6 Steps to Non Profit Freedom
6 Steps to Non Profit Freedom
Have you ever wondered how it seems some people so easily get involved and start their nonprofit, yet others seem to struggle at making it all work?
Granted, to dream about changing the world is not for the faint at heart, yet it is not exclusive to those that seem to put organizations together easily. Some of the most world changing organizations have been put together by people who knew nothing about starting a nonprofit or building a dream. For many the lack of funding and expertise in setting up the organizational part is prohibitive to them making the difference they dream about. The key is to find those that can help you accomplish some of the organizational and fund raising hurdles. This is one of the passions we have at Ocean Grand http://www.oceangrand.org; but more on that later. Sometimes the task of starting a nonprofit and finding a simple way to get supporters and donors is daunting and seeing a graphical chart of how easy this can be can help one get their “head around” the solution. The three most common challenges for most starting a nonprofit is setting up the organization, finding and building fund raising support, and handling the ongoing administration of their organization. Those three hurdles are the easy part and if you need help in those areas simply contact us and we can get you on the fast track.
Many know within themselves that they were made to make a bigger difference in the world than they are currently making. So how does one find the answer to what their “world changing” purpose is? Read on and I will help you break it down into easy steps and a chart that, in no time, will have you focused on discovering your “life passion.”
Step 1- Discover Your Passion
If you are thinking about starting a nonprofit, then this step might be very easy as you know what you want to do to make the world a better place. However, if you simply know you are supposed to do more with your life, then this step will help you discover what it is you may want to do. To help you discover what your nonprofit dream might be you can ask yourself these questions.
- If unrestricted by time, money, resources, or skills and you could do anything, help anyone, and make the world a better place, what would you do and how would you do it?
- What are the 50 things in life you most enjoy doing?
- What are the things that come naturally that you do to help people?
- What do you love doing for hours at a time that the time flies when your doing it?
Step 2- Discover The Need
Now that you have an idea of what passions and causes drive you, you need to figure out how you would like to help those causes. Begin by thinking about what would completely irradicate the need, hurt, or situation that you want to help cure. Come up with a solution that, if it was put into place, in time there would be no need for your nonprofit to exist anymore. Now you have a mission. Write it down and let’s get you started changing the world.
Step 3- Start A NonProfit
It is entirely possible to do the charitable work you want to do with no nonprofit organization in place. However, it will be difficult to get ongoing donors and supporters without being able to give them a tax deduction for their donations. As well, other nonprofits and grantmaking organizations will not be able to give you funds if you’re not a nonprofit. There are a couple ways that you can start a nonprofit; you can either start a nonprofit that has fiscal sponsorship or start an independent 501c3. See the article http://oceangrand.org/start-a-nonprofit-fiscal-sponsorship/ for more information on the two types.
Step 4- Develop Your Funding
Now that you have your shiny new nonprofit you need to find some funding so that you can do the work you’re devoted to doing. There is a multitude of different ways to find funding through donors and grant writing. It does not have to be hard but there are some simple ways to go about doing it and some difficult ones. If you check out the article http://oceangrand.org/a-simple-fundraising-formula/ and follow that step by step you will be on your way to getting the funds you need to do the nonprofit work you love.
Step 5- Develop 2nd Tier Funding
If you follow the simple steps in http://oceangrand.org/a-simple-fundraising-formula/ you will now have a great operating base of funding in which to pay salaries, buy supplies and start doing the nonprofit programs. Now you will want to split your time doing fund raising between continuing to develop stable funding and looking for grants and much larger portions of funding. I suggest 80% on stable fund raising and 20% on grant writing. We can direct you to resources that will help you learn to grant write and develop larger donors when that time comes.
Step 6- Start Your Non Profit Projects
Now that you have methodically walked through the step above your nonprofit should have good and ongoing funding, volunteers and organizational structure in place. Now it is time to get busy helping those that you have a passion to help. You’re starting to live your nonprofit dreams! It may take you 6 months or even a year to get to this point but you never get here unless you start walking through the steps. This web site http://www.oceangrand.org is an excellent resource that will keep giving you ideas and motivation to make your nonprofit a success. There are a ton more and we will help you tap into those. However, by this point you’re doing it!
You Will Be Living Your Non Profit Dreams
Don’t forget your humble beginnings and the simple elementary steps that got you to this point. You will never want to stop developing funding and donors, as they are the lifeblood that makes it possible for your nonprofit to function. It’s not hard to start and live the nonprofit dream. It is work, and there are elementary things that you need to do to bring it to reality. Just keep doing the steps and your nonprofit will thrive.
Let us know how we can best help and support you in making your dream a reality. Welcome aboard and live with passion!
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