If your dream is to help others then starting a non profit organization may be right up your alley. (Make sure you read this entire series.) Your goal may also be to get out debt, build your dream home, get out of debt, etc. Even though you may be forming a non profit you may still earn a living as its paid director.
You may have a strong desire to create a new charitable organization but it is wise to look at the situation closely. The question now becomes “should you?”
◙First of all is your mission achievable?
If your mission is to decrease the incidence of teen runaways, teen drug addiction, teen pregnancy, teen HIV/AIDS infection, and teen suicide is it do-able?
Yes. It’s a tall drink of water, and it may take years to build, but if you are a teen drop-in, soup kitchen, tutoring, health and residential center you could have an impact on all of these areas.
If, however, your mission is to eliminate the possibility of an earthquake in the Midwest by shoring up the New Madrid fault…
No, the technology does not exist today to influence such a huge and powerful force.
◙Second question: Is the service really needed?
If your mission is to provide financial and psychological support to families interested in adopting…
Sure, there are many such groups in the U.S. Families (including single individuals) often need assistance to make it through the maze of adoption. Costs are often so high that middle and low income families are unable to afford adoption therefore grants or no interest loans can be welcomed solutions.
◙Third Question: Is your service a duplicate of what’s out there?
(I recently crossed paths with a woman who hated one of the largest, most successful children s charities in the country–we’ll call her Maude. Maude’s response was to start her own non profit to help support research and services. Competing with a huge, established entity like this, and doing the same activities, makes this a difficult, if not impossible, approach.)
If your mission is to help feed the hungry…
Let’s suppose that in your community you know that there are two soup kitchens in the city but no such service in the outer regions. You also have determined where there are “hungry people” by gathering statistics on school free lunch participants. Therefore, even though there are other big organizations providing these services, they are not present in this needy area. This program probably is very needed.
If, once again, you want to help feed the hungry…
Let’s imagine a fictional woman named Sweet Sue. Sue is moved to set up a meal program that will deliver food to the elderly, sick, and disabled.
In her community let’s suppose that there is not only one meals-on-wheels program but three: one for the elderly and disabled, one for those with mental illnesses, and one for people with serious illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, ALS, and cancer.
In her town her proposed service is not needed. But…perhaps this person could look at what this complex population does need.
“We must dare to think “unthinkable thoughts.” We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world.”
James William Fulbright
◙Fourth question: What emotions are creating your desire?
Sometimes we see people, like Maude who hated the children s charity and who start organizations out of anger. Usually this is a very bad idea. In most instances these negative vibes will permeate everything you do, dwarfing the “good stuff” you want to foster.
“Usually when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change.”
Malcolm X
The rare instance where anger may be right on target is the situation where the services being provided are so bad, so dangerous, so harmful, so inappropriate, or so corrupt that they need to get hip-checked out the door.
Are your forming this organization to create a new job for yourself?
I consulted with a woman, we’ll call her, Lana, who wanted to start an agency to install glow-in-the-dark numbers on houses so that emergency personnel could find the house easily. As I worked with her I learned how miserable she was in her current job. Whenever I suggested ways that she could broaden these services and make them 1) more beneficial to the citizens, and 2) more attractive to funders, she was completely resistant. Needless to say no one funded her, she could not put together a functional board, and the idea fizzled.
Most founders do want a job “of their dreams” when they are designing their non profit, and in most instances that’s okay. The crucial aspect of this equation is keeping the mission the driving force.
◙Question Five: Is there money?
Before you take the first step it is extremely important to investigate where, or how, you will get your money. If you are wealthy and can fund the start-up yourself then you are indeed blessed and can just skim over this part. For the 99.9% of the rest of us—read on.
“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”
Yogi Berra
As usual, Yogi Berra has hit the nail on the head: you must allow your mission to drive your efforts when it comes to funding. Don’t be tempted to have funding determine your mission.
Perhaps. as an example, you are researching funding history on a big foundation in your city and you discover that they fund troubled-at risk-youth. Your mission is to serve babies with HIV/AIDs or who are born drug addicted. But…the youth money looks so appealing. Millions! Maybe you could re-design and have troubled youth work with your babies. Very bad idea. It might be something you do down the road, after you’re established, but not during start-up.
Here are some good places to start in researching potential funding:
1) Do a Google search on funding or donations for your type of organization. For example, a group providing extensive services for homeless teens. I found an interesting site serving homeless teens that told me there are 1.3 million homeless teens in the US. I learned the type of funding this organization receives. They have events, individuals, and a few corporate donations from companies who have home offices in their city (this is an important factor–who is philanthropic in your neck of the woods?)
One of the best sites around is FoundationCenter.org. Your library may have a subscription so that you can explore the extensive database without joining. Or, you can join, for about $20/month.
The Foundation Center will tell you an abundance of information about various foundations and corporations including their assets, how much they donated in the previous year, their deadlines, if they accept unsolicited applications, how to apply, training sessions they may offer (which are gold!) and any priorities they may have.
A productive strategy is to look up information backwards. Search charities similar to yours in your area and determine who is funding them. You now have names to begin your list of potential funders.
Or, visit the similar organization’s website and check out who they have “thank you’s” to. A WORD OF CAUTION: DON’T TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION AT THIS TIME—YOU ARE NOT READY TO SUBMIT A REQUEST! You are simply collecting data.
One tricky way to learn the players in the funding game is to donate to your “similar” charities—see what you get as a thank you and further campaigns/appeals.
Please visit again for more information on forming a non profit and bringing hope into the world.
Face Your Dreams, Embrace Your Loves
NOW, ONE OF MY FAVORITE FUNNIES
Abe and Esther are flying to Australia for a two-week vacation to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Suddenly, over the public address system, the Captain announces, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I am afraid I have some very bad news. Our engines have ceased functioning and we will attempt an emergency landing. Luckily, I see an uncharted island below us and we should be able to land on the beach. However, the odds are that we may never be rescued and will have to live on the island for the rest of our lives!”
Thanks to the skill of the flight crew, the plane lands safely on the island. An hour later Abe turns to his wife and asks, “Esther, did we pay our $5,000 PBS pledge check yet?”
“No, sweetheart,” she responds.
Abe, still shaken from the crash landing, then asks, “Esther, did we pay our American Express card yet?”
“Oh, no! I’m sorry. I forgot to send the check,” she says.
“One last thing, Esther. Did you remember to send checks for the Visa and MasterCard this month?” he asks.
“Oh, forgive me, Abie,” begged Esther. “I didn’t send that one, either.”
Abe grabs her and gives her the biggest kiss in 40 years. Esther pulls away and asks him, “What was that for?”
Abe answers, “They’ll find us!”
YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME
