How to Start a Non Profit Fund for Fire Victims

Pick up a newspaper or access your favorite form of electronic media and it's all too likely that a blazing fire may be headlining the day's news. Fire departments and relief organizations are quick to respond to such catastrophic emergencies, but once the fire's out and there's nothing more officials can do for survivors, only a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds can step in to begin the work of helping survivors pick up the pieces of their lives. If there's no such nonprofit in your area and you're thinking of launching one, use these tips to help victims pick up where firemen and paramedics left off.

Instructions

1. Make certain there's a need for such a fund-raising effort in your area. A nonprofit devoted to fire victims and their families will absorb a good deal of time and energy, so be certain there's no other nonprofit in your area that's already geared up to assist victims with cash and in-kind donations.

2. Seek legal help to file paperwork required of all nonprofits wishing to solicit funds under the government's Section 501(c) 3 tax code. This charitable designation must adhere to stringent guidelines set forth by the IRS, so unless you are well-versed in nonprofit law, you'll help fire victims more by consulting an attorney for this task.

3. File for incorporation when you seek your 501(c) 3 designation to tackle all of the legalities a nonprofit must deal with. "Do-it-yourself" incorporation is worth exploring if, as all charities are committed to doing, you want to save money. See Resources below to learn more about incorporating your nonprofit for fire victims. For additional information, contact the IRS directly: [phone].

4. Clarify long-range goals by writing a mission statement. You've already committed to focusing on soliciting funds, but what parameters will you attach to this effort? There are many questions to ask and answer before committing your mission to a statement that succinctly describes what your nonprofit will do to collect and disburse funds to fire victims.

5. Contact your Secretary of State to see what types of approvals your state requires to sanction your fund-raising efforts. Many states offer guidelines for forming a nonprofit on their websites; some offer downloadable forms.

6. Recruit a board of directors to help manage and disburse the funds. Invite business people, ordinary citizens and officials with an interest in helping your efforts to make certain fire victims are being adequately served by a diverse panel.

7. Work with your board of directors--or a committee from the board at large--to draft by-laws in accordance with fund-raising efforts. You needn't reinvent the wheel. Peruse by-laws of other nonprofits and fund-raising entities to see how they handle cash and in-kind donations. Paraphrase language while tailoring your by-laws to the outcomes you expect to see as you help fund fire victim's recoveries.

8. Set up a bank account once you have received your Federal and State Tax ID numbers and launch your first efforts at fund-raising. Count on your board to be the mainstay for generating volunteers, cash and good will during the earliest days of your start-up, then encourage recruitment so your goal of raising money for fire victims can be shared by an ever-widening circle of supporters.

9. Take advantage of local media interest to help spread the word about your fund-raising efforts. If specific print and electronic media have been covering fire stories in your area, turn to them first. These reporters have already seen the devastation firsthand, so they will be be more receptive to your requests for spreading the word about the victims left behind as a result of fire-related disasters.

Resources

• Download Legal Documents
• Example of Nonprofit By-laws
• Selecting a Good Board of Directors