by Kris Kennedy

Created on: February 24, 2009   Last Updated: March 28, 2009

Starting a Nonprofit

After thinking of an idea to help through a nonprofit, the process launches an individual on a challenge requiring him/her to step beyond self. First step requires the sharing of the idea with others. The challenge of receiving nonprofit status from the I.R.S. and finally financing are not tasks easily handled alone.

Elevator Speech

The first step means to think through the problem, answering questions about the target population, and method to serve the population in order to solve the problem. Nonprofits with I.R.S. status must have a board of directors, which means you must educate about the problem and sell the solution to others. Think about the amount of time you have a captured audience in an elevator. Could you sell the project with the answer to the question, what do you do? Can you make a pitch in that amount of time that inspires allegiance or willingness to help finance the project?

The Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.)

Once individuals join onto the project to build the initial board of directors, the organization will need status enabling others to donate. This is accomplished by getting at 501 3 status from the I.R.S. The application is long and requires looking for assistance from legal and accounting opinions. Nonprofit entrepreneurs hope the previous elevator speech solicited assistance from individuals with this expertise as their initial donation. The telephone call from the I.R.S. requires more than the simple elevator speech.

He/she does not see the community, does not know the individuals on board and has to be suspicious that the idea maybe exploitive rather than a problem solver. I.R.S. needs to know that no one or business will profit and if they could profit from the process why can they provide the service to profit and solve the problem. The I.R.S., also, ask for assurance, the problems actually exist and that funds solicited fail to meet a legitimate need and spent elsewhere. When the first questions arrive, the group must not take offense and discern what cautions previous answers promoted in the agent. By keeping the team's resolve strong all the questions can be answered by keeping the answer to the question, what problem will this organization solve and what most likely will happen if the problem continues, solidly in mind.

Funding

This may be the hardest part because the work fails to start without the funds to complete the work. Volunteers can provide the labor but most likely, there are materials, website, and direct cost of service. If you cannot start providing the mission as soon as possible, the funds do not continue. Success provides the greatest incentive to provide funds and volunteer assistance. Stepping from the inspiration to the mission stage brings forth satisfaction and cements organization's need.

Citizens solving problems through nonprofits enable this nation to shape an admirable society. The effort to set up remains worth the energy, expertise and funds.

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