Building a successful nonprofit is hard especially if you don’t have a roadmap. I know first hand from my days on a new nonprofit’s Board. I had nonprofit experience in larger organizations so I knew what one looked like from the inside but I saw so many things that needed to be done. I Googled “start a nonprofit” and got plenty of articles on the paperwork but after the 501(c)3, there wasn’t much help. So, I began researching the reasons nonprofits fail in the first year. I figured that was a problem to tackle so we weren’t just another statistic. And what came out of my research and talking to other Founders was my book, I Have My 501(c)3! Now What?!? As I talked more to Founders and mentored them, I found it wasn’t enough. That’s why I created the Build a Successful Nonprofit framework to help Founders put together the pieces that create a successful nonprofit- one that covers costs and builds infrastructure. This Framework governs everything I do in my business. There are three pillars to the framework.

Topics discussed in this episode: 

- Pillar 1: Infrastructure Pillar [00:01:25] 

- Board [00:03:00] 

- Strategic Plan [00:03:21] 

- Tactical Plan and Budget [00:04:30]

- Program Development [00:05:21]

- Policies and Procedures [00:06:30]

- Fundraising Foundations [00:07:08]

- Pillar 2: Time Management Pillar [00:12:09] 

- Pillar 3:Fundraising Basics Pillar [00:13:37]

- Know Your Donors [00:14:30]

- Know Your Strategy [00:15:19]

- Know Your Plan [00:15:45] 

- How the Framework Solves the Problems of Lack of Infrastructure and Lack of Funding [00:16:00]

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

- Grant Ready Program Development Template [00:06:03]

- Payment Processor- Givebox [00:08:03]

- Email Service Provider- MailChimp (free up to 2,000 email addresses) [00:09:30]

- Email Service Provider- MailerLite (free up to 1,000 email addresses) [00:09:30]

- Email Service Provider- Constant Contact (free trial) [00:09:30]

- Free Accounting Software- Wave App [00:10:05] 

- Donor Database- Little Green Light (Deep Discount through TechSoup) [00:12:00]

- A Founder's Guide to Building a Nonprofit Without Being the Sole Funder [00:17:38]

Episode transcript:

S2Ep1 Transcript

You Might Like: 

- Join The Nonprofit Founder’s Club™ 

- Download the free A Founder's Guide to Building a Nonprofit Without Being the Sole Funder

- Join the email list that gives you more tips and information monthly

-  Check out the Nonprofit Founder’s University where you can get courses to help you build your nonprofit.