I need help knowing where to start to begin a not for profit?
Answers:
You need to incorporate your non profit in your state and file for a 501C3 certification from the IRS
I have found a website that compiles various resources on starting a non profit. I especially like the Minnesota Council of NonProfits because the site gives information on governance, developing strategic alliances, fund raising and other ingredients of successfully running a non profit.
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/z...
As for funding your non profit, I suggest you check out Foundation Center to help you gain ideas on how to properly establish your organization and get support from private foundations. They have the most extensive database of private donors, and they publish a magazine that can be very helpful to your new non profit.
http://fdncenter.org/getstarted/tutorial...
I was previously involved in the setup of a non profit, and we were able to get a pro-bono lawyer who set up everything for us, including getting the 501c3 tax status. Contact other non profits in your area and check if there are lawyers willing to work for free to get you started.
For grants, your best bet is to seek for private grants or grants from private foundations.
The best resource for this is Foundation Center http://www.fdncenter.org . They have a very good database covering all organizations giving grants and you can find foundations that are interested in supporting your type of cause. However, it's a subscription based website ($19.95 per month I think is the cheapest subscription price). But it certainly is worth the fee. You can subscribe one month, and make sure you get all the info you need and then stop the subscription.
If you want to try federal sources, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov - these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants.
CFDA has several ways to search for grants. I suggest you search by beneficiary and select Private Non Profit Organization and you can find listings of grants available http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/catalo...
For detailed information on how to start a non profit, I suggest you read the following books:
- Starting and Running a Nonprofit Organization -- by Joan M. Hummel
- Starting and Running a Non-Profit Made Easy by Entrepreneur Press, David H. Bangs
- Starting & Building A Nonprofit: A Practical Guide by Peri Pakroo
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