Help Topics/FirstGiving Community/Q & A - Nonprofits
Answered
where to go to find out how to start a non profit
Dennis Mac Namara
asked this on January 09, 2011 04:16 pm
A friend's house was destroyed by fire and they have nothing, just the clothes on their backs. I want to start a fund raising process for them. I don't know how to start a non profit organization.
Comments
Hi Dennis,
If you'd like to set up a nonprofit organization, you can find a helpful guide here.
However, this is something of a lengthy process, and if you were just looking to raise money for your friend's family, you may want to look into a private-use fundraising website such as ChipIn, which is a way of fundraising for a private individual - like your friend - rather than a nonprofit organization registered with the government.
FirstGiving is set up to send funds only to US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, so in order to use our website to raise money, you would need to have your nonprofit set up and listed on the Guidestar database (a national registry of 501(c)(3) nonprofits) first.
Good luck with your fundraising efforts - and if you do set up a nonprofit, or if you choose to raise money in the future for another nonprofit organization, we're happy to help you.