Where can I find information on bylaws for nonprofit organizations?

Bylaws define how a nonprofit organization will be managed and run. They determine which staff and board members have authority and decision-making responsibilities and how those responsibilities should be carried out. They create a framework for your organization, ensure that income is used properly, and aid in resolving internal disputes. You must have a governing organizing document, such as a constitution, charter, or articles of association or incorporation, to secure tax-exempt status.

For examples of what some nonprofit bylaws look like, see our FAQ "Where can I find examples of nonprofit bylaws?"

Print Resources on Nonprofit Bylaws:

• Carver, John. Boards That Make a Difference: A New Design for Leadership in Nonprofit and Public Organizations. 3rd Ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2006.

• Davis, Gary W. "Digging into ethics." Association Management Vol. 55 (October 2003) p. 26-33. The author, president of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association, offers a roadmap for identifying and dealing with the numerous ethical quandaries that association leaders face. One suggestion is to begin with an "ethics audit," which involves analysis of an organization’s by-laws.

• Edie, John A. First Steps in Starting a Foundation. (5th ed.) Washington, DC: Council on Foundations, 2001.

• Flather, Newell, Mary Phillips and Jean Whitney. Family Foundation Library: Governance. Washington, DC: Council on Foundations, 1997.

• Hummel, Joan. "Bylaws: Playing by the Rules." In Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization, pp. 21-28. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1996.

• Mancuso, Anthony. How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation. (8th ed.) Chapter 7. Berkeley, CA: Nolo Press, 2007. (Sample bylaws included.)

• Oleck, Howard L. and Martha E. Stewart. Nonprofit Corporations, Organizations, & Associations. (6th ed.) Chapters 22-23, pp. 693-801. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1994. (Sample bylaws included.)

• Tesdahl, D. Benson. The Nonprofit Board's Guide to Bylaws: Creating a Framework for Effective Governance. Washington, D.C.: BoardSource, 2003.

• Warda, Mark. How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation. (3rd ed.) Naperville, IL: Sphinx Publishing, 2004. (Sample bylaws included.)

For more books on nonprofit bylaws, try searching our Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (CNL), the Center's bibliographic database. You could start searching on the subjects "Nonprofit organizations--establishment and termination" or "Nonprofit organizations--management". You could also try searching on the keywords "bylaws" or "by-laws".

Many of the books and articles found through CNL can be located in Center Libraries and some Cooperating Collections. It is best to call ahead to verify a specific library's holdings.

To learn more about nonprofit bylaws, attend our Before You Seek a Grant: A Checklist for New Nonprofits, a free one and a half-hour class.

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