Unfortunately, "Close to exact" Name Match is Not Enough.
Your orgnanization name must match exactly as outlined below. You are NOT required to change your organization's name with the IRS. Your nonprofit organization needs to follow the steps outlined below which should take you NO MORE THAN 15 minutes to complete.
In brief, your nonprofit needs to file a trade name with the business division of the Colorado Secretary of State (CO SOS) which corresponds exactly with the name as it appears on either their IRS filing or your nonprofit's certificate of registration (i.e., your CO SOS charity filing). Your nonprofit then needs to submit that as the legal name associated with your ColoradoGives.org page and upload the trade name document.
Name Match Requirements for the Business Filing/Certificate of Good Standing
The organization name associated with the Certificate of Good Standing ID/business filing ID must correspond exactly to a name that is tied to your organization’s tax ID. Organization names associated with your tax ID are:
- Organization name as it appears on the IRS Business Master File;
- Organization name as it appears on the Certificate of Registration;
- Organization legal name on ColoradoGives.org record.
If the organization’s name on your Certificate of Good Standing/business record does not correspond exactly to one of those above listed names, then you will be required to submit trade name or name change documentation to update the legal name within ColoradoGives.org.
It is a four part process to update your legal name within ColoradoGives.org and re-submit your Certificate of Good Standing ID/business filing ID for verification:
Part 1: File Statement of Trade Name of Reporting Entity with Colorado Secretary of State Business Division
- Search for your organization’s current business filing record based on your Certificate of Good Standing ID/business filing ID: https://www.coloradosos.gov/biz/FileDocSearchCriteria.do
- If the record presented is correct, click confirm. If it is not correct, then go back and search again.
- Click Statement of Trade Name of a Reporting Entity.
- Complete and submit the online form.
Part 2: Download Copy of Trade Name Document
- Once the Business Division of the Colorado Secretary has processed your trade name filing, search for your organization’s business listing based on your Certificate of Good Standing ID/business filing ID: https://www.coloradosos.gov/biz/BusinessEntityCriteriaExt.do
- Click on your organization’s ID number in the search result list.
- Click on Trade Names.
- Click on the ID number associated with the appropriate trade name.
- Click on Filing history and documents.
- Click on the Document number.
- Download/save the pdf of the Statement of Trade Name of Reporting Entity to your computer.
Part 3: Upload Trade Name Document into ColoradoGives.org
- Log into your nonprofit profile on ColoradoGives.org.
- Select Settings.
- Select Organization Info.
- Scroll down to the Legal Name section.
- In the New Legal Name field, enter the organization name as it appears on the Statement of Trade Name of Reporting Entity document.
- Select the document file to upload.
- Click Save.
- The documentation you uploaded will be reviewed. You will be notified via email once it has been approved.
Part 4: Re-enter Certificate of Good Standing ID/Business Filing ID
Once ColoradoGives.org has verified the legal name change, you will then need to re-enter your Certificate of Good Standing ID/business filing ID. To re-enter the ID:
- Log into your nonprofit profile on ColoradoGives.org.
- Along the left hand side, click Settings.
- Select Organization Info.
- Scroll down to the State Compliance section.
- Enter your Certificate of Good Standing ID/business filing ID into the appropriate field.
- Click Save.