Articles of Incorporation:

• act as a charter to establish the existence of a nonprofit in your state.
• are filed with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
• register your nonprofit name as a business entity within the state

The Articles of Incorporation must include:

• the name of the organization
• where the organization will be headquartered
• the organization’s overall purpose

Before you can file these articles, you will need to decide:

• the name of your organization
• if your organization will be a “membership organization.” (In a membership organization, all members can vote to elect or remove officers and can make changes to the Bylaws.)

You must have Articles of Incorporation to:

• apply for public or private grant money
• solicit for tax-deductible contributions
• protect from personal liability for a group's activities
• get special postal rates
• be exempt from property taxes

Make sure an attorney reviews your Articles of Incorporation.

Resources:
An example of Articles of Incorporation