Short, specific reads on the operational details nobody hands you when you're starting out, formation, governance, fundraising, and the work nobody warns you about.
Idea, startup, growth, maturity, renewal. Every nonprofit moves through stages, and the work that matters changes with each one. Find where your organization is, the challenges and opportunities of your stage, and the next steps that fit.
Read article →"Nonprofit" is not one thing. A plain-English, side-by-side table of the common IRS tax-exempt types: which form you file, which return, whether gifts are deductible, and what each can and cannot do.
Read article →Your nonprofit's money feels like it lives in a dozen places. Here is the whole lifecycle, step by step, budget through audit, with the tool for each part.
Read article →A jargon-free, four-step blueprint for forming your nonprofit, from state incorporation and the Form 1023 choice to staying compliant once you are approved.
Read article →There is a pool of capital waiting in Donor Advised Funds and major-donor checkbooks. Here are 25 practical ways for a nonprofit to reach it.
Read article →Most boards start with friends and family and inherit the same seven governance problems, from the warm-body hire to founder syndrome. Here is each mistake, and the practical fix, before it stalls your mission.
Read article →Funders and donors check Candid before they give, and Seal holders average 62% more in donations. A step-by-step walk through claiming your profile and the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum tiers: what each requires and what to do first.
Read article →You don't need a budget or a consultant, just a handful of free basics done right. Keywords, your Google Business Profile, Search Console, and the $10,000/month Google Ad Grant. What to do first, and what to skip.
Read article →Family-and-friends boards feel efficient. The IRS sees something different, and it's the single biggest signal that decisions aren't being made at arm's length. Here's how to think about board composition before you file.
Read article →State templates leave out the two IRS-required clauses that get most first-time 1023 applications rejected. Here's the exact language, why it matters, and what to do if you've already filed without it.
Read article →Most small founder-led nonprofits should file the EZ. A surprising number file the full one anyway. A smaller number file the EZ when they shouldn't. Here's the decision matrix and the two opposite traps to avoid.
Read article →The day your IRS Determination Letter arrives is when the real work starts, and most founders aren't given a clear playbook. State tax exemption, bookkeeping, TechSoup, Google for Nonprofits, donor letters, compliance calendar. Week by week.
Read article →A short, practical email for nonprofit founders, every Monday morning. Free.