Get Your Copy Early Before the Rush

Every NonProfit wants to learn how to fundraise well and this new resource from Scott Michael Ringo is just the ticket. Just being released in August is his new book “Simple Fundraising”. This book will teach you how to develop step-by-step fundraising strategies and formulas to create and maintain a stable donor base. Never before has the processes to develop continual and simple funding for a nonprofit been broken down so simple that anyone can do it. Scott brings his 12+ years in the developing successful nonprofits and 26+ years in the business arena to the forefront to present easy to understand, and simple to implement fundraising strategies.

As the founder of Ocean Grand, his hands-on approach to helping nonprofits all over the world raise the funds they need is is written so anyone can understand and implement it.  Instead of wonder where the funding  you need is, a few hours in “Simple Fundraising” will help you instantly discover and begin receiving it.

After reading “Simple Fundraising,” with basic effort any nonprofit can finally tap into the funding they need.  Every nonprofit needs this book in their library.  A simple read and you gain over a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising.

Act now because the first 500 copies of the book that are ordered in advance as PDF books are discounted to $19.95. Once ordered and paid for you will immediately be emailed a link to download your copy.

Once the book is released to book stores and internet June 1, the price of “Simple Fundraising” will be $29.95. Get your copy now in PDF format by clicking the button below.

NonProfit Set-up

Are you interested in starting your own nonprofit? Ocean Grand can help you get your very own nonprofit set-up in about 3 weeks very affordable. Then help you to find the funding you need and run it successfully. Click this link to get all the information www.oceangrand.org/start-501c3

Corporate Design Solutions

Running and funding a nonprofit can be an easy task but much like building a house without a hammer and nails, attempting to build a successful nonprofit without the proper tools is just as crazy.  Because we are dedicated to helping nonprofits become successful, Ocean Grand gives every nonprofit the ability to obtain these important tools at up to a 60% discount. Email Ocean Grand Design Studios to get more information at www.oceangrand.net

Every NonProfit needs professionally designed and printed marketing materials to make your nonprofit a success.  Why not get those materials designed now at a substantial discount and start your marketing efforts from the beginning looking your best while attracting serious donors.We know from the hundreds of nonprofits we have helped all over the world, there is no better investment or a better price in which to get your nonprofit’s image looking its best.  Ocean Grand Design Studios is a state-of-the-art professional design studio that has designed for top names.  In addition to the 60% savings on the complete design package, Ocean Grand will give you tremendous savings on all your print needs as it is a professional print house as well. Email Ocean Grand Design Studios to get more information at www.oceangrand.net

With professionally designed and printed marketing materials it only takes one (1) serious donor to donate back in one month the investment you made in your marketing materials.

It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who They Know

It makes a huge difference in the caliber of donors your nonprofit attracts as to how your nonprofit image looks. When you ask CEOs and successful people to pass on the information about your nonprofit, you want them to have great looking material they are proud to pass on. Handing out professionally designed marketing materials can make the difference, and there is no better time or better price to get those created than with this offer. You are going to need everyone you know talking about your nonprofit, and just like any business, being able to equip others to retell your story right is key. Get a complete corporate branding solution including:

• Logo
• Business Card Design
• Letterhead Design
• Envelope Design
• Website
• Tri-fold Brochure
• Glossy Presentation Folder
• Social Media Package (Twitter and FaceBook)

Some of Ocean Grand’s other services:

Some of our products:

• Custom Photo Books (any amount of pages)
• Wedding Albums
• Graduation Announcements
• Baby Announcements
• Wedding Invitations
• Wedding Announcements
• Personalized Stationary
• Photo Enlargements (canvas, print, framed)
• Photo Packages
• Photo reprints
• Personalized Christmas Cards
• Personalized Holiday Cards
• Family Greeting Cards
• Portrait enlargement and framing
  

Other Services:

• Logo
• Business Cards
• Customized Thank You Cards
• Customized Greeting Cards
• Customized Christmas Cards
• Corporate Letterhead
• Corporate Envelopes
• Flyers any size edge to edge printing
• Brochures any fold
• Postcards with customized mailing services
• Magnets
• Banners
• Websites
• Counter cards, Business Cards, Referral Brochures
• Ongoing Flyer Creation
• Double-sided PDF Brochures for emailing
• Interactive Online Brochures
• Corporate Style Sheets
  

Anything graphic design, branding, and print media related!

Email Ocean Grand Design Studios to get more information at www.oceangrand.net

I like to work smart, not hard.  I currently run several nonprofits and have for many years but have never kept any bookkeeping, done any accounting, or ever been to the bank to make a deposit.  I have been able to run these nonprofits from anywhere in the world and not one on my staff does any of these types of activities, but instead devotes 100% of their time to our projects, not office work.  One hundred percent of everyone’s time that is involved in our nonprofits is spent on developing our programs, fundraising, and executing our programs.  In fact, running our nonprofits is so easy that anyone could run a successful nonprofit.  The difference is in how we run our nonprofits, by working smart not hard. Read on and I will explain the easy way to run a nonprofit 501c3 versus the hard ordinary way.  You can then decide for yourself which you prefer.

The New (not so new) Way of Starting a Nonprofit

Many spend weeks, months or even years wading through the process to start, learn to fund and run a successful nonprofit.  Many refer to starting their own nonprofit as a “dream” because it seems like getting a nonprofit formed is such a hard thing to accomplish.  However, starting, learning to fund and running a successful nonprofit is something we help people do every day with just a few easy steps.  Running an independent nonprofit, for many, has become outdated, cumbersome and not very agile to make quick effective changes when needed.  Yet there is a sleek, sexy, and streamlined form of nonprofit coming on the scene.

Let’s explore a process of starting a nonprofit you may not have known even existed.  There is an easy way to start and run a nonprofit and then there is the ordinary way which is a lot more difficult.  After reading this post you may decide that anyone could run a nonprofit, and I believe they can.  Many who I talk with do not know that a nonprofit can be started and  efficiently ran with 501c3 status through an entity called a fiscal sponsorship.  Simply put, a fiscal sponsorship allows a nonprofit project to be created inside of an already existing independent 501c3 nonprofit.  This eliminates the creation hassle and IRS approval that takes many months including the absorbent fees to do so.  By starting a nonprofit through fiscal sponsorship, an organization can have nonprofit status in a few weeks without much in the way of start up fees.  This enables those that want to do nonprofit work an easy and inexpensive way to form and run a nonprofit while having it up and running within weeks, with many added benefits.

Fiscal Sponsorships are becoming a quite popular and a much sought way of starting and running a nonprofit.  In this short post I will introduce you to the Fiscal Sponsorship way of setting up and running a nonprofit to help you explore this option as a viable and less expensive way to have your nonprofit organization up and running with less hassle than you ever thought possible.

What Every NonProfit Needs

The main reason an organization would want to have tax exempt nonprofit status is to appeal to its financial contributors by granting them tax deductions on their gifts.  The second reason tax exempt status is appealing is to gain access to grants (free money that does not have to be repaid) that is available from any number of government and foundation organizations.  Fiscally Sponsored nonprofits as well as independent nonprofits both enjoy these two sought after benefits.  However, there are more things to consider when starting a nonprofit.

The Painful Part of a NonProfit Business

A main consideration in starting either a fiscally sponsored or independent nonprofit is in the amount of administration that can be associated with running either of them.  A real factor in running any business is the time or ongoing expenses you will spend accomplishing the administration.  Many times a fiscally-sponsored nonprofit frees up the majority of the employees’ time to do the actual projects instead of the administration and paperwork.

The administration for a nonprofit is a real consideration, and you are either going to do it yourself, hire staff to do it, or outsource it to professionals (bookkeepers, CPAs, etc.).  Many find that doing the administration for a nonprofit is time consuming, tedious and labor intensive.  Those that decide to hire staff or outsource the administration find that option expensive.  What if there was a way to get all the administration done at a fraction of the cost while not having to do it yourself?

All the Fun, None of the Paperwork

Many find, by setting up a fiscally sponsored nonprofit, they can have all the benefits of a nonprofit they desire and none of office work they don’t. Ocean Grand understands that office work can get in the way, while consuming large amounts of time, and instead has a virtual staff that takes care of all the nonprofit’s administration, accounting, bookkeeping, banking, and even the quarterly and end of the year filings.  Imagine the ease of starting a nonprofit and not needing to worry about any of the office work and instead are free to spend all your time doing fundraising and programs, leaving the office work to a highly trained and efficient staff.

Through a fiscal sponsorship, Ocean Grand sets your fixed costs on administration at 8% which is much lower than outsourcing it would ever be.  In addition, the virtual administration staff that will be working on your nonprofit paperwork is highly experienced in nonprofit administration so you know the work will be done right every time.

Work Smart Not Hard

For many years I have enjoyed the benefits and joys of running several fiscally-sponsored nonprofits and never once had to think about the time or expense of their administration.  Instead, I have been able to concentrate 100% of my time and energy on the continued success of the programs and fundraising and leaving the administration and office work to a highly trained staff that only costs a fraction of what hiring professionals or even my own in house staff would cost.  A fiscally-sponsored nonprofit affords me all of the pleasure and benefits of a nonprofit without all the hassle usually associated with running a business.  Along with me, thousands around the world enjoy this simple and effective way of running a nonprofit.  Through Ocean Grand, in just a couple weeks you could have your own nonprofit operational at just a fraction of the cost of setting up and running an ordinary much more difficult nonprofit.

NonProfits that are fiscally sponsored have been around for over 40 years and the reason you are not familiar with them is that they operate, do the same great nonprofit work, enjoy the same benefits and look just like any other nonprofit.

Click here to learn how you can Start and run a NonProfit the Easy Way

You need to remember that if you have a nonprofit, then you have avenues into funding that are as easy as asking for them. Summer is a time for being outdoors and it does not matter where you are in the world there are summer activities that are just beginning to bloom. With the right strategy you can piggy back on thousands of hours of work that others have done for you getting masses of people together to learn about your nonprofit. Below I will let you in on where to find all these people that are eager to learn about your nonprofit and then help you put together a strategy to capitalize on them.

See below how Ocean Grand can get your image looking its best to grab donors attention with up to 60% off on all of our design and printing.

Festivals, Art Shows, Boat Shows and Concerts
For months all over the country teams of people have been working diligently preparing for festivals and other summer events to bring hundreds of thousands of people to these events. If you grab the opportunity, they have brought all of these people together in one place to learn all about your nonprofit and have the opportunity to support it. If you love to be outdoors, meet people, and share the vision of your nonprofit, then this summer these events are your ticket to doing all three.

You can be raising donations for your non profit by doing just about anything. As a non profit you should take advantage of events that are already planned and organized in your area and make them into fundraisers for your organization as explained below. Just about any activity could raise money for your favorite charity even if the charity is not a charity that is officially recognized for the event. Why not raise money for your favorite charity through events that are already happening all around you.

How to Use Outdoor Festivals, etc for Fund Raising

1. Start by finding all the events around you in a 50 mile radius
2. Contact the organizer and ask if they are giving away or discounting display space to nonprofits
3. Ask the organizer if your nonprofit could be a featured charitable cause for the event
4. Could a portion of the proceeds go to benefit your nonprofit? Ask.
5. Grab tent space or booth space if it is affordable, 1000’s will come by your display during the event.
6. You could simply grab a stack of your professionally design and printed business cards and brochures to hand out as walking through the event.

* See the check list below of the things you need to show up with to be prepared.
** Also see below How to Turn Any Event into One That Sponsors Your Nonprofit

Other Easy Fund Raising Events for the Summer

1. Organize a Car Wash
2. Walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, running and swimming events
3. Craft Festivals
4. Rummage Sales
5. Golf Tournaments
6. Tennis Events
7. Bingo and Casino Nights
8. Wine Tasting Parties
9. Auctions
10. Summer Concerts
11. Art Shows
12. Boat Shows
13. Vegetable Festivals (strawberry festival, etc)
14. Air Shows
15. Ice Cream Socials
16. Church Summer Events

There is a lot more than this but these will get you started.

List of Things You Will Need for Summer Fund Raising

1. Business Cards and Brochures- At the very least you will need a few thousand professionally designed and printed business cards and tri-fold brochures. Resist the temptation to design them and print them yourself. Everyone knows the when you printed them yourself and nothing says more about your nonprofit than the materials you are willing to hand out. Have some pride and hand out good looking and well designed stuff.
2. Display Booth- If your going to do a booth or tent then you need a well designed banner and trade show display. Again if you are not willing to spend a little money on your nonprofits image then don’t expect others to donate to it. People like to invest and donate to successful programs. It does not have to be elaborate but professionally designed and printed banners and a table top display will make you look like your serious about your program.
3. Web Site or Blog- People that you hand out business cards and brochures to are going to want to visit a web site or blog to see if your legitimate. I suggest a blog (see oceangrand.org/top-10-reasons-nonprofits-should-blog/) and you should have one up even if you are not doing summer fundraising. Now days if an organization does not have at least business cards, a brochure and a web site no one is going to take your nonprofit serious.
4. Spiff- spiff is something to give away that has your organizations name and contact info. For summer fundraising Frisbees, drawstring packs, visors, bottle openers, etc are great inexpensive items that people will want to take home with them and keep. You could even do a drawing or some type of game to get people to sign up for your newsletter and give away more valued items.

Spend some money on your image, a booth if you are going to have one, and great stuff to give away. If you hit several events this summer and talk with thousands of people, you are sure to make back your investment in donations and people involved in your nonprofit.

How to Turn Any Event into One That Sponsors Your Nonprofit

Here in Virginia Beach we have an annual event called the Polar Plunge where everyone raises pledges and then dives in the ocean (some only up to their ankles) to benefit Special Olympics. I have nothing against Special Olympics and really think they are a class act and great cause. Instead, what I am trying to explain here is the only activity you have to be willing to do is get your toes wet and you can raise money to help a great cause.

Now let’s say you want to raise funds and awareness for your own nonprofit. Although there is no special event scheduled (or even if there is) you could create your own very easily. Take a marathon for example. Pick a Saturday, commit to running 10, 15 or more miles and contact everyone you know to pledge money toward the cause you want to support. Use the pledges to benefit your own nonprofit. You can make a great opportunity out of an event of any kind, even the Plunge mentioned above and raise pledges for the Special Olympics and another cause simultaneously.

You can take any event working out, playing softball, snowboarding, bike riding, taking your child for a walk, ironing shirts, or even parachuting, even a walk-a-thon all these and anything else can be turned into even something bigger by having people pledge money toward your nonprofit when you complete them.

Shirt Iron Off

Lets take the example of ironing shirts. Organize a shirt iron-off right at your own house or even better someplace more public. The pledges could be donated per shirt you iron. You could ask all your friends to bring their shirts that need to be ironed or even open it up to anyone that needs their shirts ironed. I believe you get the point, anything, including things you do in your daily routine can be reengineered into an accomplishment you can be proud of because you turned an ordinary event into something extraordinary.

A good article to read more about creative ideas like this is oceangrand.org/what-have-you-done/

How Ocean Grand Can Help You Make This Summer a Success
We at Ocean Grand not only support nonprofits with set up, funding help, and tons of free information to help you be a pro at running a nonprofit. We also give nonprofits up to 60% off professional design and printing of anything your nonprofit might need to look its best. We spend lots of time and energy helping nonprofits look like a million dollars so donors and volunteers have no question that your nonprofit is going someplace.

Nonprofits work¦if you work them.

The First Type
We receive emails and phone calls from nonprofits struggling to find the success they had hoped for. We enjoy working with each of these nonprofits because many times their solution is easy. They just need a good image and need to work the business.  Many times creating a custom story and professional image is all it takes to jump start their nonprofit success.

Nonprofits work if you work them; if you don’t, then they die. Nonprofits rely on others and donors and if you don’t get your message out there, then no one knows about it.

How is your nonprofit coming along? Are you transforming people’s lives and the dreams you had for your nonprofit into reality?
There are two types of groups that we see start nonprofits, and we would like to make sure you are the one that gets results.

Some who start nonprofits through Ocean Grand have great intentions. Once they get their status they tell a few people about the nonprofit, they print out a few sheets about their nonprofit, but no funds come in and they get frustrated. Many try with little success to put it all together themselves.

The Second Type Hit the Road Running
The second type of individuals start their nonprofit and and with the help of professionals get their image polished up and looking like the nonprofit is a success from the beginning. Many allow us to €obrand for them a professional image and story. We provide them with a great looking custom logo, business cards, printed brochures, website, and even letterhead and business cards. They let us help them with some initial fund raising ideas and in a short amount of time they have decent initial funding flowing through their nonprofit. It only takes a little effort along with some great looking materials to make initial your initial fund raising work. They then begin paying themselves a salary and concert more of their time and efforts into their nonprofit.

We at Ocean Grand have a desire that each nonprofit we set up has the success of the second example above. We are even willing to donate up to 50% of our work at creating and printing your image to show you how serious we are about you being a success.

If you are not seeing the success in your nonprofit that you dreamed of, let us help. Get in contact with us and let’s see what we can do to get you on the road to finding the funds and success that you need ,so your nonprofit can help the people you have a passion for.

It does not have to be difficult¦and Ocean Grand is here to make sure it’s not.

Have a great summer and hopefully your pockets will be full at the end of it with a little help from us and some fun in the sun on your part.

Your Junk is Your Responsibility

Communication to your business or nonprofit is like wind is to a kite.  A kite can look great lying in the grass however, when the wind sends it soaring in the sky, it dances effortlessly with such delight.  Communications is what connects your business to the outside world and can send it soaring into the sky or falling to the ground.  You are the one holding the kite string so lets, briefly in this first of the “Communications Series,” cover some basics and in the next few articles we will cover all aspects of what you should have in place to communicate effectively with everyone.  Make sure you grab the RSS or email feed above to receive all the articles.

Many Flavors

It is important that people can communicate with your nonprofit in the flavor that is comfortable with them.  You may prefer old fashioned methods like email or postal mail, but the world is changing and you need to change with it. Yes, email and postal mail are old fashioned.  I remember the days when people would give you a blank stare when you asked them for their email address or web site address, and have no idea what I was talking about. Well it’s time to update to the year 2009.  Read on and I will explain how you can move your nonprofit into the current year and help people connect to you better and more efficiently.

Your Junk is Your Responsibility

First lets talk about your current means of communication paths.  I will assume you have a postal address and an email address.  If you are attempting to run a successful nonprofit, then a blog or at least a website is also necessary.  My choice of words in the last sentence is important, you should have a blog and at the very least a website.  This day and age, the blog is the most important means to communicate rather than a website or newsletter.  The blog affords you everything the other two do plus the ability for everyone to read the latest news about your nonprofit, not just those that subscribe to your newsletter.  To keep this post shorter, if you want to know more about blogs and why your nonprofit should have one, read the post Top 10 Reasons Nonprofits Should Blog oceangrand.org/top-10-reasons-nonprofits-should-blog/.

Your Junk

Now about your email.  The most common thing I hear from others regarding the message I sent them on email is “I did not receive your email, could you resend it?”  To which I reply “could you check your junk mail?”  Many times the person has no idea how to locate or check their junk mailbox.  99.9% of the time if they did not receive my email it is sitting in their junk mailbox along with other important mail.  I mention this because if I resent the email it would also end up in their junk mail.  My email ending up in their junk mail is not my problem and there is little I can do to prevent it. I realize that a junk mailbox is there to catch spam and mail you do not want so you do not have to look at it.  Instead, once and for all locate where your email program sends junk mail.  Every couple of days check your junk box like it is your second inbox and skim the senders names and subject lines to make sure there are no messages there that you should have received. I check mine several times a day because as much as I wish that it only collected junk, many times important messages were moved there automatically by my email program.  Take responsibility for the mail you receive and get on top of your junk mailbox.

Welcome to 2009

It is the year 2009 and communication is not as simple as it was last year. Or is it easier?  Social Media has transformed the world and as a nonprofit your responsibility is to give people the ability to communicate with you like they want in all the flavors of the rainbow.  Especially with the ease of communication on mobile devices, many find it easier to Tweet than to email you.  At the very least your nonprofit should have communications set up on FaceBook and Twitter.  Last month we did a whole series of articles on Social Media for the NonProfit and you can find all the articles below.  The first and most important one to read is Tweet or Not to Tweet oceangrand.org/tweet-or-not-to-tweet/ which gives you a brief overview and then the steps to set up a FaceBook and Twitter Account.
Other articles you will want to read are:

• Tweet or Not to Tweet
• Building NonProfit Relationships Equals Success
• Tweet Tweet Nonprofit
• Top 10 Reasons Nonprofits Should Blog
• 14 Advanced Twitter Tips

Take some time this week and make sure your online communications are up-to-date.  This allows people to stay in contact with you how they feel comfortable.  To some it is easier to drop you a note on Twitter and others will prefer email.  Whatever their preference, it is easy enough to accommodate them.  Finally, check your email, Twitter, and FaceBook accounts on a regular basis it shows you care and want to be connected.  Nothing is worse than unanswered communications with someone who wants to be connected to you and your business.

In the next articles in this “Communications Series” we will discuss all the aspects of keeping those that want to be connected to your business informed, connected and happy.  Don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS or email feed above so you don’t miss our step-by-step guide to making the most of your communications.

You are walking on the beach, and there in front of you is a genie lamp.  The inscription reads, “Rub me”.  So you rub the lamp and out pops a genie and says, “I will grant you one wish, any wish. But there are two conditions.  Your wish has to be focused towards helping others and not yourself, and you have to be committed to seeing your wish come true.”  Of course, you are wondering what happened to the other three wishes, since isn’t the offer supposed to be for three wishes?  However, the genie explains that even his economy is tight right now but he should get the benefit of the doubt since, “When did anyone ever offer to grant you wish in the first place?”  Today your wish is granted, read on to learn how to get your wish.

I spend a lot of time talking with people about cool ideas they have come up with to make the world a better place.  Many of them are amazing and I am privileged to be one of the first to hear about them and spur them onto success.  This day and age anyone can have a great idea to make the world a better place, but the process to take that dream and make it a reality is often confusing.  Ocean Grand has made a commitment to help those who have a dream, a wish, and turn it into reality and we are counting on the rest of the technology, nonprofit and philanthropy world to join us in seeing dreams come true.  Continue on and find out how you can be part of a new revolution.

From extreme makeovers, building homes for those that need them, losing excessive amounts of weight, to even finding the perfect job, television is transforming peoples’ lives by giving them the once-in-a-lifetime chance to change their world.  Many times these complete solutions are the collaboration of hundreds or even thousands of people all bringing a piece of the puzzle to the table to make the dream come true.  Granted, most of the time these transformations are created in the form of a competition and while some win, many lose.  But for that one lucky person, their life could be turned upside down for the good.

Perhaps more than ever, with the aid of the internet, more and more people are finding that it only takes a little collaboration from a few others to make another person’s dream come true.  It no longer takes meeting in person, complicated meeting schedules or years to create a strategy for success.  For years I have run companies virtually and outsourced highly technical solutions to enable companies to run smoothly and much more efficiently.

One Lucky Person

What if I said, “Come up with an idea for a project to make the world a better place and no matter what your idea, I would help you put it in place?”  In addition, I would not only help you put the project in place, it is yours to keep, and I will help you learn to easily fund it and make it a stunning success.  You might think you stepped onto the stage of a TV reality show and all your dreams are coming true.  In reality, (not reality TV), that is what I have the joy of doing each and every day.  If you need someone to help you put your nonprofit project in place, learn for free how to fund it and have support in making it a huge success, then this invitation is open to you.  It all begins with a short application to start a nonprofit and I will step you through the rest of the process.

Your Wish Granted in One Step

1. Decide whether or not you’re committed once and for all to seeing your wish granted.
2. If you are still committed, and want to make your wish come true.
3. Take a minute and make sure you know what your wish is.
4. Say your wish out loud 3 times and click the button below.

Most Popular Posts of February

February has been a big month for great posts that help nonprofits learn to fundraise, brand their image, and use social media to get their messages out. We thought a nice post to round out February would be a link to many of these articles on the same page for easy reference.  Maybe you dream to start a Nonprofit but don’t know how.  There are even links to great articles on how to start a nonprofit.  Whatever your depth of knowledge in the nonprofit arena, there are quick and timely articles for everyone below that are sure to help you increase the success of your nonprofit.  Read on and enjoy the free information, all we ask is that you pass the web site address on to at least one other nonprofit that could benefit from the information also.

Fund Raising

Every Nonprofit wants to know more about how to fund raise successfully.  The 4 articles below will guide you with step-by-step instructions on how to build stable and dependable financial support even in a challenging economic economy.  Great articles for the beginner to the expert.

• Simple and Effective NonProfit Fundraising
• A Simple Fundraising Formula
• Fundraising Ideas
• $2K in 2 Hours

NonProfit Branding and Design

Nothing increases your success in running a successful nonprofit more than its image.  A great looking image and professionally designed marketing materials helps retell a nonprofits story with class.  A professional image is one of the keys to running a successful nonprofit and the articles below can help you step through that process with ease.  Whether you are a church or other type of nonprofit, these articles can help you.

* Is Your Image the Problem?
* The Secret to NonProfit Success

Philanthropy

These are great articles to get to your donors and those interested in your nonprofit, as well as great encouragement to you if you’re involved in a nonprofit. These articles will help your donors and supporters understand the importance and best way to get involved with your nonprofit.  Hopefully we have made your job a little easier just by having your supporters read these articles.  Feel free to direct those involved in your nonprofit back to these articles.

• What Have You Done Lately That You’re Proud Of?
• 6 Steps to Making a Bigger Splash
• The Wonder of a Star
• 401K Alternative

Social Media

Never before has it been so easy to connect with ongoing relationships and build new ones with a couple clicks of the mouse.  The 5 articles below give you step-by-step instructions on how to use the internet and social media to connect better to your supporters and donors while

easily finding 1000’s more who would enjoy being involved in your nonprofit.  Read the 5 articles below and apply them, and you will be on your way to connecting your nonprofit to others in a highly visible way.

• Tweet or Not to Tweet
• Building NonProfit Relationships Equals Success
• Tweet Tweet Nonprofit
• Top 10 Reasons Nonprofits Should Blog
• 14 Advanced Twitter Tips

Start a NonProfit

Have you dreamed of starting a nonprofit but don’t know how to get started?  You might already have a nonprofit but are not seeing the success you had hoped for.  Either way, the articles below will guide you step-by-step through the process of easily starting, funding and running a successful nonprofit. Starting a nonprofit does not have to be expensive, and funding and running it does not have to be hard.  The articles below take the guess work and difficulty out of starting and running a successful nonprofit.

• Rebranding the NonProfit
• The Secret to NonProfit Success
• 3 Most Common NonProfit Hurdles
• 6 Steps to NonProfit Freedom
• NonProfit One Stop Shop
• NonProfit Job Listing
• Start a NonProfit | Medical

Types of NonProfits

There are hundreds of charitable causes that nonprofits address.  In the articles below, we explore 5 charitable causes that you may not have thought of as being a cause to start a nonprofit around.  While reading the articles you may think of friends, family or acquaintances that could enjoy the benefits of having a nonprofit directed toward one of these causes.  We would be glad to help them start, learn to fund and run a successful nonprofit directed toward one of these charitable causes.

• Actors Are People Too!
• Medical Foundation Success
• Start a NonProfit | Medical
• Family Foundations
• NonProfit Adoption
• NonProfit Memorials and Tributes

We Are Committed to NonProfits

As always, Ocean Grand is committed to helping those around the world who dream of starting a nonprofit do so with ease and efficiency.  Likewise, we are committed to those that run nonprofits to better fund and run successful nonprofits. For the last 12 years, we have helped thousands of nonprofits make their dreams a reality and in the next years we will help thousands more.  Join the Ocean Grand Network and let us help your nonprofit connect better, be better funded and see the success you have always hoped for.

If your dream is to start, fund and run a successful nonprofit and want to do it in the least expensive, most efficient and quickest way, while having the most support, get started today by visiting us on the web http://oceangrand.org/start-501c3/

Don’t Forget

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The last two articles Tweet or Not to Tweet and Tweet Tweet Nonprofit should have gotten everyone up-to-date on the basics of Twitter.   Now that you have your twitter account set up and hopefully following a few people as well as being followed I wanted to take this space to give you some tips to get you tweeting like a pro as well as being well mannered in the twitter arena (etiquette).  Read on to get some more advanced Twitter tips.

1. Hashtags

Hashtags (#) are a way to create or follow a stream on Twitter.  By typing a word with a hashtag in front of it (#airplane), your twitter message can be followed and added to by anyone who is also interested in that particular subject.  Thousands of hashtags are already established and are easy to join into or add to conversations about a particular topic or industry.  For example, if you’re interested in fundraising, #fundraising is a hashtag you can add into your twitter message and can be followed easily by anyone else interested in fundraising.  The same goes for thousands of topics.  Many times fast breaking news can be followed more closely on Twitter than even news channels.  Because millions use twitter, eyewitnesses can tweet details, pictures or information quicker using Twitter than it takes for a news crew to get to the scene of the story and get information to the TV or internet.  The way you follow hashtags is either by creating a search on tweetdeck with the hashtag you want to follow or following it on http://search.twitter.com ,  http://twemes.com/ or http://hashtags.org/

You can create your own hashtag to tweet about your live fundraiser or event so that others can follow the developing story from anywhere in the world.  You need to make sure the hashtag you create is unique and not already being used or else your tweets will be mixed into another ongoing conversations.  This way everyone can stay up-to-the-second connected to what is happening at your event.

2. Following Keywords

To follow topics you are interested in, it is not necessary to even find a hashtag for the subject. Many times you can go to http://search.twitter.com and type in the subject or word (i.e. giants, newborns, etc.) and instantly see all the tweets that happened around the world that include those words and subjects.

3. Etiquette

This is a huge topic and to my knowledge there is no definitive guide to the etiquette on twitter.  There are some things you should and should not do as a manner of politeness and to make Twitter a better experience for everyone.  I will list a few obvious ones below.

Ongoing Real Conversations- Twitter is meant to be a tool to facilitate real-time ongoing conversations.  Engage in getting to know those you follow and let others that follow you get to know you.  Twitter can be very fun and engaging; however, if you follow too many people there will be no way to keep up with all the conversations.  A good rule is to follow 250 or fewer people and to keep your posts and replies real.  Your posts should be like you’re having a conversation, not like your posting billboards.  The reason you want to keep who you’re following down to a number of people you can actually know is because think if all 250 people all posted one tweet during the day, that’s 250 tweets you have to keep up with.  Follow some people you find interesting and if you find later they are not interesting, unfollow them and follow some that are.  Your tweets do not have to be profound, instead make your conversations and tweets like real conversations.  Imagine you answered the phone and your friend asked you “What are you doing right now?”

No spam- Keep your conversations real and try hard not to always be focused on getting your message in everyone’s face.  Once you build some relationships there will be plenty of time to let them know how they can help.  Sometimes it is unavoidable to send people to your web site or info if they ask for it.  It is important they know what you do and why you do it, just don’t plaster them with that type of information.  Remember, Twitter is supposed to be a social conversation and many are following you because they want to get to know you and even your nonprofit.

Following and Being Followed- Do some searches on http://search.twitter.com for subjects that you are interested in.  Find those that seem interesting and follow them.  As you get involved with conversations others will follow you.  Above all enjoy the conversations.  Make it a habit to tweet several times a day and let people know (what you are comfortable with) what you’re doing, thinking, information you found interesting, etc.   Don’t worry if those following you, unfollow you.  They simply moved on to other conversations.  Another way to find interesting people is by looking at the profiles of the people that follow you to see who they are and might be interesting to follow.

Virtual Water Cooler- Remember that Twitter is like a virtual water cooler.  You don’t have to camp out at it all day spouting off everything that is going on in your life and listening to everyone else.  It is a good way to take breaks throughout the day and talk with a few people.  It is also a great way to ask questions about things you need answers to.  For example, “Where is the best place to eat in Dallas?”  People will let you know what they think.  Throughout the day I tune in for a couple minutes as I am taking coffee or water breaks to see what everyone I follow is up to, then it is back to business.

Here are 101 great dos and don’ts from Lauren Rothwww.laurennroth.com/?q=node/227″ target=”_blank”>

4. Twitter Clients

There are a lot of Twitter apps that can make your Twitter experience a lot more pleasant and you may want to take a look at each of them and decide it they are for you.  I will briefly go down a few and let you make your determination on whether they are helpful to you or not.

Tweet Deck- This is one I highly recommend.  Once you begin using it I believe it will make the whole twitter arena more interesting and manageable.  In a future post I may do a video of how to use TweetDeck.  Tweet deck will even translate tweets in other languages if you have friends in other countries.

Twirl- another desktop app for Twitter.  Very simple but keeps you from needing to go to the web to tweet.

Twitpic- is an app that is quickly accessible in TweetDeck or on its own.  It allows you to share pictures of anything on a tweet.

5. Tweet From Your Mobile Phone:

iphone:

Twitter Mobile- straightforward interface
PocketTweets – robust application
iTweet- good straightforward application
Hahlo 2.0- Great robust application

Blackberry

Twitterberry- Hands down the best on the blackberry (if you can’t afford an iphone)

6. Posts, Replies, and Direct Messages

When you post a tweet, the tweet goes out to everyone that is following you and can also be searched by searching your username on sites like http://search.twitter.com. Likewise when you reply (@scottringo), the message still goes out to the public but the person you replied to will receive it as a reply. If the recipient is using TweetDeck, they will get the reply in a separate window that is easy to identify.

However, there is another way to send and receive messages that are not so public- Direct Messages.  If someone is following you and you want to reply to their tweet only to them and not in a public way you can Direct Message them.  This is accomplished by putting a “D” in front of their user name (D scottringo).  If the recipient is using TweetDeck, the Direct Message (DM) shows up in a separate window from public messages or replies.  Many have their DM messages set to also come into their email or phone.  So a good rule of thumb is only to DM if it is confidential or urgent.  This way your conversations stay more public, but if you need to get a sensitive message to someone, you can.

7. Search

There are a lot of ways to search topics, subjects and messages on Twitter from the web.  If you use TweetDeck, the search can be done right in the application.  By far one of the easiest searches is done on search.twitter.com; others are twitscoop and twemes.com.  Play around with the searches and see what you can find.

Twitter Search – search for topics, subjects and areas of interest
Twitscoop -search for topics, subjects and areas of interest
Twemes -search for topics, subjects and areas of interest

Some other searches to explore:

TwitterFall- TwitterFall is the coolest way to read all or filtered posts on Twitter like a waterfall. BEWARE addictive
Retweetist - the freshest, most often Retweeted items
Twitt(url)y – Twitturly counts links posted on Twitter and then ranks the content.
Tweetmeme – shows Blogs, Images, Video and Audio that are linked to popular tweets
TweetLists - the most popular links over the last 24 hours
Twitter Search – most popular way to search for anything Twitter

8. Twitter in FaceBook

If you are a FaceBook fan, you can automatically update your Facebook account through Twitter which keeps you from going back and forth between accounts.  By updating your Facebook account with Twitter, your friends on FaceBook will know what you are doing throughout the day.

9. Blogging for Nonprofits

If your nonprofit has a blog, which I highly recommend, http://oceangrand.org/top-10-reasons-nonprofits-should-blog/, you can post your blog articles automatically to your twitter account using twit_this and then also updates your FaceBook profile.  That’s three “birds” with one stone.

10. Upload All Your Friends

Twitter is way more fun if all your friends, supporters, donors, board members, etc. are on Twitter so that you can tweet back and forth.  From your Twitter settings, click on “Find Friends”.  Once there, you have the option to find friends who are already on twitter by typing in their name.  With the next tab “Find on Other Networks” you can upload you address book by first importing your address book to gmail if it is not already there and then Twitter will check that against all the people in your address book.  Once found, you can add who you like or everyone.  With the third tab, “Invite By Email”, you have the option to invite all those you know who are not already on Twitter by entering their email addresses.  Adding your friends to Twitter will make Twitter a blast and easy for you to keep everyone you know and those interested in your nonprofit up-to-date.

11. Pace Yourself on Your Posts

Too many posts promoting yourself, your organization, or your nonprofit and people will get turned off.  Also, spending too much time on Twitter can wreck havoc on your work ethic.  Take it easy and find your groove on Twitter.  Beware- it is addictive.

12. Retweet

Retweet (RT) is a way to tweet again a post that someone tweeted that you think is interesting.  By putting a RT in front of the tweet either by copy and paste, or if you’re using TweetDeck, there is a button that automatically fills it all in, you can retweet others’ posts.  People love it when you retweet their posts.  It is a way to gain people’s affection and loyalty.

13. Spend Time on Your Profile

Spend some time on your profile and make it interesting so people will want to follow you.  You might also want to get a customized Twitter background on your profile which will give you more room to give people information, plus it just makes you look cool.

14. Have a Blast!

So now you have some advanced techniques and how to get the most out of Twitter.  This is certainly not an exhaustive list of ways  you can use Twitter, but it is a good start.  Above all, have a blast and don’t get overwhelmed.  Twitter is a powerful application that when used consistently  and with moderation can get you well connected to those you love and those you may not yet know you love.  Once you get connected, follow us at @scottringo and let the games begin.

Subscribe to our RSS feed or email subscription to learn more about how to start, fund, and run a nonprofit successfully.  We will be giving you some tips in the coming weeks about how you can do a “Tweet Up” as a fundraiser for your nonprofit.

Other Articles on “How to Be a Social Media Pro:”
Tweet or Not to Tweet
Tweet Tweet NonProfit
10 Reasons a NonProfit Should Blog

Part of the Series “Be a Social Media Expert Series” here.

When you start and run a nonprofit, you’ve just signed up to become the best storyteller in history. If there is anything you need to do well, it is to develop your story and then tell it over and over and over again. See http://oceangrand.org/a-simple-fundraising-formula/ for a step-by-step on how to develop and tell your story. Telling your story needs to happen in all kinds of ways, shapes and forms and in this article I am going to explain why your nonprofit should have a blog and be telling your story on it. Read on and I will break this complicated subject down into 10 bite-sized pieces.

Blogs and Web Sites

Blogs are not much different than web sites anymore except for a couple of critical differences. Web sites contain mostly “static” information which is information that you or a webmaster puts on the site, but once there, rarely changes. It resembles a brochure on the web more than anything. On the other hand, a blog has pages also, but the “blog page” (like what you are reading here) has ongoing posts or stories that are easily changed and updated. The blog gives you the ability to quickly post new information without needing the help of a webmaster. The other pages on a blog can also easily be changed. So in essence a blog is a web site with multiple pages that are easily changed with the addition of an area that has ongoing new information posted to it. It much better resembles an effort to tell an ongoing story. There are a lot of added benefits to having a blog rather than a static web site, that I will outline 10 reasons below, and then take you through the 10 reasons to set up a blog for your own nonprofit.

Blogging Benefits

I get asked a lot if every nonprofit should have a blog and I personally believe they should. Every nonprofit understands the benefits of having a newsletter whether it is one you design, print and mail or one that you put together on the web and send out in an HTML email. A blog, if done well, can serve as the newsletter for your nonprofit with constant updates, success stories, pictures, and needs that are accessible by more people in more ways. When I say accessible in more ways, I am referring to RSS and email subscriptions which we will cover below.

Benefits of a Blog For Your NonProfit

1. Easy to Update

   Blogs are much easier and quicker to update for the average person. A new article or change can be updated and be live on the web as fast as you can type and push the publish button. This gets your most relevant information to the web and in front of the world quicker than any other method. No more static web pages; instead, every page on your site will be relevant and up-to-date with the latest information about your organization.

2. Blogs Increase the Traffic

   Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important part of getting your web site or blog ranking better in search engines like Google. Many blogs are automatically better optimized for search engines, which can take a lot of guesswork out of trying to get your web site closer to the top of web search engines. More traffic equals more people who know and are involved in your nonprofit work.

3. 

   RSS and Email Subscriptions

   Getting your message out in multiple formats helps people subscribe to your constant updates easier and in the format they prefer to read them. Blogs can instantly give you multiple ways to deliver your message without you doing any other work. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a way that many prefer to read information from the web because it allows them to subscribe and see the information as soon as it is updated.

4. Email Subscriptions

   A blog makes it easy for people to subscribe by email to your updates and is very easy to set up. By updating a blog you are in essence writing a constantly updating newsletter that is live and accessible to anyone at anytime. Unlike a printed newsletter that only gets published and mailed every couple weeks or once a month, your blog is always up-to-date and gives people the ability to read the stories and info in bite-sized chunks. Images are also easy to share with people. RSS and email subscriptions have definite advantages for getting your supporters information and are easy to set up if you use a blog.

5. Help You Build the Relationships

   There is no substitute for building personal relationships with volunteers, board members, donors, grant makers and anyone that is interested in your nonprofit. Like in a previous article http://oceangrand.org/building-nonprofit-relationships-equals-success/,the ability to build relationships is something that we are born with; however, many times while growing up we forget the fundamentals. Relationships are the life-blood for your nonprofit and to dismiss them as unnecessary is a fatal mistake. A blog is more of a relationship builder and can be an ongoing conversation with those that are involved in your nonprofit. Building relationships is much easier on a blog than a web site and people will feel more connected to you.

6. Gives You Feed Back

   Blogs are more like conversations because they have an area where people can comment on each article or post. This gives followers the ability to be a part of a conversation about your information, projects and fundraising. Blogs give you an automatic feedback mechanism through these comments and anyone can subscribe to the comments to keep up-to-date on the conversations. These comments and conversations can be powerful as it keeps all those involved in your nonprofit interacting with each other in real time.

7. Connects All the Social Media

   In our Social Media articles and How-to’s, we have covered how important it is to have other Social Media avenues open such as Twitter and Facebook. A blog can easily connect all those other avenues of Social Media. Each time you post a blog article, a blog can update your Twitter stream with the article and simultaneously post the article and URL to your FaceBook profile. This way no matter how people follow your organization (Twitter, Digg, FaceBook, RSS, email, etc.), they get your new content and information the way they prefer it, but it all connects back to your blog. Your blog becomes the “hub” of all your nonprofit information and updates and sends it out to multiple publishing avenues.

8. Easily Embed Video

   Video has arrived as an important part of keeping people up-to-date with nonprofit organizations. By taking even the most primitive video of a project, those supporting your organization are instantly “teleported” there. Embedding video on a blog is fairly simple now. By using video services like vimeo, viddler or utube, you can take a video and upload it to the web and have it embedded in your blog in a matter of minutes. Even those with the most basic computer skills can embed a video in a blog post, whereas doing the same in a web site would be challenging.

9. Makes it Easy for Others to Share Your Info

   When you use a traditional web site, you can share the URL, but then people have to actually go there. When you print and mail a newsletter, the people you mail it to get the newsletter but what about all the others they would like to share your information with? However, with a blog, it is not only easy for you to share information with others, it also makes it easy for them to re-share your information. When people want to share your information that is on a blog they have a library of ways in which to do so. At the end of each post, your article can have a “share” button that will transport your article to any number of hundreds of social media sharing sites. In addition, they can forward the emails or RSS feeds, print the articles, or even publish references to it on their own blogs (called trackbacks). This allows you to post information and allow others to share it in the way that best fits their preferences. Every time you make it easier for others to share your information, you win.

10. Easy for the Beginner and Pro Alike

    When I was the VP of Business Development for an internet company, several years ago we used to develop our web based software for a fictional user we lovingly dubbed “The Gray Haired Lady”. The Gray Haired Lady was a typical grandmother who was not terribly internet savvy. She did however want to learn and would stick it out as long as things made sense. We thought if we could get our software simple enough for her to use, practically anyone could use it. Many blog software companies must develop around the same type model because updating a blog is just about as simple as writing an article in word processing software. Yes, you have to learn a little but there are a ton of people willing to help. So whether you are a Gray Haired Lady or a teenager, blogging is very simple.

Whatever you’re doing in the nonprofit world, my stance is you should have a blog. If you have a web site, then you should also have a blog. A blog gives you so many benefits and other than maybe not looking as flashy as a flash site, they look good and work great. You would never want to compromise looks over how well a tool gets your information out there and known. If you need some help figuring out how to get your blog up and running, subscribe to our RSS or email feed by clicking here. In further articles in the next weeks, I am going to take you step by step through the set up and use of a blog for your nonprofit. Stay Tuned and tell others about our Social Media for the nonprofit series.

Catch the rest of our “Be a Social Media Expert Series” here.

Grab our RSS feed so you don’t miss out on any of of the articles

So you are ready to Tweet?  Great.  If nothing else, give it a try and see if it is for you.  As a nonprofit or any business, the more avenues in which you can make yourself available to others the better your chances of developing relationships that stick.  For more on building relationships that stick, read  http://oceangrand.org/building-nonprofit-relationships-equals-success. Twitter is an avenue that can make a huge difference in your knowledge about how to run a successful nonprofit and is a great way to stay in touch up-to-the-minute with supporters, donors, volunteers and grant makers.  Read on to learn how you can use Twitter to make a difference in your nonprofit.

Last week we talked about whether “To Tweet or Not to Tweet”, read that here. Hopefully you’re reading this because you have decided to tweet.  Take it from us, for an organization that stays in touch with lots of people, nonprofits and others all around the world on a minute by minute basis, you can’t get better than Twitter.  By using Twitter, we can keep in touch with all the nonprofit news, initiatives, info on nonprofits we work with, while keeping all that want our information informed up to the second.  It’s awesome and once you get the hang of it we believe you will agree.  I will briefly run through the benefits to you and your nonprofit using Twitter, then list the steps on how you can get started “Tweeting” yourself.

Real Simple

Twitter is messaging that uses only 140 characters per message, called Tweets.  It is easy to send and receive tweets from your computer or mobile phone.  Because the messages are short, reading and writing them are quick.  People that want to keep in touch with you “Follow You” and receive your tweets.  You follow people that you want to keep in touch with.  Several short tweets a day is all it takes to keep everyone up-to-date with what you or your nonprofit is up to.  Twitter is short conversations that keep everyone in your life connected.

How it Could Help You

As a nonprofit, keeping your supporters, donors and volunteers up-to-date with daily updates and many times minute by minute reports have huge benefits.  The more you can keep your organization in front of those that are involved with your nonprofit the more they will be involved with you.  Likewise, staying transparent and keeping people more informed will let them know exactly the kind of help you need and when you need it.

Several tweets a day from you can:

• Update those following you on on projects status
• Tweet your fundraising and program events for those that cannot be there (play by play)
• Let others know of fundraising needs
• Keep grant makers updated with progress
• Quickly find volunteers
• Find others who would like to involved with your nonprofit

How You Can Start Tweeting

When using Twitter, “less is more” and keeping track of your and other people’s tweets can be managed easily on your computer by using TweetDeck http://www.tweetdeck.com.  Throughout the day,  “tweet” several times and let people know what you’re up to; you will be amazed at how interested they are in the little things you do each day.

Twitter Steps:

1. Go to http://www.twitter.com.
2. Sign up and create an interesting profile. Definitely add a photo.
3. Use the site’s “find friend” feature to search your email address book for people you know.
4. To find people you maybe interested in following, go to Twitscoop http://www.twitscoop.com/ and search topics you’re interested in.
5. Search websites that you are interested in to see if they have a “Follow Us on Twitter” link.
6. You may find more people to follow by reading the posts of those you are already following whose conversations seem interesting.
7. Keep the number of people you follow to less than 150 so that you can actually keep up with all the posts.
8. The number of people you allow to follow you depends on you but the more people following you, the farther your tweets will go out to the masses.
9. Try to think of ways to allow those that follow you to get to know you and your nonprofit.
10. Think of ways that you can introduce what your nonprofit is doing without giving a sales pitch.
11. Get all your donors and those interested in you and your nonprofit (donors, volunteers, board members) signed up and promote your Twitter link so people can connect to you.
12. Put your Twitter link on your email signatures, your web site, your literature and every place you, can making it easy for people to follow you.
13. A few “What I am doing” updates a day goes a long way.  Likewise, reply and respond to other people’s updates.
14. Give it a couple weeks to find those to follow and to find a “following”

Above all have fun and see what Twitter can do for you and your organization.

Later this Week in our Twitter Series: Tweet Like a Pro (sign up for our RSS so you don’t miss an article)

Advisory: All the information, pictures, video and updates on Twitter are able to be seen by all your followers and your profile can be seen by anyone, so keep that in mind when you put information on the internet.

Half the battle starting a NonProfit is setting up the company, filing all the right forms and then doing all the paperwork. It takes many people months or even years to figure out how to start a nonprofit, then longer saving up to pay to get the nonprofit set up. (cause it is usually expensive). You know what I mean if you have ever ran across one of those lengthy pages explaining all the steps to starting a nonprofit.

Those that come to us have their nonprofit set up and doing business in about 3 weeks. Just a quick two page application, with just 5 quick questions and in 3 weeks you will have a brand new shiny nonprofit.

The Faster and Easier Way to Start a Nonprofit through Fiscal Sponsorship

We set your nonprofit 501c3 up through fiscal sponsorship. Fiscal Sponsorship means your nonprofit is set up under the umbrella of an already existing nonprofit, which is really a great way to learn the ropes of running a nonprofit. The great news is not only is the setup quick even all the accounting and bookeeping is taken care of. All you have to focus on is fund raising, and running a successful programs rather than becoming overwhelmed with paper work, filing reports, and bookkeeping. You still have all the benefit of a nonprofit but with non of the hassle.

Through this route of setting up the nonprofit, the cost to get started is a mere $385 and includes all your ongoing:

• Administration
• Bookkeeping
• Banking
• Staying within the IRS guidelines
• End of the year taxes

Read more about the benefits and ease of a nonprofit with Fiscal Sponsorship here.

Three Quick Steps to Submitting Your Online Application

1. Pay the Application Fee Online*
   

   Name of Your Proposed Nonprofit

   

2. Fill Out the Online Application
   Click Here for the Online Application
3. Sign the Agreement
   Click Here for the Online Agreement
   

If you would rather fill out the 501c3 Application from a PDF and submit it by mail, fax or email print the application from the link below:

Print Out the 501c3 CDP Project Application
Click here to print and fill out, Mail or Fax Application.

Mail us

You can also Mail your application to: Ocean Grand 1340 Great Neck RD STE 1272-212 Virginia Beach, VA 23454

What People Are Saying

My non profit will have great recognition and to know i don’t have to worry about paper works and to have professionals working and mentoring me is a great comfort to me. I would recommend your work to others. Scott, i thank you so much.
Danielle, magnificent butterflies, inc.

Setting up a non-profit project through Ocean Grand is as fast, easy more then one can imagine!
Clinton Ezeigwe, Sign of Hope

I love your way of not forgetting your old friends.
The greatest thing you did for me was to help me set my organization… you also helped me to fundraise online.This was so good too.
Rose Nabisalu, Luteete Women of Uganda (Uganda, Africa)

About the CDP program

The reason we can quickly set up your nonprofit through the CDP program is that CDP is an already existing independent 501c3. CDP empowers others that wish to pursue nonprofit activities to set up their nonprofit activities within their already existing program. In addition, CDP has a permanent staff that provides your organization with all the administration benefits listed above so you can spend your time focused on developing your program. Setting up your nonprofit activities through CDP is the easiest and most cost effective way we know of to get your nonprofit operating in a ways that is easy to maintain. Thousands of nonprofits all over the world agree that setting up a nonprofit project through the CDP program put them on the fast track to living their nonprofit dreams. It is easy if you should decide at anytime you want to move your nonprofit operation to an independent 501c3.

* The application fee is nonrefundable