Markee Cuevas ⋅ Escalon, CA ⋅ 1 years experience

www.taprootfoundation.org

Hope this helps!

Jwan Baughn ⋅ Hot Springs National Park, AR eXP Realtor ⋅ 10 years experience

The Nonprofit Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Run Your Nonprofit
Organization
Small Business Resources HD62.6 .G762 2008
This book provides a comprehensive overview of how to start your own nonprofit. Details include how to incorporate, apply for tax exemptions, and other legal issues as well as general information such as human resource topics, strategic planning, successful fundraising tips, and accounting.

http://www.npguides.org
This site provides free web-based grant-writing resources for non-profit organizations, charitable, educational, public organizations, and other community-minded groups. The site includes guidelines for successful grant-writing, an overview of the preliminary proposal and full proposal processes, and sample proposals.

This information may be helpful. Best wishes!!! Thanks for serving!

Gordon Holman ⋅ Portland, OR Sterling Bank ⋅ 47 years experience

Hi Kamie,
Much good advice, above. If it was not already mentioned I would suggest pano.org, PA Assn of Nonprofit Org. - Starting a non profit. Step-by-step directions and also blog which could very helpful to connect with other who have done or are doing what you are working on.
When you are ready for someone to read your business plan and financial projections I would be pleased to provide some comment and perhaps suggestions.

Best of luck in the process,
Gordon

Jennifer Polhemus ⋅ Santa Monica, CA Precision Research (self-employed) ⋅ 25 years experience

IMHO two top resources (books, blogs, FB, & e-newsletters for each): Kivi Leroux Miller and Beth Kanter.

Derek Reinhard ⋅ Fairfax, VA U.S. Air Force, Lieutenant Colonel ⋅ 20 years served

All good advice in these responses, Kamie.

I also received advice from SCORE and researched through Foundation Center here in DC.
The actual (and successful) HOW for us came from following instructions in two Nolo books: "How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation" and "Starting & Building a Nonprofit".

There are step-by-step instructions as well as state-specific and mission-specific guidance. It takes painstaking detail and many hours (90 for filling out the IRS form 1023 alone) but we accomplished it and have been running an all-volunteer nonprofit for 5 years now.

All the best to you on your endeavors!

Derek Reinhard
Executive Director
Deeper Missions
Clean Energy | Safe Water | Changed Lives
deepermissions.org
derekreinhard.me

MAlebatom Sousso ⋅ Fayetteville, NC U.S. Army, Specialist ⋅ 3 years served

I am planning to build a NGO. But I want to finish my school before start. If you already have an area where you want to intervene, you can Google Business Model Canvas. it is a useful template you can follow to develop your idea. the fact that I have the same aspiration like you, we can work together by sharing experiences. you can contact me at groslee@gmail.com

Constance L Joy ⋅ Virginia Beach, VA Bank of America ⋅ 10 years experience

Kamie,
For your business plan go to www.youngbiz.com they have books on how to write business plans for teachers to teach. They have 5 page or 10 page plans, it is part of their entrepreneurship lessons for children from age 6- 18.

This link has a tutorial for establishing non-profits http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/establish/ . Also try your local continuing education centers for classes on Business Plan writing. Don't overlook your Small Business Development Center(SBDC) for help, they may have workshops. Good Luck

E Y ⋅ Cerritos, CA ⋅ 8 years experience

It is possible that you may find resources at your local university to help you start a non-profit organization. For example, I'm located in Pittsburgh and I did a quick search for "small business development" in two local universities' main web pages and found: http://www.sbdc.duq.edu/ContactUs and http://entrepreneur.pitt.edu/institute-centers/small-business-development-center/. Perhaps you could do the same in your area. Good luck!

Ron Schaefer ⋅ Santa Barbara, CA Montecito Retirement Association ⋅ 23 years experience

Hi Kamie,
Each state will have its own laws about how to create a business. There are steps to take with just setting up the entity, and more steps to take to obtain tax-exemption. One good resource is an attorney. Even a local attorney who does some corporate/employer law can help with crafting your Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, as well as filing for state and federal tax exempt status. An alternate approach would be something like LegalZoom or Nolo who can provide you a state-specific template for the formational documents.

One key feature common to all nonprofit organizations is a volunteer board of directors. Directors (including yourself, possibly) must not have any financial stake in the organization, such as an ownership split or shares. Finding your first board members will be just as key (more, actually, in my opinion) than getting a good attorney. These folks can help finance some early organizational costs, provide space, provide expertise, refine the mission statement, and promote the organization to the surrounding community. You will want a three-year commitment from these folks if possible, just so you have some consistency during the early years.

Hope this helps!
Ron

Eric Taylor ⋅ Salisbury, MD U.S. Navy, Petty Officer Third Class ⋅ 6 years served

Kamie,
I'm looking into the same thing, if you come across an organization or mentorship for non-profit that would can help or provide some information or resource really great.
You seem to be ahead of me as I don't have the the name registered, or the business plan completely finished as I struggle with the funding & budgeting.

You can reach me here.
https://acp-advisornet.org/community/zzmxwz/eric-taylor

Bob Schussler ⋅ Indianapolis, IN Red Gold, Inc. ⋅ 35 years experience

My oldest son has run a small non profit in Chicago the last several years. The organization provides college student age study abroad programs to Mexico and Cuba and does community organizing as well. If his experience sounds like something that would assist you please let me know via the email below and I will ask him to reach out to you directly. My email is nw5cne@hotmail.com

Behzad Bigdeli ⋅ North Richland Hills, TX Exponential Advisor ⋅ 25 years experience

Hi Kamie,

What is the non-profit organization is planning to achieve? Would it be local to PA, nationwide or global?

I have a few more questions before I would be able to help you. Your are welcome to reach me directly at bigdeli.behzad@gmail.com.

Regards,
Behzad Bigdeli