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Every day, individuals like you are inspired How to start a nonprofit organization in 2020 to help serve your community. Starting and sustaining a nonprofit are not easy tasks, but we applaud your commitment to helping others. The pages in this section of the National Council of Nonprofits’ website walk you through some of the questions to ask before starting a nonprofit, filings you’ll need to complete at the federal and state level, and the standard policies and procedures that your new nonprofit will want to have in place.
The National Council of Nonprofits does not provide one-on-one assistance to start (or operate) a nonprofit. Instead, we freely share lots of information here on our website and encourage you to consult with local expertise (either an attorney, accountant, or someone very familiar with tax-exempt law and how charitable organizations operate in your state) to ensure that the new nonprofit you form complies with state and local requirements, as well as federal laws. We encourage you to read the information we share in all five steps below before making a decision to start a nonprofit. We also encourage you to consider whether identifying a fiscal sponsor to "incubate" your nonprofit idea would be more practical, and less expensive, than starting a new organization. Here's a video about fiscal sponsorship. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with state-specific requirements for registration for fundraising purposes and find out what opportunities are available through your local state association of nonprofits.
Step 1: Do Your Research
Step 2: Build a Solid Foundation
Step 3: Incorporation and State Forms
Step 4: Filing for Federal Tax-Exempt Status
Step 5: Ongoing Compliance
The National Council of Nonprofits does not provide one-on-one assistance to start (or operate) a nonprofit. Instead, we freely share lots of information here on our website and encourage you to consult with local expertise (either an attorney, accountant, or someone very familiar with tax-exempt law and how charitable organizations operate in your state) to ensure that the new nonprofit you form complies with state and local requirements, as well as federal laws. We encourage you to read the information we share in all five steps below before making a decision to start a nonprofit. We also encourage you to consider whether identifying a fiscal sponsor to "incubate" your nonprofit idea would be more practical, and less expensive, than starting a new organization. Here's a video about fiscal sponsorship. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with state-specific requirements for registration for fundraising purposes and find out what opportunities are available through your local state association of nonprofits.
Step 1: Do Your Research
Step 2: Build a Solid Foundation
Step 3: Incorporation and State Forms
Step 4: Filing for Federal Tax-Exempt Status
Step 5: Ongoing Compliance
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