People often want to know how to start a non-profit organization, but in doing so they usually overlook a critical question: should they be starting a nonprofit in the first place?
What do I want to accomplish?
This is the most important question you can answer, and one you will have to deal with if you do start a non-profit, so it is worth taking the time to explore. A lot of charitable sentiment arises from the idea that “something should be done about X”. If that is as far as you have gotten, you are not ready to start a non-profit. You should research what, if anything, is already being done to address the issue in your community or elsewhere. If a true gap exists, you can try forming a coalition of interested parties to develop a strategy to address the need. If, on the other hand, your response to the question is something along the lines of "X is a need, and Y is a way to fill it,” then you are ready to take the next step. (Should you decide to start a non-profit, your response to this question can be the basis for developing vision and mission statements.)
Is a starting new nonprofit really the best way to proceed?
There are nearly 3 million non-profit organizations out there. Chances are, someone somewhere is already doing your idea. Instead of going through the time and expense to start up a new organization, and instead of competing for limited funds, you might be better off partnering with an existing non-profit. You can volunteer, become a board member, or even work for the organization. You can start a local chapter of a national effort. Or if an organization is doing something related to what you envision, you can see if there is room to grow under its umbrella. If you truly care about your mission, you will not start a non-profit as a vanity project, but because it is truly needed.
Am I the right person to do this?
Do you have what it takes to start a new organization? A good – or even – great idea is not sufficient. A kind heart is also not enough. Even passion won’t get you there. You have to have a mixture of skills – energy and patience, vision and attention to detail – for a non-profit to get off the ground. You will have to muddle through – or pay someone to go through – a lot of paperwork at the local, state, and federal levels, create articles of incorporation, recruit a board of directors, find funding, etc. In other words, even if a non-profit should be created, perhaps you are not the best person to do it. There is nothing wrong with being a dreamer, if you are one, but you might benefit from handing the reins to a doer. Perhaps you can meet with key stakeholders and pitch your idea. You might end up chairing the board, but letting someone else run the show.
Am I willing to give up control?
If you start up a non-profit, you can be the board chair or you can be the executive director, but you can’t be everything. You can hand-pick board members, but you have to be careful to make legitimate appointments or your organization will lose credibility. You need to be able to attract donors if you want to sustain your efforts – and some ideas are more fundable than others. In other words, even though you will still have some – possibly even most of the say – in what happens, once you start a non-profit, “your baby” takes on a life of its own.
Decide whether you should start a non-profit after you’ve researched what related groups exist and after you’ve answered the questions here.
More on Starting a Non-Profit
- Do I need a lawyer to start?
- How to write a mission statement
- How to write non-profit bylaws
- Choosing a bank account
Estela Kennen - Estela is a doctoral student in Public Administration and a freelance writer and editor.
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