Nonprofit Kit For Dummies Paperback – November 25, 2013

I've had a chance to review two books on starting up a nonprofit, this book and the one by Nolo ( Starting & Building a Nonprofit: A Practical Guide ). The Nolo guide seems more technical, but the Dummies guide is very methodical, taking you step-by-step through a basic understanding the nonprofit world. Topics discussed include the meaning of the 501(c)3 and the process for getting there, volunteer and risk management, fundraising, board development, and more.This book won't replace working with a lawyer or a CPA to get the 501(c)3 paperwork submitted, but it will enable you to 1) decide whether the development of a nonprofit is in order, 2) be able to speak knowledgeably on the topic with others interested in starting a nonprofit, and 3) talk you out of developing a nonprofit if the process seems overwhelming.And I should note, that even though I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program, I had already bought my own copy. It's a good enough reference that I wanted an additional copy to keep at home.

The “Dummies” series has had a lot of success, and for good reason. The books are built on a common theme of excellent organization, clear and concise information, great and plentiful examples, and further resources.All of this also applies to the Nonprofit Kit book, which also comes with a CD which includes over 100 documents that any non-profit organization might need.This book is excellent for those who want to form a non-profit and meet the 501(c) 3 rules. However, this book is also good for people who are working or volunteering for a non-profit, including but not limited to people who are serving on a board or administrative arm of that organization.Having served on boards and as a volunteer myself for several non-profit organizations, I wish I had been better educated at the beginning with a book like this.Finally, there are two other books that I encourage readers to check out that make good companions for this Nonprofit Kit, and those are the Grant Writing for Dummies and Fundraising for Dummies. These three books make a powerful resource center for any group, and I have purchased several sets and distributed to people in need of such information.

I am thinking of eventually starting a 501c3 but I'm also considering just being for profit. The difficult part for me is if you sell things to raise money you have to be careful about maintaining the nonprofit status and may have to make a separate for profit arm so things could get complicated. Regardless this book provides a good overview. I don't plan to just rely on the book and I will also talk to other non-profits and eventually if I decide to go this route an attorney. For more detailed info on say accounting practices you'd have to read other books and/or consult with others, but this book provided quite a bit of useful info and the CD has lots of sample documents, letters, contracts, etc. to help give the reader a reference point. Again overall a great guide to help my decision making and give an idea of what running what will essentially be a charitable corporate entity will require.

This is a pretty good translation from the original legalese.I got this book and another for a friend who is setting up a rescue. She's smart and meticulous, but she was feeling overwhelmed and unsure about where to start. With this guide and another from NOLO, we were able, between the two of us, to get a good handle on the process, and my friend has been able to write her business plan, form her corporation within the strictures of the nonprofit exemption requirements.Having an outline for the steps has helped her make sure she hits every point she needs to hit. Having the forms she needs keeps her from getting bogged down and discouraged.

I'm starting to think that I know more than I thought I knew, or that this stuff really isn't all that complicated. Still, there were some very useful sections of this book and I like the user-friendly format. I think with most of the Dummy/Idiot books you get a lot of information that is not necessarily applicable, and honestly I haven't read/used a lot of other similar books, but this one feels satisfying. It has not revolutionized what I'm doing working for a very small, rural non-profit, but it has reinforced a lot and resonates with a lot more. It might be possible to hit your 'trouble spots' and get more help/guidance, but if you really do want a generally primer for non-profit work, this is a good place to start...even if it does have some stuff you already knew.

This is good - a good investment. I am a recovering attorney - but never had anything to do with non profits. I don't know how they could make it easier - some of the state stuff is unique, but the federal nightmare is nicely described.I did stumble on an issue not covered in the book - how does a US non profit send funds to foreign ventures, legally. Turns out it is not a big deal. The foreign venture has to be of the ilk that IF it were a US operation, it would qualify under our non-profit rules. I found an IRS seminar where two of the speakers talked about that. The authors might add that to a future edition.Thanks - big help.