Читать книгу Nonprofit Kit For Dummies - Phillips Frances - Страница 9

IN THIS CHAPTER

❯❯ Considering the benefits and drawbacks of starting a nonprofit

❯❯ Starting off your nonprofit on the right foot

❯❯ Understanding who owns a nonprofit

❯❯ Surveying the different types of nonprofit organizations

❯❯ Comparing and contrasting nonprofits and for-profits

❯❯ Enlisting a fiscal sponsor to help you provide a service or complete a project

Maybe you’ve been thinking about starting a nonprofit organization for years, or maybe an idea to solve a social problem or provide a needed service just popped into your head. It could be time to make your idea a reality. But before you file your incorporation papers, you need to understand the positive and not-so-positive factors that can make or break your new organization. Like opening any business, starting and managing a nonprofit organization isn’t a simple matter.

Take a look at the economy around you. Are existing nonprofit organizations in your community thriving, or are they struggling to find financial and volunteer support? In addition, are you equipped to manage money and raise funds – which isn’t an easy task even when business is booming – and can you inspire others to work with you whether they’re board members, staff, or volunteers?

In this chapter, we pose some questions that you should think about (and answer) before you begin the process of incorporating and applying for tax exemption. If some of your answers point to the conclusion that your idea is worth pursuing but that you want to test the idea first, we suggest you consider using a fiscal sponsor. As we point out later in this chapter, the benefits of fiscal sponsorship are many.

When we use the term nonprofit in this book, we’re referring to organizations that have been recognized by the IRS as exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Tax Code and described as public charities. Later in this chapter, we describe some of the other kinds of nonprofits to point out the distinct attributes of these 501(c)(3) public charities.

Check out File 2-1 at www.dummies.com/go/nonprofitkitfd5e for a list of web resources related to the topics we cover in this chapter.