How to Start a Charity
Charitable organizations are established by those people, who care and respect the underprivileged people. Innumerable charities are established every year in the world with the prime objective of fulfilling the basic needs of life food, clothing and shelter of millions of people. But, due to lack of proper planning and shortage of funds, many of the charitable trusts are either closed down, or do not achieve success in their mission of catering to the needy people. Systematic planning and good management are the keys for the success of any charitable organization. Charities are non-profit organizations and this should be acceptable to the people, who are planning to start a charity. Mentioned below are some valuable tips on how to go about starting a charity.
Steps To Be Followed
Before starting your actual preparations to start one, be very clear about the kind or type of charity you want to start. Your organization will have to undertake activities like education and benefit of the community, if it is registered under the non-profit organization section of the Internal Revenue Code. One should clearly understand the difference between a trust and a charitable organization. Trusts concentrate more on the sanctioning and allocating money while the major emphasis of the charitable institutions is to render services as per the need. Search for a good location in the urban areas, where you can have the head office of your charity. You should ideally have your branches or sub-offices in remote localities to reach out to the people whom you desire to help. You should have a good infrastructure and proper internal management system which can alone decide the success or failure of your efforts.
All the management related decisions will be taken by the chairman and the on-board members and will be binding on all the people associated with the charity. You should clearly decide the localities, where you will be rendering your service and the maximum number of people whom you can help through your organization. Naturally, all these numbers will depend on how big your charitable organization is and what is the financial condition or strength of your organization. Ensure the uninterrupted supply of basic amenities and facilities and grants in the form of money from the government and other sources for the smooth running of the organization. Be ready to face all the challenges which may come in your way during the journey to success. Do not use the name and money of the organization for personal gains or financial advantage as doing so is unethical and illegal.
Your mission and vision should be very clear and should be followed by all the employees of your charitable organization. The mission and vision of the organization should be displayed properly at the office reception and in every advertisement and room of the office premises. Advertising is necessary to help the needy reach to you in time. Merit should be the sole criteria for recruiting the employees. Make sure that all the employees recruited are genuine and are really interested in social service as selfish people can not contribute positively to the fulfillment of the mission. Keep a tab on the performance of the employees and have a complete transparency in matters and issues related to the money to avoid corruption and malpractices. There have been many examples of charitable organizations collapsing due to the illegal activities carried out by some anti-social elements. You should have the by laws of your charity ready and display them on the website of the organization. Come up with creative fundraising ideas like charity golf events to raise funds.
Completing the legal formalities is as important as having the right kind of infrastructure and money to run it efficiently. You will have to file an application seeking permission to run a non-profit organization with the Secretary of State by paying the small service or processing fee. You will also get a Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) which is necessary for the authorities for your tax related uses. Do not proceed with your plans without getting the sanctions and requisite permissions for the government.
Starting a charity is easy, if you have the determination and the positive energy. You can also take some useful help from the senior and well established organizations. Social service through charities is a noble thing to do which will give you a lot of praise and satisfaction.
