What is a nonprofit?
“A nonprofit organization is a group organized for purposes other than generating profit and in which no part of the organization's income is distributed to its members, directors, or officers.”[1]
“Nonprofit corporations enjoy an exemption from corporate income taxes on profits from activities that are related to their organizational purpose. Also, a nonprofit is permitted to raise funds by receiving public and private grant money and donations from individuals and companies. (And the tax laws encourage people and businesses to donate money and property by allowing donors to deduct their contributions on their own tax returns.) Finally, structuring an organization as a nonprofit corporation protects its directors, officers, and members from personal liability for the corporation's debts and liabilities.”[2]
Before You Begin
- Candid’s Nonprofit Startup Assessment Tool
- This tool will assess your background and then provide customized resources to guide you in starting your nonprofit.
- Questions to Ask Before Starting a Nonprofit
- Questions You Must Answer Before Starting a Nonprofit
- Nonprofit Business Model Canvas (“Ecosystem Blueprint”) -- Prezi Presentation
- This tool will help you flesh out your nonprofit idea and think through the essential elements of your business model.
Nonprofit Startup Guides
- Starting a Nonprofit: A Resource Guide by the Regional Foundation Center
- BRIC’s Starting a Nonprofit Series
- Candid’s Nonprofit Startup Guide
- PANO’s Starting a Nonprofit in Pennsylvania
- Harbor Compliance’s Pennsylvania Nonprofit Startup Guide
Nonprofit Terminology
- Glossary of Nonprofit & Community Foundation Terms
- First Nonprofit Foundation Glossary of Terms
- Council on Foundations Glossary of Philanthropic Terms
Mission Statement
“The mission statement communicates the nonprofit's purpose, what groups it serves, and how it plans to do so.”[3]
- How to Write an Amazing Nonprofit Mission Statement
- How to Create an Effective Non-Profit Mission Statement
- 6 Tips for Writing a Nonprofit Mission Statement
- Sample Mission Statements
Proposal Writing
Fiscal Sponsorship
A fiscal sponsor is “a tax-exempt organization that legally serves as the recipient of charitable donations for another organization that has not yet been recognized as tax-exempt or does not have the infrastructure to manage funds (the sponsored organization).”[4]
- What is a Fiscal Sponsorship?
- Types of Fiscal Sponsorship Models
- Pros and Cons of Fiscal Sponsorship
- Fiscal Sponsorship National Directory
- Sample Fiscal Sponsor Agreement
- Philadelphia Fiscal Sponsors
- Urban Affairs Coalition: https://uac.org/
- CultureWorks: https://www.cultureworksphila.org/
- FNC: http://fncphilly.org/emerging-community-visionaries/fiscal-sponsorship-at-fnc/
- Scribe Video Center: https://scribe.org/fiscal-sponsorship
Finance, Funding, and Budgeting
- The Ultimate Nonprofit Budget Guide
- Nonprofit Finance Terms and Concepts
- Common Grant Application & Common Report Form (Word document)
Legal
- Pennsylvania Registration and Compliance
- What You Need to Know About Tax-Exempt Status
- How to Apply for 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status (Form 1023-EZ)
- Guidebook for Nonprofit Board
- How to Write Your Nonprofit Bylaws
General Resources & Organizations
- Free Library of Philadelphia Nonprofit Resources
- Philanthropy Network Nonprofit Resources
- Association of Fundraising Professionals
- Nonprofits for Dummies
- The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University
- Nonprofit Repositioning Fund
- Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library Nonprofit Resource Center (NRC)
- Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO)
- The Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF):
[1] https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/non-profit_organizations
[2] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/nonprofits-faq.html#answer-1740983
[3] https://learning.candid.org/resources/knowledge-base/nonprofit-mission-statements/
[4] http://www.firstnonprofit.org/resources/glossary
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