General Business Resources for Nonprofits
Business resources and links for organizations and startup organizations
Resources and Links for Nonprofits in the Startup Phase:
"How to Form and Maintain a Nonprofit Corporation in Washington State," available at http://www.kcba.org/publications/pdf/nonprofit/NPHandbook.pdf. This booklet, published by the Young Lawyers Division of the King County Bar Association, provides useful startup information, including template form Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. The Nonprofit Handbook is also available in bound, hard-copy format by filling out the attached Order Form. All orders must be received by September 30, 2010
The Nonprofit Assistance Center (NAC) in Seattle, www.nacseattle.org, holds monthly informational meetings on starting nonprofit organizations.
United Way of King County maintains a list of technical resources on its website at www.uwkc.org/nonprofit/mta/taproviders.asp.
Executive Service Corps of Washington, www.escwa.org, provides management consulting services to nonprofits. Executive Service Corps of Washington has also created a useful guide for your organization to review to determine whether you are ready to start a nonprofit. This guide also contains a sample Business Plan.
The Nonprofit Center in Tacoma, www.npcenter.org, provides, among other things, board development and training. The Nonprofit Center in Tacoma also has a checklist at www.npcenter.org/pdf/starting_a_nonprofit.pdf to help determine readiness to start a nonprofit.
The American Bar Association has a helpful article about alternatives to forming a charitable nonprofit.
You may also want to review Washington State's Master Application and Unified Business Identifier (UBI) requirements and process.
Also check out the IRS's website for its Exempt Organizations FAQ.
- For example, the IRS explains the that non-profit status is a state law concept. Non-profit status may make an organization eligible for certain benefits, such as state sales, property, and income tax exemptions. Although most federal tax-exempt organizations are non-profit organizations, organizing as a non-profit organization at the state level does not automatically grant the organization exemption from federal income tax. To qualify as exempt from federal income taxes, an organization must meet requirements set forth in the Internal Revenue Code.
- Application Fees
- The IRS also has a helpful link on Charitable Organizations Providing Disaster Relief.
General Resources and Links for All Nonprofits:
The University of Washington's Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy maintains a listing of resources and publications for nonprofits on its website, and hosts events and educational programming on nonprofit topics. http://tools.evans.washington.edu/research/nbec/index.php.
The Nonprofit & Philanthropy Resource Center of the King County Library System, located at the Redmond Regional Library, maintains on its website, www.kcls.org/philanthropy, more than 150 links to nonprofit and fundraising resources, and also maintains a Nonprofit Calendar that includes workshops, meetings, seminars, and conferences throughout Western Washington on nonprofit and fundraising topics.
The Puget Sound Grantwriters Association promotes responsible, effective grantseeking and fosters connections between grantseekers, nonprofits, and funders. It sponsors meetings with funders, an annual conference, and trainings for grantwriters. Its website, www.grantwriters.org, includes many resources on fundraising and grantwriting.
Nonprofit Service Providers in Washington State:
EA Alliance of Nonprofits, www.exec-alliance.org
Executive Service Corps, www.escwa.org
Nonprofit Assistance Center, www.nacseattle.org,
The Nonprofit Center (Tacoma), www.npcenter.org
Nonprofit Network of Southwest Washington, www.nonprofitnetworkwa.org
Northwest Nonprofit Resources (Spokane), www.nnr.org
NPower, www.npowerseattle.org
Taproot Foundation, www.taprootfoundation.org
United Way of King County, www.uwkc.org
Whatcom Council of Nonprofits, www.wcnwebsite.org
Artist Trust, www.artisttrust.org
Northwest Development Officers Association, www.ndoa.org
Other resources regarding nonprofit governance include:
Compass Point, www.boardcare.org
Board Source, www.boardsource.org
Free Management Library, www.managementhelp.org/boards/boards.htm
Policy Governance, www.carvergovernance.com
Nonprofit Good Practice Gide, www.npgoodpractice.org
Alliance for Nonprofit Management, www.allianceonline.org
Idealist.org, www.idealist.org
Board Source, www.boardsource.org
