Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Dave -

Start by reading: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/building-nonprofits-board-30046.htm...

Then, https://www.nolo.com/products/starting-and-building-a-nonprofit-SNON.html

Finally, https://www.manygoodideas.com/2008/06/01/fundraising-for-social-change/ (a book I reviewed a few years back).

Dave,

I can only add that I've been on multiple non-profit boards and my experience is that "corporate-minded" vs entrepreneurial board members slow down the process.

Sometimes this is because they are knowledgeable in a small area of business vs a business owner who sees the whole picture.

Also if you are so inclined, you might visit
https://www.joniandfriends.org/wheels-for-the-world/

Michael

First, your instinct about an initial advisory board is good -- no long-term commitment, no pay, no legal hassles. Include people from some of the following if you can:
1. "Non-competitive" non-profit organization(s) in your state, preferably those who are familiar with the organizational hurdles.
2. A wheelchair retailer or manufacturer.
3. A few community leaders/donors to other non-profits.
4. A headhunter. You'll need someone with these skills to help you recruit, and a headhunter will likely have placed some of the CEOs who will be helpful to your organization later.
5. The person whose judgment you trust most; except, not a relative.

For the board of directors, you need not only responsible, honorable, capable citizens, but a board filled with useful connections, even if you don't know them personally. It should include:

1. The president of a local community bank or credit union, as each of these is friendlier to non-profits than standard banks.
2. A lawyer with non-profit experience.
3. Someone respected who is close to your local Member of Congress.
4. Noted contributors and/or fundraisers for the hospital and for high-profile civic organizations such as the art museum or symphony. Or, CEOs of corporations based in your area with sufficient Corporate Social Responsibility budgets to be significant contributors to your non-profit.
5. One or two people with "names" in the areas of wheelchair accessibility, recovery or advocacy.
6. A local celebrity who could be useful as the centerpiece of fundraisers.

Your board can (and should) be as much of a publicity and fund-raising vehicle as anything else you do. It will make the difference between success and failure, especially in this economy which has been particularly hard on non-profits.

As for the legal paperwork, get a good education and find a remarkably affordable and thorough way to organize your 501(c)(3) at www.legalzoom.com. You'll be impressed at what they can do for you, quickly and at a very affordable cost, and there's good information on their website. (I have no affiliation with them.)

As to having multiple boards:
1. Have only what you can manage.
2. Give them a hierarchy so people can "work their way up" to greater service (prestige).
3. Call everything but the Board of Directors by a non-board name. Examples:
-- Community Involvement Advisory Committee
-- Housing Task Force
-- Fundraising Circle
-- Legal and Financial Executive Team
-- Strategy and Recruitment Advisory Council

Hope that helps add some focus to the subject of boards. Great idea -- good luck to you.

Quite appreciable is your ambitious thought to put on its feet the “Olney Rollers” so as to give a decent living and recognition for the needy persons on wheel chair. You are dreaming very big and so need many helping hands to achieve this. Peg has posted his detailed guidance to you. From his posting I understand that there are many legalities to be met, according to the law of your land; and there are many activities to be carried out before you could formally create the Non Profit Organization of the size and stature of your dream.

After all, a journey of thousand miles starts with that first baby step. What is needed is that first step towards doing something required for this target group.

What do these persons on wheel chair desperately need ? From the Questions and Answers in the PDF document you have shared, I understand that definitely these persons are not starving for food and there are other organizations that take care of their routine household tasks and their living. There are probably the social security programs in place to take care of the needs of basic livelihood of these individuals.

What they need most is recognition as individual personalities and their useful involvement in social activities. It is fact that many a times such persons are excluded from social gatherings for either they are not in a position to reach there or others do not reach out to them. They need to be listened to. They desperately need people to talk to. Just a warm hug, a patient hearing and an useful discussion with them would give them the much needed recognition. They should be felt wanted.

You have well said in your mission statement as “to develop and implement sustainable community / commercial programs helping those in wheelchairs to be more engaged and included in local social activities”. The key message is engaging them and including them in local social activities. Yes, you should do everything to facilitate their engagement in local social activities. They should be enabled to contribute their best to the society.

I think you could start with as an individual or along with a few other volunteers in your locality to meet these persons in need. Start talking to them. Listen to them and understand what they could contribute to others in need. Every individual has some or other talent; and, every individual has some or other need. They could probably read out or write for someone who needs. Encourage their talents – may be singing, writing or sharing their knowledge with others. Then plan for a gathering of them for some events and programs. May be some corporations (companies) in the locality could be persuaded to sponsor some of these events. There are companies that do take their beyond law social responsibilities seriously.

Once you succeed, you would find more supporters and volunteers; and, you would find more ways and means to take further steps towards realizing your dream in big way. During that stage you would be requiring more of marketing and strategic skills. The beginning is more of matters of heart; and it is beyond the realm of marketing.

It depends on what YOU want.

I was asked to help a client set up a 501(c)(3) several years ago, and then to help him develop a business plan and the marketing strategies.

The whole thing fell apart when I showed the client all the forms and paperwork that would have to precede the formation of the organization. He basically said, "Forget it. I have better things to do with my time."

The thing I will tell you is that it's MUCH easier to set it up initially as a 501(c)(3) than to convert later.

If what you want is to help people and pursue your mission, then just do it as a sole proprietor. If, on the other hand, you need funding as a not-for-profit organization, then you really need to create the 501(c)(3) structure. I'm not aware of any good hybrid or middle-ground.

If you go the 501(c)(3) route, you'll have to wallow in paperwork for quite some time before you can pursue your goals. But you'll have the structure that will let you fund the effort (more readily).

Not only does it depend on what you want to achieve, it depends principally on what capital you need to raise. The chief benefit of a 501(c)(3) is that is allows donors to deduct contributions made to your organization on their taxes. It also allows grant-making organizations, special interest clubs, and even local corporations to give your organization money. (Most can't donate to causes that are not officially licensed in this way, a restriction common to organizational bylaws.) So, if you start up without first becoming a 501(c)(3), it makes a substantial difference to organizational income.

Paperwork is usually awful but if you file your 501(c)(3) through an online legal organization, such as www.LegalZoom.com, you'll save hugely on complications, time and expense. It's an island of sanity in a sea of challenging alternatives.

501(c)(3) status may also offer you some personal protection in the event of lawsuits, etc. (This is where I am obligated to say, I am not a lawyer.) In addition, it "legitimizes" you and your organization, making it much easier to be a guest on local radio and a partner in joint media or fundraising promotions.

Changing from independent over to 501(c)(3) at some later date is such a headache that you really do become fully tempted to abandon the entire operation. Plus, at that point, you may need an expensive lawyer to guide the changeover. So, by all means, make the 501(c)(3) decision before you start.

About boards, make them as small as the law allows, and if it's permissible in your state, give yourself as many roles as you can. This is the best tactic for maintaining control over the direction of the organization. If you are allowed to be both the President and the Treasurer, that's ideal.

Also, put a lot of thought into how you word the mission statement, as this is the place from which you can draw authority/power/standing for the things you want to do. Reasonable other directors will respond to ideas that are clearly in line with the mission statement; it's when ideas "drift" outside that statement that political complications and unanticipated interpretations crop up.

Finally, make the terms of office for others as short as you are allowed to do; and make the terms of office for the roles you occupy as long as possible. Make sure each role has a vote, not each person. If you can have two or three votes, the others will be more ready to follow or align with you.

Hope you can make this work ... such a good idea.