On July 13, 2025, the Rhoades Institute of Technology became a real thing. Not a vision doc, not a conversation with an AI at midnight, not a plan scribbled in a notebook — a Wisconsin nonstock corporation, filed with the Department of Financial Institutions, with a purpose statement and a registered agent.
Here’s what it actually took to get there.
Starting With the State
Wisconsin makes nonprofit incorporation straightforward. You file Articles of Incorporation with the DFI — the Department of Financial Institutions — using their Form 102 for nonstock corporations. The online filing fee is $35. Paper filing costs $70, so we went digital.
The Articles require a few key things: the corporation’s name, a statement that it’s organized under Wisconsin Statute § 181, a purpose statement, a registered agent with a Wisconsin address, and the incorporator’s name. Ours states that the Rhoades Institute of Technology is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code — specifically promoting civic literacy, technology education, community dialogue, and creative collaboration.
Directors, Bylaws, and the Organizational Meeting
Wisconsin requires a minimum of three directors for a nonprofit board, though they don’t need to be Wisconsin residents. The bylaws — the internal operating rules that govern how the board functions, how officers are elected, how meetings work — aren’t filed with the state, but you need them to operate properly.
The organizational meeting is where the bylaws get adopted, officers get elected, and you authorize things like opening a bank account and filing for federal tax-exempt status. It’s the moment the organization officially starts operating.
The Federal Side: EIN and 501(c)(3)
After incorporation comes the IRS. First, you apply for an Employer Identification Number — that’s free and instant through IRS.gov. Then comes the 501(c)(3) application. For smaller organizations expecting under $50,000 in annual revenue, the IRS offers Form 1023-EZ — a streamlined application with a $275 filing fee. The full Form 1023 costs $600 or more and is required for larger or more complex organizations.
You have 27 months from incorporation to file and have your tax-exempt status apply retroactively to the date you incorporated. That timeline matters if you’re accepting donations from the start.
Wisconsin-Specific Requirements
Once federal tax-exempt status is approved, Wisconsin has its own steps: applying for state sales tax exemption using Form S-103, and registering as a charitable organization (Form 296) if you’re soliciting donations from the public. There are exemptions for smaller organizations, but it’s worth understanding the requirements early.
Annual compliance means filing reports with the Wisconsin DFI and IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ each year.
Why This Matters
None of this is glamorous. Filing paperwork doesn’t feel like building a movement. But legal incorporation is the foundation that makes everything else possible — accepting donations, applying for grants, partnering with other organizations, and operating with the credibility that comes from being a legitimate 501(c)(3).
RIT started as a series of conversations about what civic literacy could look like if someone actually built the infrastructure for it. On July 13, 2025, it became a legal entity with a mission: promoting civic literacy, technology education, community dialogue, and creative collaboration in Wisconsin and beyond.
The paperwork is done. Now the real work begins.
Interested in what RIT is building? Visit our About page to learn more about our mission and values, or get in touch if you want to be part of it.