How hard it is REALLY to start your own rescue and get non profit status? I am at a point where several of us within the rescue are really fed up with the "head honcho". Just exploring options at this point.
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Dissatisfaction with rescue
- Thread starter yayas_mom
- Start Date
I don't know the answer to that myself BUT I just started taking classes on non-profit management and grantwriting, in one of them I got this info in the FAQ:
<<Q: Where do I go to learn more about establishing a nonprofit organization?
A: I'd be happy to give you several resources that will provide you with more information:
* Board Source: Building Effective Nonprofit Boards
http://www.boardsource.org/catSearch.asp?SuperCatID=8
* Life Cycle of a Public Charity (from the IRS)
http://www.irs.gov/charities/charita...122670,00.html
* Business Filings: Nonprofit FAQs
http://www.bizfilings.com/learning/nonprofitfaq.htm
You may also want to investigate Anthony Mancuso's book How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation. It's available on Amazon, and here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...43339?v=glance. You may also find it at your local library.
Good luck in your new nonprofit venture! >>
I'd paraphrase it for you, but I haven't looked at it myself yet.
Also, I don't believe that you have to be a nonprofit 501c3 to be a rescue, but it does make getting donations etc a lot easier. I am not positive though.
<<Q: Where do I go to learn more about establishing a nonprofit organization?
A: I'd be happy to give you several resources that will provide you with more information:
* Board Source: Building Effective Nonprofit Boards
http://www.boardsource.org/catSearch.asp?SuperCatID=8
* Life Cycle of a Public Charity (from the IRS)
http://www.irs.gov/charities/charita...122670,00.html
* Business Filings: Nonprofit FAQs
http://www.bizfilings.com/learning/nonprofitfaq.htm
You may also want to investigate Anthony Mancuso's book How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation. It's available on Amazon, and here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...43339?v=glance. You may also find it at your local library.
Good luck in your new nonprofit venture! >>
I'd paraphrase it for you, but I haven't looked at it myself yet.
Also, I don't believe that you have to be a nonprofit 501c3 to be a rescue, but it does make getting donations etc a lot easier. I am not positive though.
I think there are some national groups that will let you start a local chapter of their organization. That might be an easy way to get things off the ground -- letting an experienced representative of that group "help you" get started.
If you go it alone, it is not too hard to do if you stick to the minimum legal paperwork. There are kits available and I think I used one at NOLO. Get it done right but don't let other people nitpick you on details.
Sad to say, that's been the main problem with any volunteer work I've done -- some busybody who won't do it themselves but wants to be a backseat driver, voting on each little thing or making a million suggestions. You might start out with a simple idea with a mission statement like "operate a rescue letting volunteers foster stray cats in their own home until they are adopted through Petfinder.com or Petsmart" and three months later find yourself in a hospital doing animal therapy work or speaking to fifth graders about how to care for a cat. Meaning -- keep the focus narrow and don't let others blow the group's purpose off course with all of their crazy ideas that drain your free time and resources. Let them start their own groups for these different ideas. Sorry for going off-topic, but just speaking as a volunteer who has tried to "do good" before. You have to keep it in the middle -- if you are a dictator, then your group falls out of favor; but if you are a softie, then people hijack the group for their own nuisance issues and the purpose of the organization is lost...unless you keep it firm yet reasonable, ultimately you will fail.
Anyway, great that you are contemplating what's best and good luck with whatever you do.
If you go it alone, it is not too hard to do if you stick to the minimum legal paperwork. There are kits available and I think I used one at NOLO. Get it done right but don't let other people nitpick you on details.
Sad to say, that's been the main problem with any volunteer work I've done -- some busybody who won't do it themselves but wants to be a backseat driver, voting on each little thing or making a million suggestions. You might start out with a simple idea with a mission statement like "operate a rescue letting volunteers foster stray cats in their own home until they are adopted through Petfinder.com or Petsmart" and three months later find yourself in a hospital doing animal therapy work or speaking to fifth graders about how to care for a cat. Meaning -- keep the focus narrow and don't let others blow the group's purpose off course with all of their crazy ideas that drain your free time and resources. Let them start their own groups for these different ideas. Sorry for going off-topic, but just speaking as a volunteer who has tried to "do good" before. You have to keep it in the middle -- if you are a dictator, then your group falls out of favor; but if you are a softie, then people hijack the group for their own nuisance issues and the purpose of the organization is lost...unless you keep it firm yet reasonable, ultimately you will fail.
Anyway, great that you are contemplating what's best and good luck with whatever you do.
