Religious, Educational, and Benevolent Societies

C.R.S. tit. 7, art. 50
in effect

C.R.S. § 7-50-101 How organized

7-50-101. How organized. (1) Any church, congregation, or society for religious, educational, or benevolent purposes may also become incorporated under this article by electing, appointing, or selecting, at a meeting held for the purpose, two or more of its members as directors, trustees, wardens, vestrymen, or other officers whose powers and duties are similar to those of trustees or directors of a corporation organized for profit, referred to in this article as the "governing board". Said organization may adopt a domestic entity name that complies with part 6 of article 90 of this title and a seal, and, upon the filing of an affidavit with the secretary of state substantially as provided in section 7-50-102, shall become a body politic and corporate by the domestic entity name adopted. (2) The provisions of this article shall not apply to any religious, educational, or benevolent society formed after December 31, 1967, nor to any religious, educational, or benevolent society or corporation formed prior to January 1, 1968, which has elected to accept the provisions of articles 121 to 137 of this title.

C.R.S. § 7-50-102 Affidavit of chairperson

7-50-102. Affidavit of chairperson. (1) The chairperson or secretary of such meeting, within a reasonable time after the meeting, shall file in the office of the secretary of state an affidavit substantially in the following form: STATE OF COLORADO ) ) ss. County of ................................................) I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that at a meeting of the members of the (here insert the name used by the church, congregation, or society before the incorporation) held at .........., in the county of .........., and State of Colorado, on the ........ day of ........, A.D. 20...., the following persons (here insert the names) were elected, appointed, or selected as members of the governing board (under whatever title the organization designates said members, whose powers and duties are similar to those of trustees or directors of a corporation organized for profit), adopted as its corporate name (here insert the name), and at said meeting this affiant acted as chairperson (or secretary, as the fact may be). ............................................... (Name of affiant) Subscribed and sworn to before me this ............. day of ........., A.D. 20.... (2) A fee that shall be determined and collected pursuant to section 24-21-104 (3), C.R.S., shall be charged for filing the affidavit of incorporation. When a true copy of such affidavit is presented to the secretary of state, the secretary of state shall certify it for a fee that shall be determined and collected pursuant to section 24-21-104 (3), C.R.S., as a true copy of the original affidavit on file in the records of the secretary of state, showing the date the original affidavit was filed. (3) A certified copy of such affidavit shall be recorded in the office of the clerk and recorder of the county in which the corporation was organized and also in every county in which the corporation owns real estate. The affidavit of incorporation may also contain other provisions for the management and conduct of the affairs of the corporation, creating, defining, limiting, and regulating the powers of the corporation, the governing board, officers, and members thereof.

C.R.S. § 7-50-103 Bylaws

7-50-103. Bylaws. The directors, trustees, wardens, or vestrymen of any such corporation shall adopt necessary bylaws to provide for the election of directors, trustees, wardens, or vestrymen and other officers and for the proper government in all respects of the congregation, church, or society, unless such corporation, in its articles of incorporation, reserves to itself the right to make and adopt such prudential bylaws as it deems necessary to provide for the election of directors, trustees, wardens, or vestrymen and other officers and for the proper government in all respects of such congregation, church, or society.

C.R.S. § 7-50-104 Trustees of educational institution

7-50-104. Trustees of educational institution. Any corporation existing for educational purposes under the law of this state that maintains one or more institutions of higher education of the grade of a university or college shall be governed and controlled by its board of trustees, wardens, or directors, as the case may be, who shall have power at any time, by a vote of two-thirds of the full board of trustees elected, to increase the board of directors, trustees, or wardens to any number that they see fit and shall also have the power to decrease the same to any number not less than three. The terms of office of such directors, wardens, or trustees may be determined by said board of trustees, wardens, or directors as shall be adopted by them by a bylaw in which two-thirds of the whole number shall concur before the same shall be binding upon the board of trustees, directors, or wardens, as the case may be.

C.R.S. § 7-50-105 Educational institution may confer degrees

7-50-105. Educational institution may confer degrees. Any corporation existing for educational purposes under the law of this state that maintains one or more institutions of higher education of the grade of a university or college shall have authority, by its directors, board of trustees, or such person or persons as may be designated by its constitution or bylaws, to confer degrees and grant diplomas and other marks of distinction as are usually conferred and granted by other universities and colleges of like grade.

C.R.S. § 7-50-106 Property vests in corporation

7-50-106. Property vests in corporation. Upon the due and lawful incorporation of any congregation, parish, church, or society, such corporation shall be entitled to all the real and personal property held by any person or trustees in trust for the use of the members thereof and immediately upon incorporation shall be entitled to a deed of conveyance to be executed by the person holding such property in trust, in order to vest the title thereto in the corporation. Such deed of conveyance shall state the object and purposes of the trust to be carried out according to the purpose and intent of its creation, which deed shall be recorded after the manner of conveyances in general, so that the title and trust declared may duly appear of record. Any self-supporting congregation, parish, church, or society may vest its real estate and personal property in such general incorporations as are provided for in section 7-50-109; except that, if the authorities of any church, sect, or religious body have caused a corporation to be formed for general missions and other purposes, as provided in this article, and it is in accordance with the usages and customs of the church, sect, or religious body to vest the property of mission stations in such corporation, then all such property that may have been held by any person or trustees for the use of the mission stations shall be vested in said general corporation; and whenever any mission station, from change of population or other cause, is suspended or abandoned, the general corporation, in its discretion, may sell or otherwise dispose of all such mission property, the proceeds of such sale or disposal to be used for the benefit of said church, sect, or religious body in the state of Colorado.

C.R.S. § 7-50-107 May take, hold, and convey property

7-50-107. May take, hold, and convey property. Domestic and foreign religious, educational, charitable, and literary corporations or associations operating within the state may take by gift, devise, or purchase, and hold and convey real and personal property. All gifts, devises, and grants made prior to March 14, 1877, to such corporations or associations are hereby ratified.

C.R.S. § 7-50-108 New corporation formed - when

7-50-108. New corporation formed - when. Any congregation, church, or society incorporated prior to March 14, 1877, under the provisions of any law for the incorporation of religious, educational, or benevolent societies may become incorporated under the provisions of articles 30 to 52 and 121 to 137 or articles 101 to 117 of this title, relative to religious, educational, and benevolent societies in the same manner as if it had not previously been incorporated, in which case the new corporation shall be entitled to and invested with all the real and personal estate of the old corporation, in like manner and to the same extent as the old corporation, subject to all the debts, contracts, and liabilities. The word "trustees", as used in articles 30 to 52 and 121 to 137 or articles 101 to 117 of this title relative to religious bodies, shall be construed to include wardens, vestrymen, or such other officers as perform the duties of trustees.

C.R.S. § 7-50-109 Incorporation of Christian governing organizations

7-50-109. Incorporation of Christian governing organizations. If any body of Christians has an organization according to its order or mode of government, whether known as synod, presbytery, conference, episcopate, or other name, with ecclesiastical or spiritual jurisdiction over its members throughout this state, and its authorities desire to engage in works of education, benevolence, charity, and missions, which works shall be of like extensive operation and benefit and not of limited or local service, and they shall deem an incorporation convenient for the more successful administration of said works, its said authorities, with such persons as they may associate with them, may cause such incorporation to be formed in the manner and with the powers provided for the incorporation of a church, congregation, or society.

C.R.S. § 7-50-110 Quorum of directors

7-50-110. Quorum of directors. The bylaws of any such charitable corporation organized under the law of this state may declare the number of trustees or managers necessary to constitute a quorum at any meeting of the board.

C.R.S. § 7-50-111 Amendment of articles

7-50-111. Amendment of articles. Any corporation organized under this article may amend its affidavit of incorporation at any regular or special meeting of its governing board by a two-thirds vote of the board members present.

C.R.S. § 7-50-112 Amendment filed before effective

7-50-112. Amendment filed before effective. (1) When the affidavit of incorporation is amended, a copy of the amendment shall be delivered to the secretary of state, for filing pursuant to part 3 of article 90 of this title, and upon such filing, the amendment shall become effective. (2) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2002, p. 1812, § 10, effective July 1, 2002; p. 1676, § 8, effective October 1, 2002.) (3) A certified copy of the amendment shall be recorded in the office of the clerk and recorder of the county in which the organization was organized and also in each county in which the corporation owns real estate.

C.R.S. § 7-50-113 Articles of amendment evidence of amendment

7-50-113. Articles of amendment evidence of amendment. The articles of amendment, or copy thereof, duly certified by the secretary of state or by the recorder, shall be received as evidence of the change, alteration, or amendment of the articles of incorporation of the corporation.

C.R.S. § 7-50-114 Dissolution

7-50-114. Dissolution. When a majority of the members of any corporation organized pursuant to this article vote to dissolve the corporation, the corporation shall deliver to the secretary of state, for filing pursuant to part 3 of article 90 of this title, an affidavit of dissolution. Such affidavit shall state that all the debts of the corporation are fully paid or provided for. When such affidavit has been filed, the corporation shall be forever dissolved. The president shall obtain from the secretary of state a certified copy of the affidavit showing the filing date and shall record a copy thereof in the office of the clerk and recorder of the county in which the corporation was organized and also in every county in which the corporation owns real estate.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-07.docxFetched: 10/6/2026