How do you start a non profit organization?

[R_P_A_S]

for years I been wanting to set up my own. I have mentioned this before. when I first came on board last year.

I knew a man in Florida who had a recording studio where he offered inner city youth a place to learn about music and learn about "black culture" He said he got all this through government grants, donations and such.

How can I set up something similar?

[CornetJoyce]

Do you have a few people to constitute a board of directors? You'll need to incorporate under the laws of your province so you should check with the secretary of state office or whatever they call the relevant office there. You'll need to draw up a charter and bylaws. There are Foundation Centers around where you can find boilerplate documents, and there are a lot of books around. You can start by writing down your "mission."
The IRS is tougher than it used to be so think about ways to demonstrate "community support" to them. Check with the local IRS office and get a 501c3 application from them. It helps to have a lawyer do the application but I knew a retired longshoreman who did it himself. The IRS wants to see money coming from a broad base of supporters so if you have a fat cat don't take the money before you get exempt status, which will come in the form of an "advanced ruling" letter which will be good for a few years- used to be 2 but I think it's longer now- after which there's a review and then permanent status unless you screw up.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Do you want to open a charity, or a regular non-profit? You take some of the same steps for both, but some different as well?

Check out: http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Charity

[CornetJoyce]

Damn, I didn't have to write all that. Wiki has it all laid out. Thanks.

[Ultra-Violence]

or why dont u think about starting a Food-Not-Bombs collective around your area

[R_P_A_S]

well. I want to create a place where we can make music and sell it and the profits will go to social programs and to build up our center and just reach out. bla bla bla.

[BlakSheep]

Why don't you make the organization, rules regulations etc..., and then hold rallies and fund raisers to get the money. I'm sure there might be organizations in your local area who would be willing to help. Probably general leftist or youth organizations. Sounds like a good idea though.

[hajduk]

see how we do that in Bosnia

http://www.myspace.com/bugartze

[R_P_A_S]

with non profit organizations. can one get paid? like for example me being the one who started and i organized it and run it.. can i make like a salary from it? how would i live if i dedicate my time to it?

[Le Libérer]

Originally posted by [email protected] 18, 2007 04:57 pm
with non profit organizations. can one get paid? like for example me being the one who started and i organized it and run it.. can i make like a salary from it? how would i live if i dedicate my time to it?
My understanding the ones who start non-profits are not the ones who get paid a salary. The organization has be sunstained for 2 years before it will receive a non-profit status. Then as the one who started it, they usually are on the board of directors, which isnt a paid position, like the director would be, and they are usually hired by the Board.

[Comrade Rage]

If you are in America you'll have to pay a filing fee of $500. You'll also need to read IRS Publication #557 to find out what classification you will be able to get.

Publication 557 HTML Format (http://www.irs.gov/publications/p557/index.html) Publication 557 Portable Document Format (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf)

[R_P_A_S]

i don't think I can qualify as a non-profit org.
I mean basically what I'm trying to do is the following

Have a facility where recording artist, recording engineers and music producers can work together and make a product: Music, CD's, Shows, T-shirts and such. to sell and use the profits to run our "company" and one of the big things we will do is contribute to social programs and expand. eventually creating an independent market for music where artist and producers have a socialist objective and use their art not to get rich but to better our living conditions and take part in activism and such.

does that make sense?

obviously i need people on the same page as me. under a socialist/communist mind state. not a capitalist one.