Tips on Starting a Non-Governmental Organization
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are extremely important for the communities they help, providing support and aid to those who need it or addressing other problems that affect the community. Their work is vital and necessary, but it’s never done. There are just too many people and causes to support, which is why new NGOs come around every few weeks. If you see a problem and want to help, using these tips on starting a non-governmental organization should be your first step.
Find Your Cause
The first thing every NGO starts with is finding a cause that’s worth fighting for. Whether it’s helping others, fighting diseases, or addressing a political issue, find something you’re passionate about that you think you could help address. Once you find that issue or problem, develop a vision about how your NGO can help and develop some goals that you can strive toward.
Get a Board
The next part involves finding a group of people willing to help back your decisions and fight against whatever issue you see. This isn’t the most difficult thing, as plenty of people want to help fight against these issues that plague their communities and society as a whole. Use this new board of directors, which should be full of people with expertise in management and running a business, to help organize and structure your NGO into a force that can help people.
Secure Legal Help
You should find legal counsel as quickly as possible, as navigating all the laws surrounding the creation of an NGO isn’t easy. Legal help will be necessary if you’re going to stay up and running in the capacity you want. Otherwise, you might cross legal lines that eventually get you shut down as an NGO. Having someone on call to help you file all the right paperwork and check the legality of your decisions can save you.
Register
As your legal help should tell you, the next part of the process is filing for NGO status and creating your bylaws and articles of incorporation. This will solidify what your NGO does and who holds what power. After you’re officially an NGO, you can start hosting fundraisers and raising money to fight against the issues you saw in the first place.
Hire Help
Once you’re fully functioning as an NGO, you’ll want to grow to impart the biggest change you can. In general, hiring new help is a great idea, but you should make sure you’re only hiring the best employees by using thorough background checks. Once you really start to grow, choosing an electronic I-9 solution agency can save you a lot of money.
These are just some basic tips on starting a non-governmental organization. You should listen to your legal counsel once you hire a good one. They’ll provide more accurate details for your specific needs.
