What other resources are available online to help with starting a nonprofit?
Lester M. Salamon of Johns Hopkins University, wrote in 1999 that the explosion in the number of non-governmental organizations in the developing world could "prove to be as momentous a feature in the late 20th century as the rise of nation state was in the late 19th century." Elsewhere, he has written that we are in the midst of a “global associational revolution,” a massive expansion of structured citizen activity outside the boundaries of the market and the state with huge implications for citizens and nation-state alike.
The growth in the number of nonprofit organizations in the United States continues to be dramatic as well. Between 1993 and 2003 the number of public charities recognized by the IRS increased by 64%, to 362,824.
In this section, the Nonprofit FAQ lists online resources that may help with planning, organizing and registering a nonprofit organization. It is divided into three sections that focus on the most general resources, then on resources that relate specifically to resources outside the USA, and lastly to resources most useful in working in the United States.
General Resources
The Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project at Johns Hopkins University (Lester Salamon is the director) "is a systematic effort to analyze the scope, structure, financing, and role of the private nonprofit sector in a cross-section of countries around the world in order to improve our knowledge and enrich our theoretical understanding of this sector." 37 countries are included in profiles and studies.
The Global Development Research Center, based in Kobe, Japan, offers general resources for starting and maintaining NGOs ('nongovernmental organization') throughout the world.
The World Bank on "civil society organizations". "The World Bank uses the term civil society to refer to the wide array of non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations that have a presence in public life, expressing the interests and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, religious or philanthropic considerations. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) therefore refer to a wide of array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), labor unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations."
Many of the organizations listed in Idealist's Nonprofit FAQ International Support Organization page have information about the requirements for starting a nonprofit in the countries where they operate. In addition, many offer advice and information about maintaining nonprofits in their countries and offer connections with other nearby nonprofits.
Idealist.org lists thousands of nonprofit organizations around the world. You can easily search the entries for organizations based in a specific country and the result may help you locate organizations that can provide guidance or other assistance during startup activities.
The Internal Revenue Service has comprehensive discussion of the requirements for tax-exempt status and recognition as a charity in the "Exempt Organizations" section of its website.
On the IRS site there is also a page with links to state government sites with information about nonprofit corporations and other local laws and regulations.
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (an association of foundations that give special emphasis to nonprofit management) has a guide for funders considering support to a start-up organization on its website. The issues raised in this guide are things anyone investing time, thought or money in a new organization will want to think about.
Don Griesmann has written a comprehensive guide to starting a nonprofit with strong emphasis on the importance of having a business plan. His paper includes advice about what a business plan should include and how to prepare one -- in the nonproft setting.