5 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Start a Non-Profit

So you want to start a new non-profit. Congratulations! It can certainly be one of the most rewarding and life-changing moments of your life when you see your efforts make a difference in the world.

However, starting a new non-profit is never easy, so before you rush into anything, here are five essential questions you need to ask yourself to make sure you're making the right decision.

1. Do You Have the Skills to Start a Non-Profit? Running a non-profit is just like running a business. It takes an organized, creative, hard-working individual who's comfortable with all the requirements of running a financially sound and entrepreneurial-driven organization. You'll need to coordinate volunteers, track donations, attract donors and investors, create a marketing strategy, and much, much more. Make sure that you are prepared for the heavy-lifting before you start your new non-profit.

2. Is Your Cause Unique? Chances are, your cause may already be claimed by another non-profit in your area so do your research to check to make sure you're not duplicating efforts with someone else. If there is someone already working with your desired cause, consider joining forces with that organization instead of going through all the hardship to start your own non-profit.

3. Do You Have a Mission Statement? Before you begin your new non-profit, you need to formulate a clear mission statement that conveys your organization's purpose. This helps you stay on track as well as lets people know what your organization does and who or what it's helping.

4. Do You Have Help? Attracting volunteers to your cause is a vital piece of non-profit success. Starting a non-profit on your own is a tough situation, and it's better to find a few savvy people who believe in your cause to help get the organization off the ground.

5. Do You Qualify as a Non-Profit Legally? Filing the proper paperwork to officially be recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit can involve a lot of legwork and waiting, so before you begin this arduous process, it's best to make sure you qualify as a genuine non-profit. A non-profit cannot be created for anyone's personal gain or be for the benefit of a political party. It must be a true charitable organization dedicated to serving the greater good.

If mulling over the above questions hasn't caused you to have second thoughts about starting your new non-profit, then you're ready to get started, and the team here at DataIdeal is ready and willing to help you take those first steps!