<p>I mentioned this in another thread, but here it goes: I really want to start a non-profit organization. I know what the focus will be & where I want to take it, but I'm not sure how to go about it. When I was looking up procedures for this kind of stuff, I saw that they were mostly for a larger group of people (seemingly adults) who would all be "qualified". :/ Not sure if that makes sense...</p>
<p>BUT I do know that it is possible to do this as a high school student. Have any of you guys had any experience with this? If so, I'd really appreciate any advice/suggestions/tips/warnings you might have. & also, when would it be more beneficial to start & operate a trust fund rather than an organization, & vice versa?</p>
<p>Any information at all is GREATLY appreciated. :) Thanks!</p>
<p>Really interesting topic. I’ve always wanted to start a non-profit, but as a high school student it’s rather hard. I’ve looked up some of the standard procedures, and a lot of it involves drafting bylaws, policies, grouping a board of directors & other important members for the organization, gaining 501(c)(3) status and the such.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response! Yeah, I saw all of that & now I’m wondering if there’s a way to do it without actually creating a real non-profit. I don’t know if this makes sense, but I kind of just want to start an organization within my community & have it grow from there. & it would mostly be in collaboration with larger organizations that actually distribute the funds/goods firsthand. Does that make sense? & is it possible?</p>
<p>Definitely do not give it. It is possible! I personally know a high school student who started this organization [Share</a> in Africa | SHARE ? Empowering Girls in Africa through Education](<a href=“http://www.shareinafrica.org%5DShare”>http://www.shareinafrica.org) and she has been featured on the NBC and Oprah! Basically you need to start small-scale, such as fundraisers at school or around your neighborhood. Getting the word out there is really the most important thing. Be patient, though! You may not be able to really begin your organization until even after your high school years.</p>
<p>It’s not for college, I’ve found some issues that I REALLY want to commit to.
The thing is that I’m not sure if I’ll be successful in getting it registered as an NGO. So I was wondering if I can still do it without doing that.</p>
<p>@justsmile1: That’s really cool! Thanks a lot! So by what you’re saying, I should just start doing what I can without the organization, & later I can start the organization after I have some real proof that it can be successful?</p>
<p>Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you could probably accomplish just as much working with an already established non-profit. It would take too much time to start up on your own and as a high school student there’s not a whole lot you can do with your own organization that you couldn’t do with another one.</p>
<p>Thanks again, everyone. Just wanted to ask – is it possible to start an organization without registering with the government as a non-profit? Is it still credible & everything?</p>
<p>By not registering and going through the proper legal techniques you’ll be holding yourself liable for possible legal troubles.</p>
<p>I know someone who wanted to run a non-profit, but it was his senior year and he didn’t have the time to dedicate to it. Get in touch with the proper offices because there is a mountain of paperwork to complete if you truly want to go through with it.</p>
<p>If you want to do it, though, go for it! It could be really beneficial for the community!</p>
Yeah, I saw all of that & now I’m wondering if there’s a way to do it without actually creating a real non-profit. I don’t know if this makes sense, but I kind of just want to start an organization within my community & have it grow from there. & it would mostly be in collaboration with larger organizations that actually distribute the funds/goods firsthand. Does that make sense? & is it possible?</p>