How To Start My Own Nonprofit Organization – Starting a nonprofit is no different than starting any other business. You will need to do research, write a business plan, and file incorporation documents with your country. But nonprofits face an additional hurdle—they must obtain approval from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to qualify for the tax exemption.
This guide will help you learn how to start a nonprofit and includes tips for creating a nonprofit business plan so you can get started on a solid legal and financial footing.
How To Start My Own Nonprofit Organization
A successful nonprofit meets a unique need. A needs assessment will help you identify that need, find out what other organizations are already doing, and find the best solutions.
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Use this research to write a needs assessment that describes your nonprofit’s mission, strengths and weaknesses, and the need it fills.
Organizations, including nonprofits, need to bring in money to survive. That’s why market analysis—a plan to get financial and volunteer support for your nonprofit—is a must.
Start by listing the types of supporters you want, such as donors or volunteers. Imagine an “ideal supporter” for each type and write down some characteristics, e.g
Then use surveys and interviews to reach out to potential donors to find out their motivations for giving and the communication methods to which they respond best.
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Use your research to refine the descriptions of your ideal sponsors. These descriptions will help you target your fundraising and reach the people who are most likely to be enthusiastic donors and volunteers for your cause.
Choosing the right type of nonprofit structure is an important part of forming your nonprofit. The most common types of business structures include corporations, partnerships, and LLCs. For the IRS to recognize all of these structures as tax-exempt, they must qualify for 501(3)(c) status.
A nonprofit business plan is similar to a for-profit business plan, but the fundraising section makes it different. The main elements you will want to include in your nonprofit business plan are:
When starting a nonprofit, you may need a lot of money to cover start-up costs, as well as ongoing funding to generate revenue and maintain the organization.
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When looking for funding opportunities, grants, donations and membership programs are some of the most popular ways nonprofits generate operating funds.
There are many different types of government grants available to nonprofits for start-up funding – they are available at the local, state and federal levels. The application process is often extensive.
Part of running your nonprofit is a membership program where members can contribute money to your organization. This usually involves a membership fee – either a one-off, annual or monthly fee – which can help with running costs.
These fees typically result in membership benefits such as free admission to fundraising events, access to the member newsletter, and discounts to local businesses.
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Once you’ve established a solid foundation and secured funding, it’s time to start your nonprofit. When forming a non-profit organization, you must:
Keep in mind that most states have a separate business classification for nonprofits. If you plan to receive donations from another country, you must register there as well. The National Association of State Charity Offices (NASCO) is a great resource for finding contact information for the state in which you want to register.
Part of forming a non-profit organization is choosing a legal structure. In most cases, non-profit organizations are formed as corporations, but an LLC can also be a non-profit organization. A non-profit organization and a non-profit organization share the same goal of serving the community.
Those forming a new nonprofit may be interested in the LLC structure because it can be more flexible with its organizational structure. On the other hand, a non-profit corporation has more restrictions on shareholders, directors and managers.
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Incorporating a non-profit organization includes all of the above steps. However, there are some additional and more complicated steps involved in forming a nonprofit LLC, one of which is obtaining 501(c)(3) status so that you can qualify for tax exemption.
Many nonprofits all have rules about tax exemptions, tax-deductibility of contributions, and whether the organization can lobby lawmakers or support candidates.
Most nonprofits are 501(c)(3) charitable organizations. Most of these are public charities, a category that includes animal welfare organizations, food banks and museums. Private foundations are also 501(c)(3) organizations.
After you file a nonprofit application, the IRS may have questions or need additional information. If all is well, it may take several months to receive a letter of determination of tax-exempt status. Once you receive the letter, you can apply for a tax exemption in your state.
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The final step in starting a nonprofit is maintaining your tax-exempt status. Here are the things you need to do to maintain your tax-exempt status throughout the year.
If you’re trying to start a nonprofit with no money, government grants and loans may be available to cover start-up costs. Tax sponsorship is another great way to start a nonprofit.
Tax sponsorships can be formed when community organizations or other nonprofits partner with new nonprofits. Through this partnership, you can get help attracting donors and raising funds before your nonprofit is recognized as a 501(c)(3) by the IRS. In addition to funding, a fiscal sponsor can help you navigate the process of starting a nonprofit and handle administrative tasks.
Non-profit organizations receive their income through grants, donations and membership programs, for example. They then use their earnings to cover the costs of running their business, including paying salaries and employee benefits.
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Non-profit organizations pay themselves (and their employees) a fair wage from the income they receive, as it is a cost of doing business.
The short answer is yes – you can start a nonprofit yourself. However, the startup process takes a lot of time and effort, and the support of a partner or team can help make things run more smoothly. You also need to form your own board of directors who will be involved in making important decisions, so ultimately you need a team.
Non-profit organizations and for-profit companies are two different wheels. Simply put, a for-profit company’s main goal is to make a profit, while a non-profit company’s goal is to use its profits to give back to the community and further its mission. Therefore, non-profit organizations are exempt from taxes and for-profit companies are required to pay taxes by law.
If your main goal is to sell products or services to make money, a profitable business may be for you.
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If your primary goal is to create a charitable business that gives back to the community, a nonprofit may be for you.
Starting a nonprofit can be difficult and time-consuming, but consulting with an experienced nonprofit attorney can help the process go smoothly. An attorney can answer questions, draft statutes, and review your application to the IRS. They can also clarify your ongoing obligations so that you can maintain your tax-exempt status and continue to run a successful nonprofit.
This part of the site is for informational purposes only. The content is not legal advice. Statements and opinions are the expression of the author and are not and have not been evaluated for accuracy, completeness or changes in law. If you’re thinking about starting a nonprofit, congratulations! It’s a great way to bring people together and make a difference in your community.
It can also be quite an overwhelming process. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide—it covers absolutely everything you need to know about starting and growing a successful nonprofit.
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It’s long, so use the table of contents on the left to jump to the sections that interest you the most.
A non-profit organization is an organization established to serve the community or advance a social cause. For example, it could be a club, society, trade association, social welfare group or charity.
Unlike for-profit companies, non-profit organizations do not distribute their profits to shareholders, but instead channel them back into their operations.
It’s also important to note that nonprofits typically have an ongoing mission and are created with no end date in mind. If you have an idea for a short-term project that would benefit a specific community, consider partnering with an existing nonprofit organization.
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Starting a nonprofit can be a long process. Part of that depends on how quickly you can organize yourself, put together a board of directors, start your nonprofit, and prepare everything you need to apply for the tax exemption. For most new nonprofits, this stage can take several months.
When you’re ready, you’ll apply for the exemption by filling out Form 1023. But keep in mind that it may take 3 to 12 months for the IRS to contact you with your decision. If you think your nonprofit generates less than $50,000 in annual revenue, you can file an expedited version called Form 1023-EZ, which takes 2-4 weeks to process. Don’t worry, we’ll cover the details of claiming the exemption in a later section.
There are other legal nuances to take care of, and how long they take depends on where you live. Generally, wait several months to a year before you can start your nonprofit.
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