3 Most Common NonProfit Hurdles
3 Most Common NonProfit Hurdles
I was thinking this morning about all the great people who have big hearts I’ve come across in the last 12 years. People that only needed a few simple pointers and then were able to launch a nonprofit and run it successfully. I was thinking about this because I wake up in the mornings with a passion to see everyone that wants to do great nonprofit work do it and do it successfully. I’ve learned throughout those 12 years that I know there are some simple formulas, if followed, enable anyone to start and maintain a great nonprofit. I also know that from the questions I am asked when people approach me about starting a nonprofit that there are only a few hurdles people need to get over. I wanted to take a minute and create a quick resource that outlines those hurdles and how to get over them. Read on and hopefully this will outline the 3 most common hurdles you are facing and how to overcome them.
Many years ago I created the Ocean Grand organization because I continually ran into those that needed a simple resource to take the confusion out of starting and running a successful nonprofit. There are hundreds of articles on the web that instruct people on the steps, but few that actually take them through the steps. In addition, it seemed to me that most people wanting to do nonprofit work needed a simple sign-up process and then continued steps to fund and then run their nonprofit.   While it is true that there are several ways to set up, fund, and run a nonprofit, there are simpler ways than others to actually do these steps. I wanted to give people a resource that helped them get their nonprofit dreams launched in a way that was the simplest and least expensive. If you want a simple, easy and effective way to start, fund and run a nonprofit, then I want to show you a way to do it in three simple steps.
Rebranding the NonProfit World
Throughout the many years we have been helping nonprofits, we have seen many many nonprofits get so worn out and overwhelmed with funding and running their nonprofit that they give up. However, we have seen lots of nonprofits follow some simple information and tips and become highly successful. So several years ago we set out to serve the nonprofit and try to simplify information for nonprofits, steps to get their nonprofit set up, and the ongoing work necessary to run a successful nonprofit. We are attempting to “rebrand†nonprofits and the nonprofit arena into a simpler environment so that even the “mom and pop†who have a heart to help can do so successfully.We work with thousands and thousands of nonprofits all over the world and we simply want to give away all the information we can about how to successfully run a nonprofit. If that is you, there are three simple steps to make that happen.
3 Hurdles
- What is the easiest method to create the nonprofit organization?
- How do we get the nonprofit organization funded?
- How do we assure the continued success of the nonprofit?
Below I would like to help you get past these 3 hurdles once and for all.
Creating the Non Profit
Creation of a non profit is traditionally done in two ways; either by forming an independent 501c3 through the IRS or forming a fiscal sponsorship alongside an already existing 501c3. Both can be highly effective and the difference is mostly in the cost and time to get it set up and the amount of administrative paperwork and “back office” work you want to do. Many people doing non profit work are mostly interested in the actual non profit work and do not mind leaving the paperwork to trained bookkeepers and CPAs.  Whichever way you decide to set up your non profit, look into the costs of putting the paperwork and accounting into the hands of trained professionals. If you would like to read more about the differences between setting up a non profit in either of the ways mentioned above see our archived articles http://oceangrand.org/start-a-nonprofit-fiscal-sponsorship and http://oceangrand.org/fiscal-sponsorship . Either forming an independent 501c3 or a fiscal sponsorship is fine for doing nonprofit work. If you want the easiest, quickest and least expensive method the fiscal sponsorship is the method to use and will cause you the least headaches. If at some point after forming a fiscal sponsorship you decide you want an independent 501c3 the transition is easy enough to start with the fiscal sponsorship first.
Funding Your Non Profit
While funding is an important part of making your non profit successful, it is not the most common question or challenge we are asked about. Funding can be very simple and straight forward. When many contact me about developing a fundraising plan for their nonprofit the next question they ask is about how they can learn to grant write. While grant writing can be an important part of funding a nonprofit, it should not be the primary nor is it the most stable way to fund a nonprofit. Funding a nonprofit is best accomplished by cultivating and establishing a stable donor base of individuals and corporations. Once the nonprofit is stably funded then grant writing is a great supplement to the funding efforts. Rather than adding pages to this post I will point you to a couple great articles on simple fundraising below.
6 Steps to Nonprofit Freedom
http://oceangrand.org/6-steps-to-non-profit-freedom/
Simple Fundraising Formula
http://oceangrand.org/a-simple-fundraising-formula/
$2K in 2 Hours
http://oceangrand.org/2k-in-2-hours/
The Most Common Hurdle
With two of the three hurdles down I will quickly address the most common hurdle I am asked about when it comes to running a successful nonprofit. That hurdle is “How do we assure the continual success of our nonprofit?” That is not a simple question nor an easy hurdle to get over. In fact, there is no simple answer but instead one that is many times answered on a day to day basis. The same steps it takes to get a nonprofit to a successful operating level are the same steps in assuring its continual success. It is one of the main reasons that the Ocean Grand site continues to pump out great content on a daily basis. The question about the ongoing success of the nonprofit was so prominent that we created Ocean Grand to continually address the solution.
Many of our followers simply sign up for the RSS or email feeds, then implement the ideas and tips we give them and begin seeing success simultaneously. Likewise, others who have taken a more difficult route in running their nonprofit simplify their path and begin having fun again while seeing great success. We believe that nonprofit work should be fun, highly contagious, and not at all hard. As you read through the articles above you will see that the steps for funding and running a successful nonprofit are not difficult but must simply be duplicated again and again.
Above all get your nonprofit successful by simplifying the way it is funded. Make sure your donor base is stable and can support the operating and program budget and that the grant writing your organization does is strictly supplemental and for ongoing development.
NonProfits Can Be Fun
Unknown by many in the nonprofit world, nonprofit work can be fun, stress free and well-funded. The nonprofit simply has to remember that just because they are a charity, they must operate as a business. Establish the nonprofit with simple, effective and stable fundraising methods; duplicate those again and again.  Worn-out nonprofits are the norm and I established Ocean Grand to address those concerns and began to rebrand the nonprofit arena to be once again fun and exciting. By becoming part of the Ocean Grand Nonprofit Network by subscribing to the ongoing information we produce and implementing some simple strategies, you can begin to rebrand or brand your nonprofit into a fun, exciting and challenging endeavor.
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