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Essential Guide To Starting A Non-Profit Organization

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Daniel at 3:15 am

Starting your own non-profit organization is a great way to give something back to your community – and a lot further beyond. However, there is a lot to think about before you get started. In this simple guide, we will take you through the basics of starting a non-profit, and help point you in the right direction to kickstart your idea in the best possible way. Ready to get started? Let’s take a look at everything you need to know.

Have An Idea

You can start a non-profit organization for almost anything you can think of. Perhaps you want to start a charity helping deprived kids learn music or create a sports club in your area. However, what you decide on should be relevant to you. This will help give you the drive you need to succeed. There are many barriers to starting a successful operation, but having a cause to champion loudly can help you through the rough times.

Research

You will need to undergo a long period of research if you want to start a non-profit. You will need to be an expert in your field if you want to drum up enough interest in what you are doing. A great way to prepare yourself is by trying to get some sort of work experience in the area you want to work in. Let’s say you want to start an association that lays on things to do for the elderly, for example. Doing some volunteer work at a local retirement home could benefit you when it comes to getting funding.

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Get Help

If you are inexperienced with the process of charities and non-profits, you would be wise to look at getting help. You might need an accountant who can help with doing the figures for your business plan, for example. Firms such as Brown Smith Wallace LLC could offer you the expertise that you lack to cement your non-profit into your community. There is so much to think about that getting help from those with the right experience is the only way you will make sense of what needs doing.

Hiring Staff

In many ways, employing people for a non-profit organization is like hiring them for a normal company. But there are differences. For example, you might hire someone to do some marketing, but they end up doing a lot of administration tasks because you can’t afford a full-time administrator. You will also have to offer a benefit to them because non-profits just don’t have the budgets to compete with profit-making companies. Although you might have a nice cause to work for, they will be paid less – so make up for it by giving them a more flexible working pattern, for example.

Hopefully, this guide has given you some food for thought. Starting a non-profit takes a lot of hard work, and there will be certain points where you feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall. However, if you can make it work, they are incredibly fulfilling.

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