How to Start Your Own Nonprofit or Charity Organization

(DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer or tax professional, and this Hub is not intended to substitute for professional advice. Hopefully it will serve as a guide to finding good professional sources.)

This is in response to a request from ParadigmShift.

Our old world is in desperate need of help. Thank you for taking on a piece of it!

The following information pertains mostly to the U.S., with a side trip to Canada. I hope this response fills the requester's needs -- and those of others who are Up to Do Good. At the very least, I hope it provides a good start.  

I was once involved in creating a political action committee (PAC) in the U.S. The steps involved are similar to those for charities. Here are the very first:

1. Identify a need.
2. Create a method of filling that need.
3. Gather several like-minded people together to build the organization and do the work (this same group might also perform Steps 1 and 2, above). Make sure you're all on the same page and committed to doing the work.

Once that's done, you'll need to appoint a treasurer to handle the monies and -- vitally important if not fun -- to file required tax forms.

In order to achieve and maintain tax-exempt status -- and you'll still be required to file tax forms even if you don't need to pay taxes -- you'll need to incorporate both federally and with your state or province.

In the U.S., an incorporated public charity is called a 501(c)(3). This curious name stands for the section of Internal Revenue Service code covering public charities. There are 28 types of 501(c) tax-exempt organizations. The information in this Hub pertains only to 501(c)(3).

We found our own PAC-forming process to be a bit involved, but definitely doable for common mortals.

Here is a detailed link on U.S. requirements and process, including links to requirements for the 15 most populous states:

Citizen Media Law Project

If your state is not listed among the 15 most populous states, visit your state's Secretary of State website. You should find a business section that includes information on requirements for nonprofit organizations.

Charity Village

Provides info on starting and incorporating nonprofits in Canada, with links to all provinces, and much more.

DoSomething.org 

Helps teens start their own organizations.

Hope this helps, and best of success to your new organization!