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How To: Starting a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
There are various things that you need to know if you wish
to establish an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. For instance, if an organization wishes
to receive tax exempt status under 501(c)(3) its earnings cannot be for
private purposes, the organization may not have as one of its significant
purposes the influence of legislation, and it may not in any way be involved
with political campaigns for or against any candidate for elective office.
The IRS website has all sorts of information
on the requirements for nonprofit status. The tax code also sets forth
a number of specific purposes that qualify for 501(c)(3) status. Some
of this information is available on the IRS website at "Exemption
Requirements".
The IRS has a web page devoted to the forms that you need
to have your organization recognized as tax exempt. These forms are the
application for 501(c)(3) status itself, and another form which is an
application for an employer identification number, which is necessary
whether you will have employees or not. There is also a publication available
that explains the forms, and you will probably need it. The forms themselves
in their online format and the publication that explains them are in pdf
format, which means you need adobe acrobat reader to view them. If you
don't have this program it is available for free download at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/.
The IRS page devoted to the forms needed for nonprofits is Application
for Exemption. The IRS really does have a good website. To find the information
on this page I simply did a search, and entered as the search word "501(c)(3)".
Dealing with the website might be a very happy alternative to dealing
with the mountains of paper and the telephone calls that would be necessary
to dealing with the actual physical IRS. The IRS webpage is www.irs.gov.
Once you've constructed the body of the car, so to speak, you're going
to need the fuel to make it go. By a car, of course I mean the organization
you are establishing, and by fuel I mean money. Please visit the fundraising
page for information on how to make your nonprofit go.
Links:
Here are some links that you might find useful if you are
attempting to form and operate a nonprofit organization.
Links for Starting/Maintaining Non-profits
www.compasspoint.org
www.nonprofit.about.com
www.boardcafe.org
www.canonprofits.org
www.charitychannel.com
www.nonprofitjobs.org
www.communitypartners.org
www.dotorgjobs.com
www.energizeinc.com
www.execsearches.com
www.escsc.org
www.givevoice.org
www.guidestar.org
www.idealist.org
www.iciclesoftware.com/vlh/
www.arts.endow.gov/
www.tmcenter.org
www.kdv.com/articles.html
www.boardsource.org
www.news.gilbert.org/about
www.nptimes.com
www.opportunityknocks.org/
www.pnnonline.org
www.pointsoflight.org
www.servenet.org
www.volunteermatch.org
www.ynpn.org
Links for funding Non-profits:
www.nonprofit.about.com
www.nsfre.org
www.philanthropy.com
www.ontap.org
www.fdncenter.org
www.iknow.org
www.litlamp.com
www.pnnonline.org
Links for gettign media exposure for your Non-profit:
www.nonprofit.about.com
www.givevoice.org
www.iknow.org
www.news.gilbert.org/about
www.visionaries.org
Technology Links for Non-profits:
www.techsoup.org
www.nonprofit.about.com
www.ctcnet.org
www.handsnet.org
www.helping.org/nonprofit
www.nonprofit-tech.org
www.nten.org
www.npower.org
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