Getting Started

TSNE often receives phone calls asking for advice on starting a nonprofit. While this is not an area in which we specialize, there are several excellent resources available that can help you get started and find someone who does. Before you begin this process, it is important to research the niche that your organization will fill to ensure that there is an unmet demand for your service. If you are unsure about the necessity of forming an entirely new non-profit organization, there are alternatives to consider, such as collaboration with an existing organization or fiscal sponsorship, a service which TSNE does provide.

Articles & Reports on Getting Started

• How Fiscal Sponsorship Nurtures Nonprofits
• The ABCs of Nonprofit Center Development

Links on Starting a Nonprofit

General Web Resources on Starting a Nonprofit

• Center for Nonprofit Management: Nonprofit Start-up Checklist
  Provides a checklist for starting a nonprofit
• Dorothy Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
  Offers resources on starting a new nonprofit organization, as well as general information and resources on nonprofit topics. In particular, look at the following two resources:
  • The Nonprofit Startup Guide
  • The Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
    A general how-to guide on a variety of subjects in nonprofit management; links to articles, websites, and other resources
• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving: Resource Kit for Starting and Building a Nonprofit
  A collection of online resources for starting a nonprofit, with a particular focus on Connecticut
• Idealist.org: The Nonprofit FAQ
  A collection of online resources and FAQs on starting a nonprofit
• The Foundation Center: Establishing a Nonprofit Organization
  A step-by-step guide to starting a nonprofit with links to additional resources on the web

Incorporation and IRS Requirements

Local Information

• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Corporations Division

National Information

• IRS Requirements for Public Support of a Charity, summarized by the Public Counsel Law Center
• The Internal Revenue Service:
  • Tax Information for Charities and Other Nonprofits
  • Applying for 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status

Legal Information and Advice

• Nolo Law Books and Resources
  Legal concerns and FAQs from a lawyer’s perspective on incorporation, liability, and more
• SCORE: Service Corps of Retired Executives
  Offers free consultation and resources for those starting small businesses and nonprofit organizations
• Small Business Administration
  Offers free workshops, business plan guides, legal assistance, and support for those starting small businesses and nonprofit organizations