Q&As

In the strictest sense, bylaws are not public documents. They are the internal rules and regulations to guide your board's activities. As a reference document, when filing for your tax-exempt status, it is a good idea to include your bylaws if they have already been drafted. When incorporating your organization, your bylaws can provide helpful data on your organization.

Even if the law does not consider your bylaws a public document, your willingness to distribute a copy to anyone requesting it increases your accountability and transparency to the public. Considering your bylaws as your public document could force your board to pay careful attention to its contents. Keep the bylaws alive by evaluating them on a regular basis and amending them when they seem to lose validity or no longer correspond to your values.

For more information on bylaws, see The Nonprofit Board's Guide to Bylaws. It is available in our bookstore.