Creating Your Own Nonprofit - Pass Christian University

Creating Your Own Nonprofit Do you dream of starting and running your very own nonprofit? This highly interactive, hands-on course is ideal for anyone who is interested in forming a new nonprofit, converting an informal group to tax-exempt status, or reorganizing an existing organization. It provides practical how-to information about incorporation, organization, and other issues pertinent to anyone involved with a nonprofit start-up.

No matter what level of experience you have, you're sure to find this unique course to be a valuable soure of useful strategies and industry-specific advice that you can put to immediate use. This clear and enjoyable course, taught by an industry veteran, will answer your every question, providing detailed instructions describing every step you'll need to take to establish and operate a successful nonprofit.

You'll learn how to incorporate, select a board of directors, write bylaws, craft a mission statement, obtain tax-exempt status, develop a budget, create a marketing plan, explore fundraising options, and more.

The course is also supplemented with useful checklists, worksheets, reading lists, and field trips to a wide variety of online resources. By the time you graduate, you will be well-prepared to meet the challenge of starting and operating a successful nonprofit.

Recommended Courses:

Students who enrolled in Becoming a Grant Writing Consultant were also interested in the following courses:

Advanced Grant Proposal Writing

Introduction to Nonprofit Management

Marketing Your Nonprofit

Research Methods for Writers

Writing Effective Grant Proposals

Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

Are you a person whose passion lies in creating an organization that helps in an emergency? Or, are you someone who longs to engage and encourage the human spirit? Wait! I bet you’re the one who wants to educate while shaping values and goals! Then again, maybe your special talent lies in promoting places, people, and things? Whatever brings you to creating your own nonprofit; I'm here to guide your way. In this first lesson, we’ll go over some basic nonprofit terminology. We’ll also look at why you want to start a nonprofit and finish with some ways to obtain your goals. In no time at all, you’ll be able to speak exactly and professionally in the language of your peers. This is an important first step to your full understanding of the path you seek to follow.

Friday - Lesson 02

What, exactly, is a mission statement and how do you get one? That is one very astute question, and the very one we'll be discussing in today’s lesson. We’re going to discover what a mission statement is, how you can create one, and how you get your members to buy in.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

The purpose of this lesson is to help you understand how to set up a nonprofit board of directors. Boards aren't perfect, and group dynamics can be tough. We don’t live in a perfect world; you aren't going to get perfect results. So, it’s important for you to understand the importance of the work that a board is called to do and the role you'll play in helping those board members be greater than they thought they could possibly be. By the end of this lesson, you'll understand how to maximize your efforts into something meaningful and productive.

Friday - Lesson 04

The governing documents of a nonprofit are its tools of control. Every nonprofit must use two main documents: Articles of Incorporation and bylaws. These documents set the ground rules by which your members and the board of directors must operate. If your organization is ever taken to court for IRS violations, these are the standards that the courts will judge you on. Today, you’ll create your very own bylaws and articles.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

A variety of legal matters apply to getting your nonprofit started. Today, we’re going to look at filing reports and securing licenses, and delve into a few final tax issues. Some of these concerns are governed by federal law; others by state law. You’ll also learn how to operate your first board meeting so you can ratify your new bylaws.

Friday - Lesson 06

The purpose of this lesson is to help you organize for success. Organizational planning requires effort, but there's no cause for concern. In this lesson, you'll find out how to research, brainstorm, discuss goals and objectives, and tactically prepare your organization to reach its goals. We’ll cover planning in all its glorious forms, from operating plans to strategic plans.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

The smooth functioning of a nonprofit is due to the dedicated work of both employees and volunteers. In today’s lesson, we’ll look at both paid and unpaid staff. To be effective, you must become adept at recruiting and motivating your volunteers and employees. Today's lesson will provide you with the strategies you’ll need to succeed.

Friday - Lesson 08

Nonprofits are expected to spend carefully, honoring the trust others have placed in them. As a result, you need to be especially brilliant when it comes to budgeting and living within your means. Developing budgets that work is a critical part of your upcoming responsibility, and you’ll explore exactly how to do that in today’s lesson.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Writing grant proposals, soliciting contributions, and organizing special events are just a few of the fundraising options new nonprofits need to investigate. Today you’ll explore why you need a fundraising strategy, how to get one, and why the board of directors, the executive director, members, and volunteers all have a place in the fundraising program.

Friday - Lesson 10

Today’s lesson is a student favorite! We'll cover the concepts of nonprofit marketing and media relations. You'll understand the basics of community outreach, and you’ll discover a variety of highly effective techniques you can use to promote your nonprofit.

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

The Internet is the single most popular and cost-effective communication tool available to nonprofits. Its influence is so great that your nonprofit will never reach its maximum potential unless and until you incorporate the Internet into your strategy plan. This lesson will help you understand how you can use the Internet to reach out and tell the world who you are and what you do.

Friday - Lesson 12

This fast-paced and important lesson will help you understand the rules governing advocacy. Nonprofits engage in advocacy whenever they work to change public policy. Activities such as lobbying, protesting, or participating in partisan political activities are clearly advocacy efforts, but you could also be accused of engaging in advocacy if you attempt to organize people in your community, work with the media, or educate voters, among other things. Not all nonprofits can participate in these types of activities. Some face legal restrictions on the kind or amount of advocacy that they can do. Today's lesson will help you understand what you can and, perhaps more importantly, what you cannot do.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Linda Kissam.

Linda Kissam is an eighteen-year veteran in the nonprofit management field. She has managed both 501 (c)(3) and 501 (c)(6) organizations and currently owns her own consulting company. She has taught both in the public and private sectors. A seasoned wine and hospitality industry veteran, Linda consults with local wineries on media attraction and food and wine events. She conducts both private and group strategic planning workshops for nonprofit and for-profit corporations. She currently serves as the executive director of a visitors bureau for an art town in California. She writes a weekly wine article and a bimonthly tourist destination column. She is a highly regarded facilitator for strategic planning workshops, marketing seminars, and event planning.

Requirements:

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

Student Reviews:

"Best course yet! Extremely helpful. Thank you!"

"Gave me exactly the information I needed to determine whether now would be a good time for me to pursue creating a non-profit. Having taken this class and understanding the complexity of a non-profit organization - I will be locating a non-profit already existing that would benefit from "new blood". :-)"

"I enjoyed this class. Everything was easy to understand and helped me understand how to get my nonprofit going. I especially liked the mission statement exercise, as it helped me focus in on what a good one looked like and how to create one of my own."

"I left the course with more than enough new information, especially with the employee and volunteer section."

"I really enjoyed this class. I was unsure what to expect since I have taken classes online elsewhere and was very disappointed. I would like to pursue a certificate program online now. I am very motivated after this course!"

"I took this class to investigate the possibility of a nonprofit. This class has helped clear the cobwebs and direct my thoughts. I feel I now have a much better understanding and am ready to move forward with transferring my dream into reality. This class has been an excellent resource. Thank you."

"Mrs. Kissam was terrific. I will continue with Introduction to Non Profit Management thanks to Ms.Kissam. She is absolutely wonderful!"

"Thank you for all your hard work in putting this class together. You teach it very well and your responses to our assignments were very encouraging and positive. I imagine you are very good at getting and keeping volunteers involved and enthusiastic in a particular nonprofit."

"Thank you for teaching me the ins and outs of starting a non profit organization. This class has been wonderful. I now feel that can approach this and be a success at it. As a matter of fact, two years ago my friend and I started a quilt group. It has been going along OK but I knew we were going to need to make some changes if we were going to survive. I had no idea of what I was doing at that time. Currently, everyone knows we are undergoing major changes and we will be incorporating into an official nonprofit. They all seem to be excited about the changes. One very important thing I learned (amounst the many) was how to delegate. I used to think I had to do everything. After taking this course, I have been delegating many responsibilites and the response has been great. The members are more than willing to help."

"This class has been very informative. Before I enrolled in this class, I had absolutely no idea what a nonprofit was and how to start one (really!). I now have written my articles of incorporation and bylaws, and have begun my search for board members using the criteria that you provided. Thanks a bunch!"

"This class has given me the instruction and resources necessary to get started and thanks to your responses and direction to my assignments, that extra boost of confidence I'm sure I needed. I no longer "think" I can...I "know" I can. I'm looking forward to the next course. Thank you!"

"This class was a great organization tool for me. I have been playing around with the idea of a nonprofit for animal rescue for years. I have been doing individual rescue for over 8 years and people keep telling me to be a nonprofit, it's so easy to do. When I started pulling information together last year, it proved to be as challenging as I suspected it would be. Your class helped me to pull all the information together in a concise, organized manner so I can follow the steps and go thru the process correctly without a lot of snags. It helped me to identify the areas I was going to have problems with, getting to the right person to get the information I need from the Secretary of State...It also helped me to get a good focus on the direction I want to take."

"This class was excellent. I am definitely looking forward to the next one. Keep up the great work. :)"

"This course really helped me as I was recently hired as media coordinator for an agency that helps low income disabled receive free medical equipment such as power chairs, wheelchair and walkers. I attended my first strategic planning meeting and this course guided me through each step. Thanks for such a well written course."

"You exceeded my expectations, Linda. This was a great online experience. I loved everything. I can use it all!"

"Your class was WONDERFUL! I apologize for not being able be a part of some of the discussion because I was taking 3 ed2go classes at the same time but I kept up with every lesson. Your lessons were very, very knowledgeable and I am positive I will do a great job at creating my own non-profit."