How to start a Rugby Team

(the 501c3 part)

For starters, the IRS does a great walkthrough of the whole thing:
If this doc you are reading isn’t helping, try there.
And please remember that things do change, so the prices and links we provide do also.

Here are the steps as we know them:

  1. Name your team!

  2. Establish an EIN (Employment Identification Number) with the IRS
    EIN is used to:
    Establish a Bank Account
    Tax Identification - Your team can be recognized by the IRS

    Go here: https://sa.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp
    (you need a .pdf reader to print the document, which you get upon completion of the EIN assistant). This part is relatively smooth.

  3. Complete the 1023EZ - this doc makes you 501c3 compliant
    The form is here now.
    You have to register with this Pay.gov to even look at the forms.
    You can preview the doc you will fill out here.
    Costs: 1st year -File 990 $275
    They take credit, debit, and ACH

It takes about 4 weeks to get your Documentation in the mail.

Don’t be afraid to call the IRS while you’re doing this form - 877 829 5500 - IRS number for tax-exempt organizations, we did. If you can get them on the line (call early and be patient) they are really helpful.

The instructions are found here.
The instructions tell you what you need to file the 1023EZ.

Here is how you fill out the 1023 EZ

Part 1: This is on you, but YOU GOT THIS!
Part 2:

1. We choose Unincorporated Association
2. Check, then read this:

Organizing Document -
This is important, We made a template of the doc that we used, heavily copied from Moon Rugby or, possibly from somewhere online.
(See the template below).

It has lots of legal wording that allows you to check 5,6, and 7.
Fill in the template below. Copy, paste, print, sign, (scan?) and keep.

3. Pick a date, enter it in correct format
4. Pennsylvania
5. Check it
6. Check it
7. Check it

Part III - Your Specific Activities

Some notes:

1. Brief description. So, we wrote something like: ‘We are a rugby team, and provide education about the game at practice and foster competition by attending matches and games with other teams. We are associated with the XYZ School District.’’

2. The NTEE code we used: N60 Amateur Sports
3. We checked Educational and To foster national or international amateur sports competition.
4. Make sure you don’t do, or do the stuff and then check the box
5. No
6. No
7. No
8. No
9. No
10. No
11. No
12. No

Part IV

1. No
2. We chose b
3. We did not check this box

Part V

No checks
IRS phone number for tax exempt organizations: 877-829-5500
Here’s more info on charities and non profit stuff that may or may not be that helpful https://www.irs.gov/charities-and-nonprofits
Here after you need to fill out a 990 form, probably 990 N.
It’s $100.
We have to do that in May.
We will do a walkthrough on that if we remember to note the steps.

This is a template we created as an example of an Organizing Document.

It is a PDF file.

Please download it and create a similar document with your information included.