need info about getting Charter for VFD

[asg29]

Was wondering if anyone out there knew how to go about getting a charter for a volunteer fire department?

[AC1503]

I don't know about Texas, but in Indiana our departments are Chartered as Not For Profit Corporations. The Corporations Division of the Office of the Secretary of State issues the Charters. I suggest that you contact an attorney that handles corporate cases. You will also need to apply for Federal 501-c-3 recognition from the IRS.

[SilverCity4]

There are three ways to do it in Oklahoma:

1. Not-for-profit charitable organization
2. Ad valorum tax (fire tax)
3. Municipal

Things are probably about the same in Texas.

What we did was contact some area departments that seemed to have their act together, and they pointed us in the right direction. The right direction turned out to be the Rural Fire Coordinator of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.

501(c)3 status through the IRS allows people to donate to your department and get a tax deduction. Also, some foundations won't let you apply for grants if you don't have it.

Just a note on forming a VFD: it's A LOT more work than you think. But it's worth it.

Good luck.