Helping others is a top concern for many people. If you are looking to start a charity, here’s a good guide to help you start.

Define your mission

First, you have to decide what cause your charity will serve. Are you passionate about the environment or helping the less fortunate? Naming your charity is important; your charity’s name will be the first impression that anyone has of your charity, so be sure to make it professional, memorable, and clearly associated with your cause.

Create a plan for your charity

Having a plan for your charity is integral to making your vision happen. Make sure that your charity has a clearly defined goal and feasible ways to meet that goal, including realistic timelines, budgets, and campaigns. 

File for tax-exempt status

The requirements for registering your charity as a non-profit with the IRS can be found here. Operating as a non-profit will afford your charity tax breaks and will help your funds go to the cause that you are helping. Be sure to hire legal help to ensure that you are following all the guidelines needed to qualify your charity as a non-profit.

Fundraising

To start a charity, you’ll need capital. Fundraising for your charity’s cause is the main goal, but you also need to secure funds for the basic operations that your charity will go through on a daily basis. Be ready to put together presentations, make calls, and plan meetings to obtain funds from foundations or individuals. 

Elect an advisory board

Find people with non-profit experience to help you launch your charity. As your charity grows, expand the board to include major donors and those with contacts that can help your charity develop further.

Start your charity’s operations

Make sure that you have enough capital to support your charity’s expected daily work for about a year. Your charity should be able to begin fundraising and supporting your cause as soon as operations begin – starting a charity with debt is inadvisable because it will delay your charity’s progress to reach its intended goal.

Marketing

Marketing is crucial to a charity. Social media, email campaigns, and community outreach will help spread your message and garner support for your cause. Creating a website where people can access information about your charity and what it does is key.