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Dear Claudette,
To become a not-for-profit --
you need to get an attorney
-- hopefully you can find one
pro-bono -- most are required
and do do a percentage of pro-bono
work. They will file incorporation
files on your behalf -- and
even if they do this for free
-- there are filing fees --
hopefully minimal.
The
Support Center, which is based
in NYC can provide you with
some information -- if you want
to do on your own -- but it
is tedious and time consumer
and the lawyer might be easier.
Both the lawyer and the Support
Center can provide you with
sample by-laws. These are pretty
formulaic -- you will have to
decide things like formal name,
officers, how many board members,
how you vote, how many meetings
you want to have, etc..... But
much of the language is pre-determined/dictated
by the government.
Some of it can be simply changed
over time through resolutions,
but most of it obtuse and required.
Once you "incorporate"
-- it will take a few months
-- you will have to register
with your state and with the
feds. They will give you a number,
which confirms you tax-exempt
status.
Once this is done you can officially
fundraise -- you can start before
-- but you will need a fiscal
sponsor -- an existing tax-exempt
org -- who will take money on
your behalf. They will usually
charge a fee for this.
There are a range of ways to
fundraise and three primary
bases of
funding -- individuals, foundations
and the gov -- you seem to qualify
for all three -- though some
put restrictions on funding
"construction, etc..."
For individual appeals -- you
need to build up a list of proposed
people and just start sending
them letters or having house
parties, etc... For foundations
--- check out the Foundation
Center and research by key word
-- many matches will come up.
Be as precise as possible and
also search by your state or
region. Call these foundations
-- most need to build relationships
before they fund. For the govenment
-- both local and state support
can be solicited. I wrote a
How to Fundraise which I will
gladly send you if you send
me your mailing address.
Good luck -- what you are doing
is great,
—
Amy
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