How to start a nonprofit

An operational guide for launching high-impact nonprofits in the US

We're excited to announce the launch of the Nonprofit Operations Playbook, developed by Impact Ops. This resource addresses a critical gap we've observed in the nonprofit ecosystem – while there are abundant sources of information on mission development, programming design, and fundraising, the practical, back-office operations that keep an organization running often remain a mystery to founders.

We invested in building this resources because we noticed across our community how even with brilliant ideas and a strong mission, operational challenges can weigh down a young organization's progress towards bringing their vision to life. With answers to even simple questions like "How do I apply for tax exempt status?" and "How should I structure and use a board of directors?" scattered across the internet, it's difficult to find out if you're missing something critical, hard to focus your limited time on what is really required vs. nice to have, and overwhelming to choose between all the different vendors and services all offering to help.

What You'll Find Inside

This playbook sequences and prioritizes everything in one place, offering deep dives into the operational elements that new nonprofits need to consider, such as:

• The end-to-end steps to register an entity

• The pros and cons of fiscal sponsorship versus independent operation

• Recommendations for accounting services, expense management systems, and HR systems

• Templates for budgets, incorporation docs, a staff handbook, and more

• Board setup and governance best practices

• Software and vendor suggestions for essential services

A "Choose Your Own Adventure" Approach

We understand that launching a nonprofit is overwhelming enough without adding a 200-page manual to your reading list. That's why Impact Ops structured this playbook as a "choose your own adventure" resource. Struggling to find time to figure out what you need to do? Start with the legally required minimums. Confused about governance or looking for a starting point to build a budget? Jump straight to the board development section or "create a budget" section.

This playbook is deliberately focused on operations – the engine that keeps your nonprofit running. It complements other excellent resources like Erika DeBenedictis’s quick-start guide for research nonprofits and similar specialized guides. We encourage you to share additional resources in the comments that have helped your journey!

We've already seen organizations in our network benefit from these resources, and we're excited to make them available to the broader nonprofit community. We hope this playbook saves you time, reduces stress, and helps you build a solid operational foundation for your important work.

➡️ Access the Nonprofit Operations Playbook

Have any suggested edits or additions of other great operational resources for nonprofits? Share them in the comments!