The cost to start a nonprofit depends on your state, structure, filing path, and how much help you need. Some costs are government or third-party fees. Others are planning and professional-support costs that vary by scope. The important thing is to separate required startup expenses from optional tools and services so you can budget clearly.
Short answer: most new nonprofits pay between about $295 and $700 in required government fees. The realistic floor is about $283 (a state fee near $8 plus the $275 IRS fee) and the ceiling is about $827 (a state fee near $226.60 plus the $600 IRS fee). If you pay someone to prepare and file the paperwork, add roughly $500 to $2,500 for a non-attorney document preparation service, or roughly $1,500 to $5,000 for an attorney. Those professional fees are separate from the government fees.
State formation costs
To put real numbers on it, state incorporation filing fees for a nonprofit corporation most commonly fall between $20 and $100. Kentucky is currently among the lowest at about $8, and Maryland is among the highest at about $226.60. Expedited processing, where a state offers it, typically adds $25 to $100 or more. These amounts change and vary widely, so confirm the current fee with your own Secretary of State before you budget.
Most nonprofits begin with a state formation filing, often called articles of incorporation or a certificate of formation. Filing fees vary by state. You may also have optional costs for name reservation, certified copies, expedited processing, or registered-agent support.
Before filing, confirm what your state requires and whether your articles need nonprofit-specific language. Fixing a weak formation document later can cost more time than preparing it correctly at the start.
EIN costs
The cost is $0. Applying directly with the IRS is free, so any charge you see advertised for “getting an EIN” is a service fee, not a government fee.
An EIN is available from the IRS at no charge when requested directly. Be careful with sites that charge simply to obtain an EIN. The main cost here is not the number itself. It is making sure the EIN request uses the correct legal name and responsible-party information.
If you want support with the order of state setup and EIN steps, review State Setup & EIN Walkthrough.
501(c)(3) application costs
The IRS user fee is fixed, and which one you pay depends on the application you file:
- Form 1023-EZ, the short form: $275. This streamlined application is limited to smaller organizations. In general you must project annual gross receipts of $50,000 or less and hold total assets of $250,000 or less, and certain organization types are excluded regardless of size.
- Form 1023, the long form: $600. This is the full application, required when you exceed the Form 1023-EZ limits or are otherwise ineligible.
The fee is paid through Pay.gov when you submit. The IRS can change these amounts, so check the IRS page on Form 1023 and 1023-EZ user fees before you file.
The federal tax-exempt application may involve an IRS user fee, preparation time, and sometimes professional support. The right path depends on the organization’s activities, revenue expectations, governance, and risk factors. Some groups are straightforward. Others need more careful preparation before filing.
Budget for the application itself, document preparation, narrative development, financial projections, and review time. The cleanest approach is to understand the scope before committing to a support path.
What it costs to have someone prepare and file it for you
Everything above is what the government charges. None of it pays a person to do the work. If you want the formation documents and the 501(c)(3) application prepared for you, the market splits into two broad options, and reported ranges look roughly like this:
- Non-attorney document preparation and nonprofit formation services: roughly $500 to $2,500. Basic online packages that only file articles of incorporation can start near $100. Packages that include preparing the 501(c)(3) application commonly start around $600 and rise with scope, narrative complexity, and how much of the governance and financial work is built for you.
- Attorneys: roughly $1,500 to $5,000 as a flat fee for a straightforward formation plus Form 1023, with complex organizations costing more. Attorneys who bill hourly commonly charge about $150 to $400 per hour.
Both ranges sit on top of the state filing fee and the IRS user fee. Most providers do not include government fees in a quoted price, so read any quote carefully to see whether the $275 or $600 IRS fee is included or billed to you separately.
What moves the price inside either range is scope, not only the preparer’s title: how much of the narrative, budget, financial projections, bylaws, conflict of interest policy, and board records you need built rather than reviewed. An organization that already has a clear program plan and a cooperative board costs less to prepare than one that needs its structure worked out first.
Lurex Consulting is a document preparation and educational-support service, not a law firm or CPA firm, and does not provide legal or tax advice. If your situation involves unusual control, insider compensation, political activity, or private benefit questions, that is a good reason to involve an attorney.
Governance and document costs
Bylaws, conflict of interest policy, initial minutes, board records, and basic operating policies are part of a serious nonprofit launch. Templates can help, but they often need revision so they match your state records and how your board will actually work.
See Bylaws & Governance if you need help organizing these records.
Operating setup costs
After formation, many nonprofits need a bank account, bookkeeping setup, email, website basics, donor records, insurance, fundraising tools, and state charitable registration if they solicit donations. Not every organization needs every tool on day one, but every organization needs a basic way to track money, decisions, contacts, and compliance dates.
Grant readiness costs
Grant work can involve research, proposal writing, budgets, attachments, data, and follow-up systems. A new nonprofit may need to build readiness before applying for larger grants. That can include a clearer program plan, board list, budget, timeline, and evidence that the organization can manage funds responsibly.
Related support includes Grant Research, Grant Writing, and Grant Proposal Review.
How to budget without overbuying
Start with the essentials: formation, EIN, governance, tax-exempt path, banking, and recordkeeping. Then add tools and support based on the work you are actually ready to do. A nonprofit does not need to buy everything at launch, but it does need enough structure to avoid messy cleanup later.
Where Lurex fits
Lurex uses a quote-only path for nonprofit startup and growth support. That means we look at what you need, define the scope, and quote the work before you commit. Start with the Free 2026 Nonprofit Startup Guide, compare services on the Services page, or contact us for a quote.
Sources checked for this cost guide
Figures in this guide were checked against IRS user-fee guidance, IRS Form 1023-EZ instructions, IRS EIN guidance, and reported market ranges for nonprofit formation support on July 29, 2026. Re-check IRS and state filing fees before filing because government fees can change.
Related reading: How to Start a Nonprofit in the US, How to Register Your Nonprofit in Your State and Get a Free EIN, and 5 Common 501(c)(3) Application Mistakes.
This article is general educational information. It is not individualized tax, financial, or compliance guidance. Government fees and requirements can change by state and filing path.
Reviewed and updated: July 29, 2026.