My Nonprofit Founder to Full-Time Academy -- with online trainings to guide you through the steps to start a nonprofit (in the USA) and more -- is now LIVE! foundertofulltime.com/
So this is me😅😅...I already have enough funds(more than enough) but I think I have to start small too and learn the basics because even though I have the funds,I still need to learn how to make profit too right🤷♂️...so I still have to start small anyway right,just like a non profit charity without funds?right😅
Any other folks starting a nonprofit? What are some things you wish you'd budgeted for or are currently budgeting for that have proven to be good investments?
TY Ms. Smith For this video. I am SOOO grateful to you for your time and expertise! After watching this video for the third time in a row, I honestly feel more confident that I was totally unaware and unprepared for this journey that I am going to take. THIS VIDEO IS 24 CARAT GOLD. TY for this Knowledge! BRAVO!
thank you, my boss is so awesome, he buys homes and offers them to low-income people at a below market rental and or rent to own, he also creates jobs for people struggling. he just helps people all day every day. so selfless. I believe non for profit is how he should be operating as a structure for this business. otherwise, the numbers just won't work, you're giving me what I need to talk to him about this. I'm so grateful.
It's hard for me to even fathom how to get the initial resources for running a nonprofit. A board of directors, startup costs, legal hurdles.. it seems never ending! I'm just trying to do some good -- what's the best way to cover initial costs if you need so many things before even asking for donations?
I hear you. And sometimes not every project is best suited to be an official nonprofit - sometimes just done a one time project is easier! I have another video all about assessing if the nonprofit route is the best fit, check it out! If you proceed, you will need to raise some hundreds for the legal paperwork (even without a lawyer) in your state and for federal. Most groups pull in initial donations from their board or close supporters, or do a small fundraiser for it, being transparent that donations are not yet tax deductible.
Do you have a video explaining how the officers get paid... how the person starting the non-profit gets paid, and who else gets paid... I know there isn't very many people who gets paid... but not sure who they are.. and how much. Thank you Amber Melanie Smith... you are precious.
Actually I do have a video about that (that also clears up who can be compensated and how to avoid conflicts of interest). I mention it in a few videos but this is the main one: th-cam.com/video/EwBGpgVOFPQ/w-d-xo.html
@@AmberMelanieSmith Thank you... I have only started watching your videos (last night)... I'm sure I'll watch more, because of all the videos I have watched on this subject... your videos are the best! #1 Reason I'm going to trust you... is the fact you, yourself have already started a Non-profit organization, I know it's not easy, but worth it. Thank you for your reply and I will watch this video right now. So Exciting.
Hi Amber, I am really enjoying your videos. I am still uncertain as to which legal status makes the most sense of my business; NON PROFIT or FOR PROFIT. Do you have suggestions on how to figure this out? Thank you
@@AmberMelanieSmith You are a 🌟 I have watched a ton of your awesome videos and I've few important questions at this point. Not sure how/where to ask you...
LAUNCHING 2021! I've heard from SO many amazing people who want to make an impact in their communities by starting a nonprofit AND find a way to do it Full Time! I'll be launching the Founder to Full-Time Academy soon, which will include online training, materials, and support for folks starting up. If you're interested, let me know here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgEzf-dRU9VAE67xqbh29_hSceejM0kQHxIQL5RpoHvVxneg/viewform
You designed your own website? Do you fundraiser through your site? Do you have a video on that process? Thank you for these videos, they are very helpful.
I designed my first few websites for our nonprofit, but at a certain point handed it over to a professional. :) I taught myself how to use basic web design / CMS platforms and they weren't too hard. You can definitely do it yourself if you have the time and basic technical knowledge! Then you can add fundraising buttons and forms linking to whatever payment processors you're using (PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.).
Good Morning Question, Yearly I make 🎒 for kids in the Dominican Republic usually do 200 Kids I was wondering if I need to make a Non Profit for that. Usually, I buy everything myself. If I need to make one what will be the easier way to make currently I was looking at a website but they are charging $475 to create it.
Hey there! You should not have to form a whole nonprofit in order to do your annual project. :) Especially if you are donating materials to / through another organization - it would probably be considered a donation through that organization in that case.
Assume, all types of community income source including donations doesn’t work or somehow doesn’t happened for a new status nonprofit organization, can board of directors pay for the first year expenses from their own pocket?
I think start up costs can certainly vary by nonprofit. The scholarships in a scholarship fund would I presume fall under a program cost (since that's the purpose of the org).
What might be the pros and cons for a startup or relatively new non-profit (with no donor base) for using an Excel spreadsheet to manage donors, (vs. a donor management system)? My board says they would prefer Excel and that they cannot justify the cost of a donor management system since we don't have a donor base yet.
I think if you're going to do that, you might consider a free or low-cost email marketing system instead - you could group donors by category, and manage your communications with them through the same system. Excel isn't the worst but manual data entry can become time consuming and after a point, you realize, your time is spending money!
This is a great checklist. I noticed most of the software shows a monthly cost. I have yet to get to that point is there a subscription fee over purchasing the software outright?
There are certainly some free options for some types of software (I have another video about that!) and many things will offer a payment plan or subscription based on volume, sure!
Thank you. Do want to start my non profit soon. Wondering if i could still start doing the non profit just for impact now without doing the legal stuff yet. Am saving up for all the costs, but do want to help out now???
You can do some things, but be careful on any fundraising, as the government could consider any money raised as your personal income and charge taxes on it (and donations won't be tax deductible for donors until you're federally registered).
Are there courses you could recommend for a new executive director who does not have education in this specific type of management? One thing I am overwhelmed by currently is the details to be mindful of.. paperwork and so forth. There is a lot of "unknown" to me right now.
One thing I'd recommend is identifying your personal strengths and weaknesses - then outsourcing what you're weak in to to someone else! Hire help if you can. :)
By building relationships with them and sharing your cause you want them to support - start raising awareness first, then over time, as trust is built, you can ask them to support with donations.
@@AmberMelanieSmith Oh, Thanks. 1 more question: Because I'm having difficulty deciding which organization to start. If I start a For-Profit instead of a Non-Profit, would I still be able to host Non-Profit Events? I want to create a company for an impact, but I also want to make some money. So is it possible to become 2 organizations at the same time, I'll be doing Non-Profit Events on some days, and For-Profit Events on other days, is that even possible?
Thanks for your nice video. I have a question. Suppose that I am the founder of a nonprofit and I want to hire a CEO with $45000 a year. What is my own title as a founder? How can I compensate all the leg work that I have done so far? I have also a life and it requires costs. Pretend that I am not sure if I know everything that a CEO may know and brings in for the organization. What is a better way to both utilize an outsider expertise and keep myself in the lead? Please answer this concern.
Hey there! I hear this question a lot. I have a great video about this topic especially - "You CAN get paid for Nonprofit work, but there's a catch" - th-cam.com/video/EwBGpgVOFPQ/w-d-xo.html In short, you legally must have a volunteer (unpaid) board of directors for your nonprofit who has the right to vote on decisions for the nonprofit. Nonprofits cannot be formed with a purpose of profiting an individual, but the individual COULD be hired as a staff person to work for that nonprofit. The catch is the board of directors is the only group with the legal right to vote to hire and pay that person. So you cannot vote for yourself and vote to pay yourself. It is a conflict of interest. I am a founder, ran my organization for many years as a volunteer (never took a dime!), and now I work full time as the Director - because the Board voted to hire me and pay me. But I did not have a vote on that. They voted for me.
I'm a bit confused. I thought the point of the 501c(3) tax exempt status was to be exempt from paying taxes...meaning there would be no tax costs. So why is there a need to make room in the budget for yearly tax expenses?
Are you referring to the part about money to pay for filing your annual tax return? Nonprofits still have to file an annual return with the IRS, and in many cases you may want to hire an accountant to file that return for you. www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-annual-filing-requirements-overview
My Nonprofit Founder to Full-Time Academy -- with online trainings to guide you through the steps to start a nonprofit (in the USA) and more -- is now LIVE! foundertofulltime.com/
So this is me😅😅...I already have enough funds(more than enough) but I think I have to start small too and learn the basics because even though I have the funds,I still need to learn how to make profit too right🤷♂️...so I still have to start small anyway right,just like a non profit charity without funds?right😅
This is awesome
Thanks for da work
@@nicholaschuma6304 hi
Any other folks starting a nonprofit? What are some things you wish you'd budgeted for or are currently budgeting for that have proven to be good investments?
Transportation to get donations and gas for my car
TY Ms. Smith For this video. I am SOOO grateful to you for your time and expertise! After watching this video for the third time in a row, I honestly feel more confident that I was totally unaware and unprepared for this journey that I am going to take. THIS VIDEO IS 24 CARAT GOLD. TY for this Knowledge! BRAVO!
😊
This was ridiculously helpful for me. I am about to begin the paperwork process and this gave me a lot of ideas to begin with.
Awesome!!
Curious how it all went for you. I see you commented a year ago. Any updates? Have a good day!
Thank you for what you’re doing. You’re really helping me prepare and start up my organization.
Yay! Glad to hear it's helpful!
You are my hero! Thank you for doing these videos! I have started my own nonprofit from scratch while also being an ED of another nonprofit.
Yay! Thank you so much for watching! :)
thank you, my boss is so awesome, he buys homes and offers them to low-income people at a below market rental and or rent to own, he also creates jobs for people struggling. he just helps people all day every day. so selfless. I believe non for profit is how he should be operating as a structure for this business. otherwise, the numbers just won't work, you're giving me what I need to talk to him about this. I'm so grateful.
Thanks for sharing!
How’d that discussion go..?
Excellent Video... I watched every minute of it... a little scary, but do-able.
Thank you Amber for sharing all your great ideas... This give me HOPE.
You are so welcome!
Very informative. I will definitely watch more of your videos. Best regards.
Thanks for watching!
I found this very useful as I'm in the process of starting my non-profit. This will help me avoid the pitfalls.
Thank you.
You're so very welcome! Best of luck with everything!
Very resourceful... Thank you ❤️
Glad it was helpful!
Good content. Nice information 👍🏻I run a nonprofit org here in Indonesia
Thank you! Hope it helps!
Your videos are amazing omg!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!❤
You're so welcome!
Your channel has helped me so much. Thank you.
:) Makes me happy to hear!
You are wonderful. Thank you for empowering tips.
:) Thanks for watching!
It's hard for me to even fathom how to get the initial resources for running a nonprofit. A board of directors, startup costs, legal hurdles.. it seems never ending! I'm just trying to do some good -- what's the best way to cover initial costs if you need so many things before even asking for donations?
I hear you. And sometimes not every project is best suited to be an official nonprofit - sometimes just done a one time project is easier! I have another video all about assessing if the nonprofit route is the best fit, check it out! If you proceed, you will need to raise some hundreds for the legal paperwork (even without a lawyer) in your state and for federal. Most groups pull in initial donations from their board or close supporters, or do a small fundraiser for it, being transparent that donations are not yet tax deductible.
This is kick ass!! Thank you!
You're welcome! :)
Excellent and quite helpful. Thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Im learnings so much from these videos.Thanks
Glad to hear it!
What an eye opener for me!!
Hope it helped!
Do you have a video explaining how the officers get paid... how the person starting the non-profit gets paid, and who else gets paid... I know there isn't very many people who gets paid... but not sure who they are.. and how much.
Thank you Amber Melanie Smith... you are precious.
Actually I do have a video about that (that also clears up who can be compensated and how to avoid conflicts of interest). I mention it in a few videos but this is the main one: th-cam.com/video/EwBGpgVOFPQ/w-d-xo.html
@@AmberMelanieSmith
Thank you... I have only started watching your videos (last night)... I'm sure I'll watch more, because of all the videos I have watched on this subject... your videos are the best!
#1 Reason I'm going to trust you... is the fact you, yourself have already started a Non-profit organization, I know it's not easy, but worth it.
Thank you for your reply and I will watch this video right now. So Exciting.
I have a nonprofit organization not 501c3 yet but I have a business LLC both names are the same
Cool! Your state will be able to share the requirements for incorporating as a nonprofit then getting federal tax exempt status, if that's your goal!
Thank you amber
You're welcome!
Thanks ; another great video!
Thank you for watching!
Thank you so much for your videos. I am learning so much with each one, and realizing how this has been my path all along.
Happy to help!
Hi Amber, I am really enjoying your videos. I am still uncertain as to which legal status makes the most sense of my business; NON PROFIT or FOR PROFIT. Do you have suggestions on how to figure this out? Thank you
Definitely check out my video about choosing between nonprofit and for-profit business! I go through some pros and cons of each.
Thank you for sharing this, very helpful
You are so welcome!
great video learned something new! I GOT inspirational guidance and made is seem that it is possible even if you think it isnt
Glad to hear it was helpful!
Thank you for your content
Thanks for watching! :)
YOU ARE AWESOME THANK YOU
:D My pleasure!
Absolutely *love* what you share! Thank you 🙏🏻 for your commitment 😇
You are so welcome!
@@AmberMelanieSmith You are a 🌟
I have watched a ton of your awesome videos and I've few important questions at this point. Not sure how/where to ask you...
@@TruthWithJoseph What's the question? :)
LAUNCHING 2021! I've heard from SO many amazing people who want to make an impact in their communities by starting a nonprofit AND find a way to do it Full Time! I'll be launching the Founder to Full-Time Academy soon, which will include online training, materials, and support for folks starting up. If you're interested, let me know here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfgEzf-dRU9VAE67xqbh29_hSceejM0kQHxIQL5RpoHvVxneg/viewform
Can we communicate on mail or WhatsApp
8
Extremely interested, founded my organization back in 2017 but we just became an official non profit organization still pending 501(c)3
@@empoweringcuts Just launched at foundertofulltime.com/!
You designed your own website? Do you fundraiser through your site? Do you have a video on that process?
Thank you for these videos, they are very helpful.
I designed my first few websites for our nonprofit, but at a certain point handed it over to a professional. :) I taught myself how to use basic web design / CMS platforms and they weren't too hard. You can definitely do it yourself if you have the time and basic technical knowledge! Then you can add fundraising buttons and forms linking to whatever payment processors you're using (PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.).
Sooo informative thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Good Morning Question, Yearly I make 🎒 for kids in the Dominican Republic usually do 200 Kids I was wondering if I need to make a Non Profit for that. Usually, I buy everything myself. If I need to make one what will be the easier way to make currently I was looking at a website but they are charging $475 to create it.
Hey there! You should not have to form a whole nonprofit in order to do your annual project. :) Especially if you are donating materials to / through another organization - it would probably be considered a donation through that organization in that case.
Thank you so much. Very helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks 😊
You're welcome!
Assume, all types of community income source including donations doesn’t work or somehow doesn’t happened for a new status nonprofit organization, can board of directors pay for the first year expenses from their own pocket?
Hi there! Yes, there is nothing wrong with board members donating their own money to help fund the nonprofit (in fact, it's encouraged!).
You said you started many years ago. How many years specifically? I’m curious
how would these parameters vary if someone is aiming to start a scholarship fund? are all of these as necessary for a scholarship program?
I think start up costs can certainly vary by nonprofit. The scholarships in a scholarship fund would I presume fall under a program cost (since that's the purpose of the org).
What might be the pros and cons for a startup or relatively new non-profit (with no donor base) for using an Excel spreadsheet to manage donors, (vs. a donor management system)?
My board says they would prefer Excel and that they cannot justify the cost of a donor management system since we don't have a donor base yet.
I think if you're going to do that, you might consider a free or low-cost email marketing system instead - you could group donors by category, and manage your communications with them through the same system. Excel isn't the worst but manual data entry can become time consuming and after a point, you realize, your time is spending money!
This is the best!!!
Glad you like it! :)
Just to confirm these are cost that we would pay upfront. I’m assuming donations or my own money..
Yes, and it will vary by organization of course, but these are some common ones.
This is a great checklist. I noticed most of the software shows a monthly cost. I have yet to get to that point is there a subscription fee over purchasing the software outright?
There are certainly some free options for some types of software (I have another video about that!) and many things will offer a payment plan or subscription based on volume, sure!
Thank you. Do want to start my non profit soon. Wondering if i could still start doing the non profit just for impact now without doing the legal stuff yet. Am saving up for all the costs, but do want to help out now???
You can do some things, but be careful on any fundraising, as the government could consider any money raised as your personal income and charge taxes on it (and donations won't be tax deductible for donors until you're federally registered).
@@AmberMelanieSmith got it thanks . Love your channel. Sibscribed
Thank you
You're welcome!
Are there courses you could recommend for a new executive director who does not have education in this specific type of management? One thing I am overwhelmed by currently is the details to be mindful of.. paperwork and so forth. There is a lot of "unknown" to me right now.
One thing I'd recommend is identifying your personal strengths and weaknesses - then outsourcing what you're weak in to to someone else! Hire help if you can. :)
I learned so much
Thank you 😊
You’re welcome 😊
How do I use my customer data base as far as who I donate to
By building relationships with them and sharing your cause you want them to support - start raising awareness first, then over time, as trust is built, you can ask them to support with donations.
Hallo
What fundraising tracking software would you recommend?
Depends on the size of your donor base / budget for the software! Lots of great options out there.
The bomb 💣 ❤️👍🏼🙏🏽
😀🙂
Do the board members get paid a fee through the organization ?
No, nonprofit board members are typically unpaid volunteers.
What is your nonprofit organization
❤❤❤
:)
Hy Amber!
Hi! :)
Do you mentor?!
I'm booked up for a bit right now, BUT definitely take a look at joining my Facebook group, you can ask questions in there!
Hi, is a business permit necessary for nonprofits?
Hey there! There are various applications and forms required to be filed to launch an official nonprofit in the USA, yes.
@@AmberMelanieSmith Oh, Thanks.
1 more question:
Because I'm having difficulty deciding which organization to start.
If I start a For-Profit instead of a Non-Profit, would I still be able to host Non-Profit Events?
I want to create a company for an impact, but I also want to make some money.
So is it possible to become 2 organizations at the same time, I'll be doing Non-Profit Events on some days, and For-Profit Events on other days, is that even possible?
@@marcelinojr.deperalta3735 Any for-profit business can choose to host events to benefit charity any time they want :)
@@AmberMelanieSmith Sweet!
Thank you.
Thanks for your nice video. I have a question. Suppose that I am the founder of a nonprofit and I want to hire a CEO with $45000 a year. What is my own title as a founder? How can I compensate all the leg work that I have done so far? I have also a life and it requires costs. Pretend that I am not sure if I know everything that a CEO may know and brings in for the organization. What is a better way to both utilize an outsider expertise and keep myself in the lead? Please answer this concern.
Hey there! I hear this question a lot. I have a great video about this topic especially - "You CAN get paid for Nonprofit work, but there's a catch" - th-cam.com/video/EwBGpgVOFPQ/w-d-xo.html
In short, you legally must have a volunteer (unpaid) board of directors for your nonprofit who has the right to vote on decisions for the nonprofit. Nonprofits cannot be formed with a purpose of profiting an individual, but the individual COULD be hired as a staff person to work for that nonprofit. The catch is the board of directors is the only group with the legal right to vote to hire and pay that person. So you cannot vote for yourself and vote to pay yourself. It is a conflict of interest.
I am a founder, ran my organization for many years as a volunteer (never took a dime!), and now I work full time as the Director - because the Board voted to hire me and pay me. But I did not have a vote on that. They voted for me.
@@AmberMelanieSmith
Thanks so much for your reply. I definitely watch your recommended video.
@@AmberMelanieSmith doesn’t this just give you purpose😃😃
I'm a bit confused. I thought the point of the 501c(3) tax exempt status was to be exempt from paying taxes...meaning there would be no tax costs. So why is there a need to make room in the budget for yearly tax expenses?
Are you referring to the part about money to pay for filing your annual tax return? Nonprofits still have to file an annual return with the IRS, and in many cases you may want to hire an accountant to file that return for you. www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organization-annual-filing-requirements-overview
@@AmberMelanieSmith Ah ok gotcha. That makes sense!
@@AmberMelanieSmith I'm used to doing my own taxes so that didn't cross my mind at all!
Ame kaij kairabo
Hi
Hello!
Hi
Hallo
🤦🏿♂️my budget barely 7$ a week on the brightside I know that 7$ is gonna help someone
I hear ya. Please take care of yourself too!
Please have a new foundation put I don’t volunteers
Hey there! Are you trying to recruit volunteers? This video may help: th-cam.com/video/vSYaWtVNP0I/w-d-xo.html
You are one of the best looking girls I’ve ever seen anywhere
Thank you
Welcome!
Thank you
You're welcome!