Starting a charity can seem exhausting. However, it is actually quite simple. The very first step, however, is crucial to the entire operation. Discovering what the charity is going to be about. Only the founder can decide this! It will probably be the most fun part of the process. Coming up with a thought-provoking name for the charity will also need to be accomplished. Once this is said and done, the more formal process will begin.
However, one needs to be prepared, as there will be plenty of people fighting for the same cause. This means that others will have similar missions and might be able to knock others’ ideas out of the ballpark. Here is where the mission statement, as well as a detailed five-year plan that needs to be written, will come in handy. The planned budget, as well as ideas to obtain financial support, can end up setting one apart from all the others. The five-year plan should also include the exact differentiation. After that is out of the way, there are just several more easy to follow steps that need to be completed. To become an official charity and achieve tax-exempt status, a 501(c)(3) form will need to be filed with the IRS.
Meanwhile, Campaigning and Fundraising are at the core of the matter, however, establishing a website and other media presence will help along the journey much more quickly and effectively. To help things run more smoothly, an advisory board is necessary. This board will help see that things will go according to plan. Each member will be unpaid, but it’s important to note that that’s okay! Any money that is acquired will go to the charity’s purpose. It is what they are there for! Approximately fifteen to twenty members are usually the standard to start with. Naturally, and hopefully, that number will grow alongside the charity! It is important to remember to keep everything as active as possible. Without routine meetings and events, the charity will not do as well as it could. To add, knowing how not to spend money will save the charity from crumbling as it can not be operative otherwise. All in all, creating a charity will prove fruitful as long as it can help provide for its original intentions.