A good idea deserves a clear first step.
Thinking about starting a nonprofit? We help you understand the steps, ask the right questions, and make a plan. Explore our free guides or request a free consultation. A real person will get back to you within a few hours and walk you through the process.
Shai has over 20 years of experience and has helped thousands of people start their own nonprofits.
For a free consultation and advice, call
561-212-1192
An educational program of Benny Labs Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity.
A real person, a helpful conversation
Learn at your own paceTwo free tools to get you moving
Understand it. Plan it. Do it yourself.
These original guides explain the steps in plain English. Read them here without an account, a purchase, or a consultation. Each guide includes official sources so you can check the details for yourself.
Before you start: seven decisions
Turn a generous idea into a practical plan: purpose, people, budget, and your first program.
Read the guide
Your nonprofit startup roadmap
Understand state incorporation, federal recognition, and the work that continues after approval.
Read the guide
Build a board that can do the work
Choose people, discuss responsibilities, and give your organization a practical rulebook.
Read the guide
A checklist you can use yourself
Work through the main decisions and keep a record of your next steps. Print it or save it.
Read the guide
Getting a federal tax ID yourself
A free educational walkthrough of the official IRS process, with direct government links.
Read the guide
What happens after you get started?
Make a calendar for annual reporting, state registrations, board meetings, and financial records.
Read the guideStart wherever you are. You can use every resource and still choose to handle the entire process yourself.
Let's walk through it together.
You do not have to know the right form or have every answer before asking for help. Send a request and someone from our team will get back to you within a few hours. We are happy to explain the steps, discuss your questions, and help you understand what to do next.
Tell us where you are
Share your idea and the questions on your mind. A working name and a simple description are enough to begin.
Talk with a real person
We explain the process in plain English and point you to resources you can use yourself.
Choose your next step
Keep learning, do the work yourself, or ask about optional assistance. The consultation is free whichever path you choose.
Your consultation request
Different ideas. The same wish to help.
Our education and free consultations welcome people exploring charitable, religious, educational, and community-serving organizations. The right structure depends on your actual activities and the people you will serve.
Synagogues & temples
Plan a religious community with clear governance, records, and a sustainable first-year program.
Churches & ministries
Learn how religious organizations are treated and which questions to ask before applying for recognition.
Animal shelters & rescues
Think through animal care, volunteer roles, local requirements, and a realistic operating budget.
Soup kitchens
Start with the people you will feed, the space you will use, food safety, and dependable community partners.
Schools & education
Define your educational activities and learn why schools can have additional application and state requirements.
Youth programs & sports
Explore your purpose, supervision, safeguarding, and the records your board will need.
Food pantries
Map the need, food sources, storage, distribution, and partnerships before making commitments.
Arts & culture
Describe the public educational or cultural benefit of your work and plan how people will participate.
Four stages worth understanding.
A nonprofit starts with a purpose and continues with responsible stewardship. Your state's requirements and the federal rules are different pieces of the plan.
1. Define the purpose
Decide who you will help, what you will do, and whether an existing organization could partner with you.
2. Build the organization
Choose your board and learn your state rules. Understand organizing documents, bylaws, and responsibilities.
3. Understand recognition
Learn whether and how to apply for federal tax-exempt status. Use current official forms and instructions.
4. Keep it accountable
Maintain good records, meet applicable reporting deadlines, and regularly review your programs and finances.
Knowledge people can put to work.
Nonprofit Wizard is an educational program of Benny Labs Foundation Inc., an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity. We help people understand how to turn a charitable idea into an organization that can serve its community.
Our focus is practical: useful free resources, weekly articles, and free consultations with a real person. We will walk you through the steps and explain things, even if you intend to do all of the work yourself.
Our mission
Make nonprofit startup knowledge easier to understand and use, so people with community-serving ideas can make informed decisions.
Your choice
Learn independently, ask for a free conversation, or discuss optional help. Reading and asking questions never obligates you to purchase a service.
6772 Palmetto Cir S 201
Boca Raton, FL 33433
Optional help with the work, too.
The Foundation also offers hands-on help preparing nonprofit documents and applications for people who need it. This is optional and separate from our free education and free consultation.
We explain any charges before you decide. Optional document-preparation assistance may involve service charges and government filing fees. We discuss the scope and costs with you in advance. You can decline the service and continue using all of our free resources.
Fees for optional assistance pay for the staff time and work involved; any remaining funds support the Foundation's charitable programs, including education and consultation. We do not promise approval or a government processing time.
Ask a question during your free consultation →Start with seven good decisions.
Our first weekly article helps you think through the decisions that come before the forms. Save it, share it with a prospective board member, or bring your questions to a free consultation.
Before You Start a Nonprofit: Seven Decisions to Make
A practical starting point for your purpose, community, board, budget, and first program.
Read the first article
Put your next steps on paper
Use our free checklist alongside the article. It works whether you are ready to form an organization or still exploring.
Read the guide
Keep learning each week
Find our latest articles and join the free email list for the next one.
Visit the article libraryA clear answer is a good beginning.
Is the consultation really free?
How do I request help?
Can I do the work myself?
What should I have ready for the conversation?
Can the Foundation do some of the work for me?
Does nonprofit incorporation automatically give federal tax exemption?
Will I receive emails after asking for a consultation?
Do you guarantee approval?
Got a question? Ask it here.
Type it below. A real person replies within a few hours, and common questions become our free weekly articles. It is free, and there is nothing to buy.
Send a request. We'll get back to you within a few hours.
Call Shai at 561-212-1192 for free consultation and advice, or request a callback below. Shai has over 20 years of experience and has helped thousands of people start their own nonprofits. We are happy to walk you through the steps, including if you plan to do the work yourself.
Share your questions and a callback number. No purchase required.
