(c)(3) status 📝

Outside the US? Check Google's list 🌍 and use the drop-down to choose your country and see which documents are accepted.

👀 Need examples?

See our example documents here. 👍

Not sure whether your documents will work? We've got you! Submit a ticket at churchfuel.com/support with your documents attached, and we'll take a look. 💌

Getting proof of tax-exempt status from the IRS

To request a letter from the IRS, call (877) 829-5500 and ask for a letter confirming your church's nonprofit status and your EIN. The letter can take a while to arrive (often around two weeks), so downloading documents from your state may be faster.

Finding your state paperwork

Not every state makes these documents easy to find, and some charge a small fee for a copy. The list below should make it easier. A few tips:

If you can't find your church in your state's database, contact your Secretary of State's office to ask how to get your documents.
Some states don't offer a file to download. In that case, save the page as a PDF. Here's how to save something as a PDF.

Alabama: Search | Tutorial
Alaska: Search | Tutorial
Arizona: Search | Tutorial
Arkansas: Search | Tutorial
California: Search. You'll need to create a free sign-in with the State of California to search.
Colorado: Search | Tutorial
Connecticut: Search. Need to reach the Secretary of State's office? Contact them here.
Delaware: Search
Florida: Search | Tutorial
Georgia: Search | Tutorial
Hawaii: Search. You may need to save the page as a PDF (see the tip above).
Idaho: Search | Tutorial. You may need to sign in to search.
Illinois: Search | Tutorial
Indiana: Search | Tutorial
Iowa: Search
Kansas: Search | Tutorial
Kentucky: Search
Louisiana: Search
Maine: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
Maryland: Search | Tutorial
Massachusetts: Search | Tutorial. Save your document as a PDF. The download button may give you a file type that won't work.
Michigan: Search | Tutorial. Save your document as a PDF. The download button may give you a file type that won't work.
Minnesota: Tutorial. Follow the tutorial to find the state search page.
Mississippi: Search | Tutorial
Missouri: Search | Tutorial
Montana: Search
Nebraska: Search
Nevada: Search
New Hampshire: Search
New Jersey: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
New Mexico: Search | Tutorial
New York: Search. Churches are often hard to find in New York's database. If you can't find yours, contact your Secretary of State's office or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
North Carolina: Search | Tutorial
North Dakota: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
Ohio: Search
Oklahoma: Search. Oklahoma appears to charge for documents. You can request a free letter from the IRS instead (see above).
Oregon: Search | Tutorial
Pennsylvania: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
Rhode Island: Search
South Carolina: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
South Dakota: Search
Tennessee: Search | Tutorial
Texas: Search | Tutorial
Utah: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
Vermont: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
Virginia: Search. This site is slow to load, so give it a minute.
Washington: Search | Tutorial
Washington, D.C.: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
West Virginia: Search
Wisconsin: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).
Wyoming: No online lookup at this time. Contact your Secretary of State's office, or request a letter from the IRS (see above).

Next step

Once you have your documents, follow our step-by-step guide: How to Apply for Google for Nonprofits. Happy applying! 🎈

Need help?

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