Mysamaris, Inc. Consultants

3 months ago

The spread of the coronavirus has led to many organizations implementing a work from home policy. This could be a new experience for many employees who now must be self-motivated and accountable for productivity away from the office.

To help, here are four tips to keep yourself productive, accountable, and collaborative as you work from home:
www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/organizational-culture/work-from-home-tips ...

Mysamaris, Inc. Consultants

11 months ago

Are you getting the most out of your data? Learn how new research on Pseudo-Set Framing is increasing donations for NPOs! #nonprofitdata

creativescience.co/pseudo-set-framing-boost-donations/ ...

Mysamaris, Inc. Consultants

4 years ago

So You Want to Start a Nonprofit: Part 2

Last week we discussed all the reasons you might think you want to start an NPO, and perhaps dismissed some misconceptions. This week we’d like to get into the basic steps you should follow to make it really happen.

Make a Sound Plan

It would be a good idea to conduct a needs analysis. Make sure that what you are considering that your organization will do isn’t already being done or that the population you want to support isn’t already being served. The odds are you have done some of this and found a need to fill, however be thorough. Going any further without a real goal here can result in a lot of wasted effort. If you plan to be in direct competition with an existing organization, start thinking about what will differentiate you from them.

Once you’re sure there’s a need and an underserved population really consider if 501(c)(3) is right for you. Grantspace has a handy article on the subject here: grantspace.org/tools/knowledge-base/Nonprofit-Management/Establishment/pros-and-cons. There is nothing wrong with founding a for profit socially conscious company to achieve the same ends as a nonprofit. It might even be easier.

Get Down to Business

Really, we mean it. Businesses are founded in paperwork, not just agreements but foundation documents that detail how a business is run, what it does and why.

Mission Statement

This is not a small task. A mission statement details your purpose, what groups you will serve, and how you plan to do that. It’s far more than a simple paragraph. A great mission statement is your cornerstone for everything you do moving forward.

Business Plan

Writing a real business plan can be hours of grueling work and research. A business plan incorporates a marketing plan, a strategic plan, an operations overview, a management plan and a financial plan. Though having the document for reference is handy, writing it forces you to think through all these variables.

Board Cultivation

Your board will not only be a source of guidance internally, it is also one of your best gateways to the community. A standard board (be they governors or trustees) is the governing body of a nonprofit. Among the tasks the board performs are:

•Overseeing the financial operations of the organization
•Being the moral compass, setting the standards by which an organization will function
•Providing leadership and strategy at the highest level for the organization (your board shouldn’t be making day to day decisions, but long range plans)
•Ensuring that an organization remains accountable to its donors and to the world at large

Remember each state has different laws governing what a board should look like. Here’s a handy reference: www.harborcompliance.com/information/nonprofit-governance-by-state

Now that you have all the above work to get through (take your time) we will break until next week. In part three of this series we will discuss filing! We hope you’re looking forward to it. ...