Define what is ending before selecting a Georgia form
| Board or operating decision | Primary Georgia path | What remains separate |
|---|---|---|
| Stop soliciting in Georgia but continue elsewhere | Charitable Organization Withdrawal form | Entity authority, tax accounts, contracts, grants, and fundraising outside Georgia. |
| Dissolve a domestic Georgia nonprofit that commenced activities | Corporate authorization, Notice of Intent to Dissolve, winding up, and Articles of Dissolution as applicable | Charity withdrawal, assets, creditors, tax filings, employees, and contracts. |
| Dissolve a domestic nonprofit that never commenced activities and meets the statutory facts | Non-commenced nonprofit Articles of Dissolution path | Confirm no members entitled to vote and no net assets; address charity and tax records separately. |
| End a foreign nonprofit's authority to transact business in Georgia | Application for Withdrawal through the Corporations Division | Charity withdrawal and any home-state dissolution remain separate. |
| Merge, transfer programs, or distribute remaining assets | Transaction-specific governance and legal process | Donor restrictions, grants, liabilities, regulator notice or approval, tax, and successor custody. |
Write an approved scope statement before work begins. “The organization will stop Georgia solicitation after the current campaign but continue operating elsewhere” is materially different from “The Georgia corporation will dissolve and distribute remaining charitable assets.” The statement should identify the last solicitation date, last contribution-processing date, proposed entity effective date, and person responsible for post-close records.
Withdraw the charitable organization registration
The Georgia Secretary of State's current charities guide says an organization must file the Withdrawal Form when it no longer intends to solicit charitable contributions in Georgia. The state says withdrawal may help prevent misuse or fraudulent use of the registration by others and lists no fee for this charity filing.
- Confirm the exact legal name, Georgia charity registration number, main address, contact person, and approved reason for withdrawal.
- Set the last Georgia solicitation and contribution-processing dates. Inventory donation pages, email segments, events, grant applications, professional-solicitor activity, and recurring gifts that must stop or be reconfigured.
- Have an authorized executive officer complete and sign the current Withdrawal of Charitable Organization form.
- Submit the form using the current agency instructions. The guide permits email to the Charities Division or mail to the Securities and Charities Division address.
- Save the signed form, sent email or delivery proof, attachment copy, agency reply, and a dated follow-up task. Do not treat the sent message alone as final approval.
Reconcile the charity file through the final date
Before submitting, inventory every Georgia charity registration, renewal, reinstatement, amendment, Form C-100, financial statement, Form 990-series attachment, C-200, professional-fundraiser contract, notice, deficiency, fee, and confirmation through the proposed exit date. Georgia's current guide requires charities to amend registration facts within 30 days when specified information changes. Ask the Division how unresolved periods or amendments affect the withdrawal rather than assuming the form erases an old filing obligation.
Campaign shutdown
Document the date each Georgia-facing page, appeal, ad, event, contract, and recurring-donation route ended or changed.
Financial cut-off
Reconcile contributions, refunds, chargebacks, restricted gifts, fundraiser payments, grants, receivables, and liabilities through the final solicitation period.
Registration history
List filed and missing years, amendments, notices, acceptance evidence, and any reinstatement or deficiency issue.
Post-close owner
Name the person who will receive agency correspondence, preserve records, and prove the outcome to a later auditor, donor, or board.
Coordinate the Corporations Division workstream
Georgia publishes distinct corporate forms for nonprofit dissolution and foreign withdrawal. A domestic nonprofit that commenced activities can require a Notice of Intent to Dissolve before Articles of Dissolution. A qualifying non-commenced nonprofit has a separate Articles of Dissolution template. A foreign nonprofit uses the corporate Application for Withdrawal to end its Georgia authority.
- Confirm domestic versus foreign status, entity type, control number, current annual registrations, fees, and penalties.
- Georgia's current business guidance says entities must be current on annual registrations before voluntary dissolution or withdrawal is issued.
- Align the corporate effective date with board or member authorization, the wind-up plan, contracts, employees, grants, bank access, taxes, charitable assets, and charity withdrawal.
- Save the filed-stamped corporate record separately from the Charities Division response.
An administratively dissolved entity still needs deliberate wind-up work. The Georgia FAQ says an administratively dissolved entity may conduct only activities necessary to wind up and liquidate and may need reinstatement before a voluntary dissolution filing. Obtain organization-specific legal advice before using an administrative status as a substitute for an approved close-out.
Protect charitable assets and finish the evidence file
Charitable funds, restricted gifts, endowments, grant balances, program assets, and records are not ordinary leftover property. Governing documents, donor restrictions, contracts, Georgia law, federal tax rules, and regulator or court oversight may shape the permitted distribution. The board should obtain appropriate legal and tax guidance before approving a merger, dissolution, transfer, or residual distribution.
Authority
Board and member approvals, governing documents, advisor analysis, asset plan, authorized signers, and effective dates.
Filings
Charity withdrawal, corporate filing, final tax returns, account closures, campaign shutdown, receipts, and agency correspondence.
Verification
Written outcomes, filed-stamped entity record, dated public searches, asset-transfer proof, record custodian, and follow-up calendar.
Official Georgia sources
Sources reviewed August 6, 2026. The organization's facts, governing documents, live agency instructions, and applicable law control. This guide is not legal or tax advice.
Georgia close-out FAQ
How does a charity withdraw its Georgia registration?
Complete the current Withdrawal of Charitable Organization form, have an authorized executive officer sign it, and submit it using the Charities Division's current email or mail instructions.
Is there a Georgia charity-withdrawal fee?
The Secretary of State's current charities guide lists no fee for the charitable organization withdrawal filing.
Does charity withdrawal dissolve a Georgia nonprofit corporation?
No. Corporate dissolution and foreign-entity withdrawal are separate Corporations Division processes.
Must a Georgia entity be current before dissolution or withdrawal?
The current business guidance says annual registrations, fees, and penalties must be cleared before voluntary dissolution or corporate withdrawal is issued.
Can remaining charitable assets be distributed like ordinary property?
No. Governing documents, restrictions, contracts, law, tax rules, and possible regulator or court oversight can control the permitted disposition.