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Overview
Need practical advice on running a nonprofit? No problem! Packed with the latest tips and techniques on starting and managing a charitable organization, this easy-to-follow guide offers everything you need to help your nonprofit endure the ups and downs of the economy. From applying for your tax exemption to raising money to pay for your programs, it covers it all. So get ready to bring in the bucks — and enjoy watching your nonprofit prosper.
- Write a mission statement
- Craft a compelling pitch
- Raise money online
- Apply for grants
- Get the word out
- Adapt in hard times
- Prepare a solid budget
- Project cash flow
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781119280064 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| Publication date: | 12/27/2016 |
| Series: | For Dummies Books |
| Pages: | 416 |
| Sales rank: | 520,404 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d) |
About the Author
Frances N. Phillips is program director for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund at the Walter and Elise Haas Fund in San Francisco. She also taught grant writing at SFSU for more than 25 years.
Read an Excerpt
Table of Contents
Introduction 1About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started with Nonprofits 5
Chapter 1: Getting to Know the World of Nonprofit Organizations 7
What Is a Nonprofit? 8
Comparing for-profits to nonprofits 8
Introducing the one and only 501(c)(3) 9
Knowing Your Mission Before Entering the Nonprofit World 10
Setting up a nonprofit 11
Making plans and being flexible 11
Being Inspired and Inspiring Volunteers 12
Finding the Resources to Do the Job 13
Seeing where the contributions come from 13
Fundraising for fun and profit 14
Chapter 2: Deciding to Start a Nonprofit 15
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Starting a Nonprofit 16
Doing Your Homework First 17
Assessing the competition 17
Finding people to help you 18
Figuring out how you’ll pay the bills 19
Taking a long, hard look in the mirror 20
Planning — and then planning some more 20
Understanding Nonprofit Ownership 21
Benefiting the public 21
Being accountable 22
Looking at the Many Varieties of Nonprofits 23
Identifying nonprofits by their numbers 24
Rules and regulations to add to your file 25
Comparing Nonprofits and For-Profits 28
How they’re alike 28
How they differ 28
Using a Fiscal Sponsor: An Alternative Approach 30
Examining common details of a fiscal sponsorship relationship 31
Finding a fiscal sponsor 32
Chapter 3: Creating Your Mission Statement 35
Mission Statement Basics 36
Homing in on your purpose 36
Specifying your beneficiaries 38
Explaining how you’ll accomplish your goals 38
Imagining your future with a vision statement 38
Keeping your focus narrow at first and broadening over time 39
Keeping your statement short and sweet 39
Writing the Mission Statement 40
Gathering input from your group 40
Drafting the statement 41
Living by Your Mission 42
Chapter 4: Incorporating and Applying for Tax Exemption 43
Creating a New Entity: The Corporation 44
Following your state law 44
Understanding your corporation’s governing documents 45
Deciding whether to have members in your corporation 46
Finding the best name 46
Writing the Articles of Incorporation 47
Crafting a heading 48
Article I 48
Article II 48
Article III 48
Article IV 49
Article V 50
Article VI 50
Article VII 50
Article VIII 50
Signed, sealed, and delivered 51
Getting Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) 51
Writing Your Organization’s Bylaws 53
Holding Your First Board Meeting 53
Applying for Tax Exemption 54
Tackling Form 1023 55
Understanding the difference between public charities and private foundations 56
Establishing public charity status 56
Describing your activities 57
Reporting salaries and conflicts of interest 58
Dealing with financial information 59
Collecting the other materials 60
Paying the fee 61
Getting along until the exemption comes 61
Chapter 5: Protecting Your Nonprofit Status 63
Disclosing What You Need to Disclose 64
What you do need to show 64
What you don’t need to show 65
Avoiding Excessive Payments and Politicking 66
Determining reasonable pay and benefits 66
Using caution when getting involved in politics 68
Why all the fuss? Understanding the increased scrutiny 68
Reporting to the IRS 69
Filing the 990-N 70
Taking it easy with the 990-EZ return 71
Tackling the long Form 990 76
Getting your 990 to the IRS 78
Reporting to Your State and Local Governments 78
Part 2: Managing a Nonprofit Organization 79
Chapter 6: Building Your Board of Directors 81
Understanding the Duties of a Nonprofit Board of Directors 82
Primary role: Preserving public trust 82
Secondary role: Dealing with planning, hiring, and other board tasks 84
Sharing responsibilities among the board, staff, and volunteers 86
Recruiting the Right People for Your Board 86
Keeping it fresh 87
Big boards or little boards 89
Choosing officers and committees 90
Introducing new and prospective members to the board and the organization 91
Putting Staff Members on Your Board 93
Using Your Board to Full Capacity 93
Encouraging commitment from board members 94
Holding effective board meetings 95
Chapter 7: Planning: Why and How Nonprofits Make Plans 99
Understanding the Importance of Planning 100
Making Your Organizational Plan 100
Getting ready 101
Starting from your organization’s mission 102
Surveying the external situation 102
Looking at the internal situation 103
Hearing from all your stakeholders 105
Calling in the SWOT team 107
Putting the plan in writing 109
Adjusting your plan when necessary 111
Putting Plans into Action 111
Defining and setting goals, strategies, objectives, and outcomes 111
Creating a work plan 112
Planning for Programs 113
Assessing needs 114
Going beyond the needs assessment 115
Working as a team 117
Facility Planning: Finding a Place to Do Your Work 118
How much space and of what kind? 118
Location, location, location 118
Owning, leasing, or taking a free ride 119
Making a move 120
Taking on a capital project 121
Chapter 8: Evaluating Your Work: Are You Meeting Your Goals? 123
Knowing the Importance of Evaluation 124
Working through the Evaluation Process 125
Selecting the right kind of evaluation 125
Planning for evaluation 126
Crafting valuable questions 128
Choosing evaluators: Inside or outside? 130
Conducting Your Evaluation 131
Analyzing Results and Putting Them to Work 131
Interpreting results 132
Using your evaluation to strengthen your work 132
Telling the truth 134
Chapter 9: Working with Volunteers 135
Knowing Why People Volunteer 136
Designing a Volunteer Program 137
Considering a volunteer coordinator 137
Determining your need for volunteers 138
Writing volunteer job descriptions 139
Organizing volunteers 139
Hunting for Volunteers 141
Using the tried-and-true methods 141
Going online 142
Looking for volunteers at other organizations 144
Finding volunteers with special skills 144
Hiring interns 145
Interviewing and Screening Volunteers 145
Managing Your Volunteers 147
Providing adequate training 147
Keeping good records 148
Insuring your volunteers 148
Saying farewell to bad volunteers 149
Saying Thank You to Volunteers 149
Chapter 10: Working with Paid Staff 151
Deciding That You Need Help 152
Getting Your Nonprofit Ready for Paid Employees 153
Developing your personnel policies 153
Setting up a payroll system 155
Providing benefits and perquisites 155
Preparing to Hire 156
First things first: Writing a job description 156
Considering necessary qualifications 157
Establishing salary levels 158
Announcing the position 159
Making the Hire 160
Looking at résumés 160
Interviewing candidates 161
Digging deeper with references 162
Making your decision 163
Bringing a New Hire Onboard 164
Confirming employment terms in writing 164
Getting your new hire started on the job 164
Evaluating your new hire’s progress 165
Managing Employees 166
Understanding what a manager does 167
Communicating with your staff 167
Letting a staff member go 169
Using Independent Contractors 170
Differentiating an independent contractor from an employee 171
Seeing what an independent contractor can do for you 172
Finding a consultant: Ask around 173
Interviewing consultants 173
Signing the contract 174
Chapter 11: Showing the Money: Budgets and Financial Reports 177
Making a Budget = Having a Plan 178
Beginning with zero 178
Defining a good budget 182
Budgeting based on your history 182
Understanding and isolating general administrative and fundraising costs 183
Accounting for in-kind contributions 183
Creating Budgets for Programs or Departments 184
Working with Your Budget 187
Projecting Cash Flow 189
Constructing your cash-flow projection 189
Deciding what to do if you don’t have enough 190
Borrowing to make ends meet 192
Putting money away to make a nonprofit strong 193
Keeping Your Books Organized and Up to Date 193
Understanding the different accounting systems 194
Considering accounting software 195
Reviewing the Numbers: Financial Statements and Audits 195
Preparing financial statements 196
Seeing the value of an audit 196
Knowing whether you need an audit 197
Reading Your Financial Statements 199
Getting to know the parts of a standard financial statement 199
Asking the right financial questions 200
Managing Financial Systems 202
Chapter 12: Marketing: Spreading the Word about Your Good Work 205
Taking Care of the Basics 206
Designing a logo and letterhead 206
Preparing an organization overview or brochure 207
Creating a website 207
Producing annual reports and newsletters 209
Taking care of customers — your most important marketing tool 209
Discovering Who You Are: First Steps to Marketing 211
Recognizing your current market 212
Defining whom you want to reach and how 216
Using Mass Media to Reach Your Audience 219
Planning for effective publicity 219
Developing a media list 220
Understanding how the media works 221
Submitting materials to your media contacts 222
Getting your event into “What’s Happening?” calendars 223
Putting together public service announcements 224
Using Social Media for Fun and Profit 225
Developing a social media policy 225
Planning your social media posts 226
Choosing your social media platforms 227
Protecting your online reputation 229
Part 3: Fundraising Successfully 231
Chapter 13: Building a Fundraising Plan 233
Recognizing Who Can Raise Funds 234
Naming Possible Funding Sources 235
Examining Your Potential 236
Drafting a Fundraising Plan 238
Setting a preliminary goal 239
Asking whom you know 239
Researching and refining your prospect list 240
Estimating fundraising costs 242
Getting Down to Business: Moving to an Action Plan 246
Planting the Seeds for a New Organization 247
Hitting up people you know 247
Branching out with special events 248
Approaching foundations 248
Considering government grants 248
Chapter 14: Raising Funds from Individual Donors 249
Knowing Why People Give Helps in the Asking 250
Stating Your Case 251
Identifying Possible Donors 254
Drawing circles of connections 254
Getting a list of contacts from your board of directors 256
Growing a Major Gift 257
Deciding who should do the asking 257
Preparing to make your request 257
Breaking the ice 258
Adopting the right attitude 258
Timing the request: An inexact science 258
Determining what to ask for 259
Minding your manners 260
Raising Money by Mail 260
Taking the direct-mail route 260
Trying your hand at a letter-writing campaign 262
Raising Money the “E” Way (Easily and Electronically) 263
Using email and related tools to build and maintain relationships 264
Building your email address lists 265
Using your website as a cultivation tool 266
Gathering money online 267
Soliciting text-message donations 269
Telemarketing: Dialing for Dollars 270
Writing a script 271
Coaching your callers 272
Collecting the pledges 273
Chapter 15: Making the Most of Special Events 275
Thinking through the Whole Event 276
Using your budget to guide decisions 276
Sticking to your budget 279
Soliciting in-kind gifts for your event 281
Building your event committee 282
Setting a date and location 283
Setting Up Your Timeline 284
The first three months 284
Months four and five 284
Four weeks before the event 285
The week before the event 285
Spreading the Word 287
Finding a news angle 287
Getting a mention on radio or TV 288
Chapter 16: Finding the Grant Givers 291
Planning a Foundation Grant Proposal 291
Figuring out who’s looking for whom 292
Knowing whom you’re dealing with: Different kinds of foundations 293
Using the Foundation Center to assemble a broad list of prospects 296
Digging deeper to narrow your prospects 300
Going for a Government Grant 301
Federal grants 302
Nonfederal government grants 304
Chapter 17: Writing a Grant Proposal 305
The Windup: Completing Pre-Proposal Tasks 306
Asking for permission to ask 306
Passing the screening questionnaire 307
The Pitch: Writing Your Proposal 307
Starting out with the cover letter and executive summary 308
Introducing your agency 309
Shaping the problem 310
Setting goals, objectives, and outcomes 310
Presenting (ta-da!) your project idea 311
Explaining how results will be measured 312
Talking about the budget 313
Showing where the rest of the money comes from: The sustainability section 315
Writing the P.S.: The appendix 316
Throwing Special Pitches for Special Situations 317
Trolling for corporate grants or sponsors 319
Seeking general operating support 320
Seed money: Proposing to form a new nonprofit 321
The Homerun: Following Through after You Receive Funding 322
Chapter 18: Capital Campaigns: Finding Lasting Resources 323
Beginning the Funding Plan 324
Preplanning your campaign 325
Developing a rough budget 326
Testing feasibility 327
Analyzing the results of your study 329
Developing a Case Statement 329
Building the Pyramid of Gifts 330
Starting at the top 331
Applying for grants as part of your capital campaign 332
Ending the quiet phase and moving into the public phase 333
Realizing the Benefits and Risks of Capital Campaigns 334
Part 4: The Part of Tens 337
Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Adapting in Hard Times 339
Recognize the Need for Change Before It’s Too Late 340
Communicate When Making Hard Decisions 340
Step Back and Regroup 340
Set a Manageable Fundraising Goal 341
Collaborate with Others in Your Field 341
Share a Back Office 342
Place a Program within Another Agency 342
Merge with Another Nonprofit 343
Close with Dignity If Necessary 343
Complete the Closing Paperwork 344
Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Raising Money 347
Ask 347
Hit Up People You Know 348
Tell Your Story 348
Show How You’re Improving Lives 348
Make the Numbers Sparklingly Clear 349
Research, Research, Research 349
Know Your Donors’ Point of View 350
Build a Donor Pyramid 351
Make It Easy to Respond 351
Keep Good Records 352
Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Protecting Your Nonprofit 353
Assessing Your Risks 354
Planning for Emergencies 354
Filing Annual Federal Forms 355
Filing Annual State Forms 356
Paying Employment Taxes 356
Reporting Payments to Consultants 357
Maintaining Transparency 357
Responding to Negative Press 358
Protecting Your Online Reputation 358
Determining Insurance Needs 359
Part 5: Appendixes 361
Appendix A: Glossary 363
Appendix B: About the Online Content 367
Index 373
