Corporations Not For Profit

C.R.S. tit. 7, art. 40
in effect

C.R.S. § 7-40-101 Who may organize - certificate - fees

7-40-101. Who may organize - certificate - fees. (1) (a) Any three or more persons, who may or may not be residents of the state of Colorado, may associate themselves together to establish a corporation not for profit for any lawful business or to promote any legitimate object or purpose and may make, sign, and acknowledge and file in the office of the secretary of state of the state of Colorado and record in the office of the recorder of each county in which said corporation owns real estate in the state of Colorado a certificate in writing, setting forth the name of such corporation, the business, objects, or purposes for which it is formed, and the names of the first directors, trustees, or managers. The department of revenue shall collect a fee of five dollars for filing said certificate. (b) Notwithstanding the amount specified for the fee in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), the executive director of the department of revenue by rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of the fee if necessary pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), C.R.S., to reduce the uncommitted reserves of the fund to which all or any portion of the fee is credited. After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the executive director by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase the amount of the fee as provided in section 24-75-402 (4), C.R.S. (2) The provisions of this article shall not apply to any nonprofit corporation formed after December 31, 1967, nor shall they apply to any corporation not for profit formed prior to January 1, 1968, which is subject to the provisions of articles 121 to 137 of this title.

C.R.S. § 7-40-102 Powers

7-40-102. Powers. A corporation not for profit shall be a body corporate in the name stated in its certificate and may sue and be sued; make and enforce contracts in relation to its business, powers, and objects; have a seal; acquire, hold, encumber, and dispose of property, real, personal, or mixed; adopt and alter bylaws; amend its certificate of incorporation; consolidate or merge with any other corporation; have different classes of members with or without voting rights; and exercise every right and privilege necessary, incident, or appertaining to its business, objects, and purposes. Associations and societies which are intended to benefit the widows, orphans, heirs, and devisees of deceased members thereof, where the members thereof receive no money as profit or otherwise, shall not be deemed insurance companies.

C.R.S. § 7-40-103 Contents of certificate or bylaws

7-40-103. Contents of certificate or bylaws. (1) The certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the corporation shall provide: (a) The number and term of office of trustees, directors, or managers of the corporation and the manner of their selection or election; (b) The officers of the corporation and their term of office and the manner of their designation or selection; (c) The kinds and classes of members and the rights and privileges of each; and (d) The authority under which conveyance or encumbrance of all or any part of the corporate property may be made, and the persons who are authorized to execute the instruments of conveyance or encumbrance; and, if not contained in the certificate of incorporation or any amendment thereof, a certified copy of this authority shall be recorded in each county in which the corporation owns real estate.

C.R.S. § 7-40-104 Additional powers - indemnification - liability

7-40-104. Additional powers - indemnification - liability. (1) The certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of the corporation may provide the authority for the amendment of the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws, for the merging or consolidation of the corporation with another corporation, and for the exercising of any corporate function, power, right, duty, or privilege. (2) (a) The certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of the corporation may set forth a provision limiting or eliminating the personal liability of directors to the same extent and in the same manner as is provided for cooperative associations in section 7-55-107 (1)(h). (b) Any such corporation shall have the same powers, rights, and obligations and shall be subject to the same limitations as those that apply to domestic corporations, as set forth in article 109 of this title 7. Corporation directors, officers, employees, and agents shall have the same rights as directors, officers, employees, and agents, respectively, of domestic corporations, as set forth in article 109 of this title 7. Corporation directors and officers shall have the benefit of the same limitations on personal liability for any injury to person or property arising out of a tort, as set forth in section 7-108-403, for directors and officers, respectively, of domestic corporations. Any reference in said sections to shareholders shall be construed to refer to voting members or voting stockholders, if any, for the purpose of this section.

C.R.S. § 7-40-105 Amendments - where filed - fees

7-40-105. Amendments - where filed - fees. (1) (a) All amendments to the certificate of incorporation shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state of Colorado and recorded in the office of the recorder of each county in which said corporation owns real estate in the state of Colorado. The department of revenue shall collect a fee of five dollars for the filing of each amendment. (b) Notwithstanding the amount specified for the fee in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), the executive director of the department of revenue by rule or as otherwise provided by law may reduce the amount of the fee if necessary pursuant to section 24-75-402 (3), C.R.S., to reduce the uncommitted reserves of the fund to which all or any portion of the fee is credited. After the uncommitted reserves of the fund are sufficiently reduced, the executive director by rule or as otherwise provided by law may increase the amount of the fee as provided in section 24-75-402 (4), C.R.S. (2) If a true copy of the certificate of incorporation of the corporation or any amendment to the certificate is presented to the secretary of state with a request that the same be certified, the secretary of state shall certify the same for a fee that shall be determined and collected pursuant to section 24-21-104 (3), C.R.S., which certificate or amendment shall contain, in addition to the usual statement, a statement that the same is a true copy of the original certificate or amendment, as the case may be, on file in the records of the secretary of state and a statement as to the date of filing of the original certificate or amendment.

C.R.S. § 7-40-106 Associations which can be formed

7-40-106. Associations which can be formed. Religious, educational, benevolent, charitable, and other nonprofit associations may incorporate under the provisions of this article or any other applicable law authorizing such incorporation.

C.R.S. § 7-40-107 Dividend only on dissolution

7-40-107. Dividend only on dissolution. No dividend or distribution of the property of any such corporation, association, or society shall be made until all debts are fully paid and then only upon its final dissolution and surrender of organization and name, nor shall any distribution be made except by a vote of a majority of the members. When a distribution of any of their property is contemplated, the directors, trustees, or managers shall file a statement, under oath, in the office of the recorder of deeds in the county in which the business office is located that all debts of the corporation, association, or society are paid, and, in case a distribution is made before filing this statement under oath or if the statement is willfully false, said directors, trustees, or managers shall be jointly and severally liable for the debts of such corporation, association, or society. When a final dissolution of any such corporation, association, or society, formed by virtue of law, has been agreed upon, the directors, trustees, or managers shall file, in the office of the secretary of state, a certificate thereof under seal of the corporation, association, or society, and upon filing this certificate the organization shall cease to exist.

C.R.S. § 7-40-109 Procedure for consolidation

7-40-109. Procedure for consolidation. (Repealed)

C.R.S. § 7-40-110 Approval of merger or consolidation

7-40-110. Approval of merger or consolidation. (Repealed)

C.R.S. § 7-40-111 Certificate of merger or consolidation

7-40-111. Certificate of merger or consolidation. (Repealed)

C.R.S. § 7-40-112 Effect of merger or consolidation

7-40-112. Effect of merger or consolidation. (Repealed)

C.R.S. § 7-40-113 Merger and consolidation with religious, educational, and benevolent societies

7-40-113. Merger and consolidation with religious, educational, and benevolent societies. (Repealed)
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

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