Nonprofit Kit For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)) [Paperback]

Stan Hutton (Author), Frances Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2005 | Series: For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)

Starting a nonprofit is one of the most exciting and gratifying adventures that you’ll ever partake in, especially when you seal the deal on your first grant. But like all adventures, running a nonprofit organization is a real challenge.

Nonprofit Kit for Dummies, Second Edition shows you the fun-and-easy way to get your nonprofit up-and-running. It contains savvy advice from the experts on everything from incorporating and managing your nonprofit to unbeatable tactics for raising money and managing public relations. This hands-on, no-nonsense guide is packed with tons of useful information that will give you everything you need to:

• Plan your nonprofit for the community
• Write a buy-in guaranteed mission statement
• Incorporate and apply tax exemption
• Build your board of directors with the right people
• Design a volunteer program
• Have a paid staff run your nonprofit
• Create budgets and financial reports
• Craft the perfect fundraising plan
• Write a great grant proposal
• Raise money from individuals

Included in this must-have resource is a bonus CD-ROM that contains sample grant proposals, over a dozen budget and cash flow projections, multiple fundraising plans to choose from, and a list of indispensable Web resources to keep your nonprofit on track. Nonprofit Kit for Dummies, Second Edition is the ultimate nuts-and-bolts guide to getting your nonprofit off the ground and giving back to your community!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Raise funds, manage your organization — and change the world!

The fun and easy way® to get your nonprofit up and running!

If you're starting or running a nonprofit, help is here! Nonprofit Kit For Dummies, 2nd Edition gives you the practical tools you need to succeed. It includes savvy advice on everything from incorporating and managing your nonprofit to unbeatable tactics for raising money and managing public relations. This indispensable book-and-CD kit walks you through the processes that allow your nonprofit to make a difference.

Discover how to

• Obtain — and retain — nonprofit status
• Choose a great facility
• Recruit paid and volunteer staff
• Budget effectively
• Raise money and visibility
• Write tax reports

About the Author

Stan Hutton became involved in the nonprofit world after co-founding a nonprofit organization in San Francisco. Since that time, he has worked as nonprofit manager, fundraiser, consultant, and writer. He served as executive director of the Easter Seal Society of San Francisco and a fundraiser for Cogswell College. For five years, he wrote for and managed a Web site about nonprofits for About.com. He has worked at the San Francisco Study Center and the Executive Service Corps of San Francisco. He currently is a program officer at the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation.

Frances Phillips is a senior program officer at the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, where she also directs The Creative Work Fund. She also teaches grant writing and creative writing at San Francisco State University. Previously, Frances worked as executive director of Intersection for the Arts and of the Poetry Center and American Poetry Archives at San Francisco State University; and as a partner in the public relations and fundraising firm Horne, McClatchy and Associates. Frances serves on the boards of the California Alliance for Art Education and Grantmakers in the Arts; and she is co-editor of the Grantmakers in the Arts Reader.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (December 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764599097
• ISBN-13: 978-0764599095
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive Look at Starting a Non-Profit, August 29, 2004

By 

Scott FS (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

I wanted to start a small not-for-profit to raise money for cancer research. But where to start? May I suggest this book?

First of all, this isn't a book for the already established, huge foundation. It's for someone (like me) who not only knows nothing about the subject, but doesn't even know where to begin.

The book covers the subject from getting started, incorporating the non-profit, writing a mission statement, applying to the IRS for tax-exempt status (hugely important!), and finding the right people to help you make your dream come true.

The second part of the book is devoted to running the non-profit. This includes setting up a board of directors, hiring staff (or working with volunteers), planning for the future, and managing money.

The third part of the book is perhaps the heart of the matter - raising money.

Understand this is a first step. It isn't the only book you'll buy if you get your non-profit up and running, but it is an excellent place to start.

Read the book and take notes. Every state has different requirements, and you'll need to contact the state agency that regulates non-profits to get the forms, filing requirements, etc. There is a lot to learn, but the book is well organized, and packed with information.

You might also research a few other books to help you with the filing process. And I think it will be important to look for as many fund-raising ideas as you can, anywhere you can find them.

206 of 222 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Be careful!!!, March 21, 2004

By 

R. Samuel (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

OK this book makes you feel like incorporating is as easy as bying the book ...

But it is way too vague, and omits to tell you what you get yourself into !

After reading this book, I incorporated and for additional info I bought Nolo's How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation in California by Anthony Mancuso (or How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation if you don't live in california) and I got really scared.
This nonprofit kit is really for dummies, it doesn't even talk about applying for state tax exemption which is as important as federal tax exemption, or your responsibilities and duties as a director or officer.

I would really advise you to buy Nolo's book (nolo.com). The author is much more responsible, he clearly tells you that you should prepare your bylaws, your federal and state tax exemption application BEFORE submitting you articles of incorporation ...

Plus, this nonprofit kit for dummies is making some huge mistakes! It tells you that the Board of Directors is composed of the president, vice president, secretary and CFO ... which is totally untrue, they are officers
The board of directors is composed of guess what ... directors.

172 of 187 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not helpful at all, March 24, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Nonprofit Kit for Dummies (With CD-ROM) (Paperback)

As an attorney, I read a lot of publications about creating nonprofits -- here's what you need to know about this book:

1) No clear instructions on how to incorporate or how to fill out (very complicated) IRS forms necessary to obtain tax exempt status.

2) Covers a lot of topics only lightly, skipping important details.

3) No detailed info on state laws, which is extremely important to every nonprofit corporation.

If you really don't want to visit an attorney, Nolo's book "How to Form a Nonprofit Corporation" is the best one available, and addresses everything this Dummies book doesn't.