Before getting into how to start a nonprofit in VA, it might be helpful to be clear about what, exactly, it is. All 501c3s in Virginia are “nonstock corporations,” which means that there are no shares or stocks that can be given to investors.
Nonstock corporations and nonprofits are not synonymous because not all nonstocks are not-for-profit. (Although most of them are.) The importance of them being nonstock, however, is that they ensure the organization was truly created for altruistic purposes. Since the business won’t have stocks to be distributed, it doesn’t have “owners” and investors can’t earn dividends from them. That’s the big legal difference when learning how to start a nonprofit in VA.
There are also several other rules and regulations for nonstock corporations, governing everything from your nonprofit’s formation to its operation. They are all outlined in the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act.