Does presiding and managing a regional non-profit organization stand out as a spike/hook?
It could be a stong EC but not a hook.
^Agree. It’s an EC not a hook. It will only be a strong EC if you’re passionate and doing it because of genuine interest rather than college admissions though 
And it’s only a strong EC if you actually have something to show for it. It’s like publishing a book. There are plenty of self-publishing avenues to publish your writing so unless tons of people are reading it it doesn’t mean anything. I’m sure there’s some website where you can pay a small fee and-boom-you just founded a non-profit.
Given that you describe it as “regional” I’m assuming that means you’ve accomplished something with this non-profit.
Not any more.
IMO, not ever. A hook is pretty much limited to URM, recruited athlete, legacy, development.
This is an EC. The challenge is that many students approach EC’s as part of the application checklist. Start a non-profit. Check. Publish a book. Check. Get 100K views on my YouTube channel. Check. Unfortunately, admissions does not work that way.
1 Like
Depends what it/you do! I see so many students say that they “started a nonprofit” but never really tell what it does!
^^^It isn’t a “hook” no matter what the OP did or the organization has done.
Starting a non-profit requires 6-8 months of lead time to do the IRS and state paperwork, plus documented board meetings several times a year. In addition, there are annual tax filing requirements and certain documents that must be made available to the public upon request. There are also rules against self-dealing that constitute a crime if you happen to break them, even accidentally.
IMHO, starting a non-profit that isn’t going to be your life’s work, that’s just for the sake of looking good on college apps, is - apologies for my bluntness - a colossal waste of your time, your board’s time, your donors’ time and funds, the IRS’s time and the tax dollars that pay for the IRS’s time.
To my mind, you - and those you intend to help - would be far better served by creative, impactful and long-standing volunteer work for an existing non-profit rather than by starting a new one.
1 Like
@DiotimaDM FWIW the OP asked about “presiding and managing a regional non-profit” not starting one from scratch.
It’s a great EC, but not a hook. That said, if it’s a passion keep pursuing, but if it’s just to try to strengthen one’s application admissions departments will see that as well.
@happy1 Ok, that could be different. Still not a hook, but possibly a pretty decent EC. That said - “presiding and managing” sounds like Executive Director and/or Board President, which sounds like the OP is talking about starting one.
@dreamivory - can you clarify?
Title says “starting”
Hey guys, I’ll make a bit of a clarification here.
My goal with this non-profit is to advocate awareness about illegal substance use in my city and region, where not one non-profit exists to educate individuals about the dangers of it. I will be starting this from scratch so that it can address the issues directly. The non-profit will raise awareness about it through public events, small-group discussion, and charities.
I am not alone in the making of this non-profit. I have connected with students from around my city that attend different schools, and we have all agreed that this is an issue that must be addressed. There are three primary reasons I want to start this:
- To engage in any lawful activity of spreading awareness about illicit substances,
- To gain the leadership experience of presiding a non-profit and its Board,
- To add weight to my college application.
The third reason, although not as strong as the rest of them, is still a deciding factor. It is not as important as the rest, however.
I am certain this is something I want to involve myself in. We will be filing our Articles of Incorporation soon, and I was just wondering if it was a substantial part of my application. I am a sophomore in high school now, and I want to start it soon so that I have time to see its growth. It is fully student-run.
I don’t believe that it you want to start a non-profit it is “a colossal waste of your time, your board’s time, your donors’ time and funds, the IRS’s time and the tax dollars that pay for the IRS’s time.” I think it’s rather ridiculous to make a comment so pessimistic when I hadn’t even stated my intentions with the non-profit. I guess I shouldn’t have used the word, “hook,” but I was indeed wondering if it could be a very weighted part of my app.
Thank you all so much!
9 years ago I started a nonprofit that is on track to bring in close to a quarter of a million dollars in donations this coming year. There are a few questions I ask anyone interested in starting a nonprofit-
- Is the work worth doing?
- Is there any other organization doing what you do?
- Do you have the best expertise to do the work?
- What is your income stream and will it outlast you?
- What is your succession plan?
Frankly, if your answers to the above questions make sense, your motivation doesn’t really matter. You can still do a ton of good. Let’s go through them briefly…
- It sounds like a worthy cause. #1 checks out.
- You say there is no other organization doing this work, but I wonder how thoroughly you've checked. Every community I know of has DARE or some other school or community based drug and alcohol awareness program. Have you contacted your school? Your community's social service agency? The national chapters of the largest drug awareness programs? Done a search of area nonprofits? In most cases kids interesting in helping will be able to do more by joining an existing organization.
- What is your experience with medical and/or substance abuse issues? Do you have doctors, substance abuse counselors, social workers, or other medial professionals on board? If not, you're not offering more than your opinions and whatever information you can get off the internet.
- Who are your donors now, and who do you expect them to be in the future? If the answer is "My parents and the parents of my friends" what will happen when you go off to college? By the time you leave this organization will be barely self-sustaining, if that. Are you willing to spend your own money to keep it going if you have a lean year? How invested are you in the longterm financial health of your nonprofit?
- Who will run your nonprofit when you and your friends leave for college? Do they have the interest, expertise and stamina to see that this program will continue to run in a healthy way? If not, your nonprofit will quickly die, making your investment of time and money largely wasted.
Now to answer the question you asked, a well established, effective, impactful nonprofit with a real succession plan might impress admissions, although it still wouldn’t be a hook. Most nonprofits started by high school students quickly fizzle, a fact of which admissions offices are aware. Simply starting a charity will not impress.
If you think this is still worth doing and want to pursue your plan feel free to PM me for advice. I did all the paperwork for our nonprofit myself so I could help walk you through the steps.
1 Like
It’s an EC.
Others can correct me but I’ve always thought of a hook as an attribute which puts you into a smaller pool of applicants. Being a URM or a recruited athlete you are compared more to those who are similar to you than the application pool as a whole. I believe that explains some in those groups increased likelihood off having multiple acceptances from the top tier schools. They stand out in nearly every group to whom they’re being compared. By my definition, what you’ve done should be discussed as an extracurricular and perhaps a form of volunteering. Let it show your character. Good luck.
As I have already stated, I shouldn’t have used the word, “hook,” but I was indeed wondering if it could be a very weighted part of my app.
The most important thing even in a holistic application review is your academics (GPA, course rigor, standardized tests). There are very few ECs (other than being a recruited athlete, winning a Nobel prize like Malala, being a movie star etc.) that can make up for below average academics. Your EC will be certainly considered as part of the review process but I don’t think it will get you into a college you are not otherwise academically qualified to attend.
501c3 or not 501c3, that is the question.
A non charitable non-profit costs a couple hundred and involves some correspondence with your state’s sec of state. Pretty simple to do. Bicycle clubs, gardening clubs, etc may be incorporated this way. So I would do it for its own sake, not for some reward I hoped to get.