Handbook
Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook
The 6th Edition of the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook is a work in progress. You can now download 12 key chapters from the 6th Edition – the 2025 Nonprofit Financial Management and Fundraising Toolkit and the 2025 Board of Directors Toolkit. Print versions of both Toolkits are available now.
Join our mailing list to receive news about the print versions and more 6th edition chapters.
The 5th Edition of the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook provides over 800 pages of essential guidance on nonprofit legal issues, Board governance and management, getting and keeping tax exempt status, financial management, raising funds and generating earned income, and working effectively with volunteers. Check out the content of each chapter in the 2025 Toolkits and the 5th Edition here.
While we work on the 6th Edition, we are reducing the price of the 5th Edition to $50.
Our new 2025 Nonprofit Financial Management and Fundraising Toolkit includes 7 updated Chapters from the 6th Edition of the Handbook:
Funding: Obtaining Resources for Your Organization
Understanding Financial Management
Making a Budget
Protecting Your Nonprofit from Fraud & Errors
Keeping Books & Preparing Financial Reports
Payroll & Fringe Benefits
Evaluating Your Organization’s Financial Health
We’ll post additional 6th edition chapters as they are completed. Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to receive email notifications about the 6th edition and more downloadable chapters.
Update on Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Law: The Oregon legislature made important changes to Oregon nonprofit law effective January 1, 2020. Please download and review (by clicking here) our revised update before using sample documents and forms from the 5th edition. Be sure you have considered the impact of the 2020 changes as you draft your documents. We look forward to publishing revised versions of the forms and documents as we complete them and as part of the 6th edition. In the meantime, you may want to get legal advice to be sure you are up to date.
Update on Tax Exempt Status: The 6th edition will include updated guidance on submission of application for tax exempt status and
to maintain tax exempt status. If you are currently applying for tax exempt status, please be sure you are using the current forms and guidance from the IRS https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/applying-for-tax-exempt-status.
in the 5th Edition
Expanded guidance for Boards of Directors moving beyond a “one size fits all” to describe the duties and policies to fit your nonprofit.
6 new sample policies to help your nonprofit comply with IRS governance recommendations.
Practical help with key questions on the IRS Form 990.
Step-by-step guidance to funding your organization – including earned income and contributed income.
New tools for fraud prevention and checklists for financial controls.
Plain language explanation of nonprofit accounting requirements and improved sample financial reports. Caution – as noted above, some key changes in terminology for financial statements have been adopted for nonprofits since the 5th edition was published. We look forward to posting updated samples and explanations of the language changes in the 6th edition.
While we work on the 6th Edition, we are reducing the price of the 5th Edition to $50.
Sample Content
Chapter 13 Sample - from the 2025 Board of Directors Toolkit
Chapter 26 Sample - from the 2025 Financial Management & Fundraising Toolkit
A box order includes 6 copies of the 5th edition of the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook