How to Start a Nonprofit Organization
Pick your cause., Write a mission statement., Come up with a name.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pick your cause.
What populations will benefit from your nonprofit, and in what way are you planning on helping them? This question may seem obvious, but it's worth taking the time to consider it deeply.
Start out on the right foot by having a strong purpose and goals that are distinct from those of other nonprofits in your community.Your nonprofit should work for the common good with a specific purpose in mind.
For example, your purpose could be to create a cleaner environment for the people and wildlife in your community by establishing programs to clean up the rivers and streams.
It's important that the purpose of your organization doesn't overlap too much with the work being done by other organizations.
For example, if you wish to start a nonprofit to increase literacy in your city, make sure that a similar program hasn't already been established by someone else.
You may be able to better accomplish your goals by collaborating with an existing nonprofit.
You should also keep in mind that there are millions of nonprofits and limited grant and donor funds to go around, so you'll need to establish yourself as filling a niche that isn't being filled by anyone else. -
Step 2: Write a mission statement.
Once you have a purpose in mind, craft a clear, timeless, decisive mission statement that will serve as your guide during the entire process of creating your nonprofit and executing your goals.
Your mission statement will be a way of clarifying your purpose for yourself as well as advertising your organization to the rest of the world.
Keep it broad if you're dreaming big.
You may not know exactly where your nonprofit journey will take you; like all organizations, yours will have to react to the changing times and the needs of the community.
If you want to keep your goals general for now, consider this example from the Sierra Club, whose mission is, To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.Write something more specific if you have a concrete plan in mind.
If you're starting a nonprofit to fill a need that's immediately apparent in your community, you might want to write a more focused statement, like this one from the Samaritans, an organization that runs a suicide prevention hotline:
We are a non-profit, volunteer organization whose sole purpose is to provide support to those individuals and groups who are in crisis, have lost someone to suicide and/or are feeling suicidal., Pick out a name that is easy to remember, interesting, and gives a clear picture of what your organization is all about.
It's also important that your name be unique, since it's illegal to incorporate under a name that is already in use.
Contact your state's Secretary of State's office to find out whether the name has already been taken.
If it has, you'll need to come up with something else.
Don't use a name that's too long or wordy.
It will be more difficult for people to remember.
Try to choose a name that isn't too mysterious.
For example, if you are starting a nonprofit to benefit homeless children, you'll want to state that clearly so that people who need your services can connect with you easily.
Horizons for Homeless Children, for example, leaves no doubt about what their organization does.
When you settle on a name that no one else has, reserve it with the Secretary of State's office. -
Step 3: Come up with a name.
Detailed Guide
What populations will benefit from your nonprofit, and in what way are you planning on helping them? This question may seem obvious, but it's worth taking the time to consider it deeply.
Start out on the right foot by having a strong purpose and goals that are distinct from those of other nonprofits in your community.Your nonprofit should work for the common good with a specific purpose in mind.
For example, your purpose could be to create a cleaner environment for the people and wildlife in your community by establishing programs to clean up the rivers and streams.
It's important that the purpose of your organization doesn't overlap too much with the work being done by other organizations.
For example, if you wish to start a nonprofit to increase literacy in your city, make sure that a similar program hasn't already been established by someone else.
You may be able to better accomplish your goals by collaborating with an existing nonprofit.
You should also keep in mind that there are millions of nonprofits and limited grant and donor funds to go around, so you'll need to establish yourself as filling a niche that isn't being filled by anyone else.
Once you have a purpose in mind, craft a clear, timeless, decisive mission statement that will serve as your guide during the entire process of creating your nonprofit and executing your goals.
Your mission statement will be a way of clarifying your purpose for yourself as well as advertising your organization to the rest of the world.
Keep it broad if you're dreaming big.
You may not know exactly where your nonprofit journey will take you; like all organizations, yours will have to react to the changing times and the needs of the community.
If you want to keep your goals general for now, consider this example from the Sierra Club, whose mission is, To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.Write something more specific if you have a concrete plan in mind.
If you're starting a nonprofit to fill a need that's immediately apparent in your community, you might want to write a more focused statement, like this one from the Samaritans, an organization that runs a suicide prevention hotline:
We are a non-profit, volunteer organization whose sole purpose is to provide support to those individuals and groups who are in crisis, have lost someone to suicide and/or are feeling suicidal., Pick out a name that is easy to remember, interesting, and gives a clear picture of what your organization is all about.
It's also important that your name be unique, since it's illegal to incorporate under a name that is already in use.
Contact your state's Secretary of State's office to find out whether the name has already been taken.
If it has, you'll need to come up with something else.
Don't use a name that's too long or wordy.
It will be more difficult for people to remember.
Try to choose a name that isn't too mysterious.
For example, if you are starting a nonprofit to benefit homeless children, you'll want to state that clearly so that people who need your services can connect with you easily.
Horizons for Homeless Children, for example, leaves no doubt about what their organization does.
When you settle on a name that no one else has, reserve it with the Secretary of State's office.
About the Author
Margaret Young
Experienced content creator specializing in pet care guides and tutorials.
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