Teams that can channel all their funds through their school or another hockey club (e.g., Summit Youth Hockey or a similar organization) fall under that organization's tax umbrella and therefore do not need to complete the following steps.
All other teams must follow these steps to ensure compliance with the IRS and the State of Colorado. Note that JV and varsity teams are considered one “team,” so JV teams should be included with their parent varsity team.
501(c) 3 ($275)
There is a new, cheaper, shorter application process for small not for profits: the 1023EZ form. This is actually easier than applying for the 501c7.
501 (c) 7 ($600)