In honor of National Nonprofit Day, we wanted to acknowledge all of the selfless individuals doing incredible work to make the world a better, more just place for all.

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” -Galatians 6:9

Maybe you’ve thought about starting a nonprofit or going to work for one. We thought we’d share some hard-won and brutally honest nuggets of wisdom for anyone thinking about starting a nonprofit.

We really do need all the good and brave people in the world to pitch in to help those in need, but there’s a lot we wish we had known 15 years ago that we’d love to share with you before you dive into starting your own organization. 

We hope these ideas will encourage you to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get to work— but that might not look the way you think right away. Just know that there are more people than you know out there who care deeply about things that matter, just like you. But before you link arms with them and charge full steam ahead, stop to consider the experience of a couple of veterans in growing grassroots nonprofits. 

There is a chance you shouldn’t do this. 

Is there another nonprofit organization (NPO) out there that is already doing what you want to do? Maybe they’re doing it somewhere else? Or they’re doing something similar that your idea could complement? Be willing to walk alongside people who are already helping and learn from them.

You may not need to reinvent the wheel, but your passion and creativity that are burning for this cause might just be a game changer for the people who are already engaged in the work.

Be humble enough to know you don’t have to be the hero. In fact, you might just make the perfect sidekick! There is probably an organization out there that is looking for a volunteer with your passion, energy, and enthusiasm right now!

You are probably already way ahead of yourself.

Your NPO was likely birthed from an idea. The idea was likely sparked by observing what you perceive to be a problem or challenge. Chances are you have already taken action to start solving said problem.

If that’s true, ask yourself three things:

1- Have I considered the unintended consequences of my good deeds?

2- Do I have a real grasp on what it’s going to take to keep helping now that I’ve started?

3- Have I taken time to listen to the people I’m helping so that I can fully understand their challenges from their perspective?

BONUS: GET BASELINE DATA!!! How will you measure your impact down the road if you don’t know where you started? Define your measurables and record them as they are before you implement or pilot programs.

Listen first.

The most valuable thing you can do to help someone is to LISTEN to them. And then ask more questions and listen some more.

Ask your recipients about the problem and their ideas for solutions. Spend what might seem like an unreasonable amount of time listening before you even begin to pitch your idea for a solution. You just might find that after all that listening, your solution isn’t actually solving anything… and might even be causing more problems.

You need help.

Yes, you need professional help from a licensed counselor because this work is hard and exhausting in every way— a constant uphill climb with ongoing exposure to others’ trauma, which might take you to a place of needing to deal with your own. Do your work now. Don’t wait. 

But you also need practical help from friends and family to get your idea off the ground. Name your team. Be sure you have a mix of talent, skills, personalities, and networks. You want people with plenty of heart— but not everyone should always agree with you. And find people who are smarter than you.

People are not going to do what they say they will do.

No one will care as much as you do, and when they don’t do what they said they would do, you can't take it personally. Every one of us is living separate lives and has our own obligations, interests, and challenges that come up. Realistically, there will be very few people who place your organization at the top of their list of priorities. 

But we have to walk with grace and understanding. Stay grateful. We’re all doing the best we can with what we have on the paths we’re on. You can’t drag people down your path. They have to come willingly.

Think about it like through-hiking a long trail like the AT or the PCT. You’ll come across other hikers and hike together for a time, but eventually, you’ll go your separate ways, whether it’s due to differences in pace, personality, or circumstances. When it’s time for people to go, let them go. But you have to keep going!

You are going to be asking people for money like it’s your job.

Because from here on out— it IS your actual job. Literally. If that makes you squirm or shut down, you’re going to need to suck it up and get used to the idea. Or see #1.

If you aren’t funding the initial stages of your start-up NPO from your own bank account, don’t be afraid to fundraise before your idea is fully formed. Ask the people closest to you, who care about what you care about and believe in you to contribute to the initial costs. 

HINT: These are probably people you want to invite to be on your founding board!

You’re actually starting a business.

Think of yourself as an entrepreneur. Eventually, this hobby of yours will have to be run like a business, so you might as well look at it that way from the beginning. This means you need a plan, and that means one thing: RESEARCH. Research the problem and research the solution.

Make an income plan and a budget. 

Oh, and do yourself a favor; do some research on nonprofit management. You’ll thank yourself later!

You might lose a few friends.

This one is tough. All that asking for money is going to rub some people the wrong way. Not everyone will care about your cause. IT’S NOT PERSONAL. But it will feel personal. When someone doesn’t get it, you will feel like they don’t want to play with you on the playground, and rejection will hurt your feelings. Just remember, we are all called to different things, and it takes all of us doing what only we can do.

There are also going to be people in your life who think you’re crazy. Others will be so uncomfortable with their own unwillingness to follow their dreams or act on their passion that they don’t want to be around you anymore. 

Two things to remember as you engage people in the context of your organization:

1- The distinction between strategy and manipulation can become fuzzy at times. Check your motives. Keep it real. 

2- Don’t let your relationships become transactional—or let your methods become controlling. If you always have an agenda, people will leave, recipients included.

You will feel like an imposter.

Every. Single. Day.

But you are the one doing the thing, and so you have a seat at the table. Don’t let anyone intimidate you out of your passion.

And you know what? We’re all just making it up as we go along. NPO workers are professional figure-it-outers. If you’re figuring it out and your work is moving forward, you are no imposter. You belong here.

You are going to fail.

Every NPO has failures.  Don’t sweep them under the rug. A healthy amount of vulnerability builds trust. No one has their act together completely, so no one won’t believe you if you act like you do.

Getting it wrong is one step closer to getting it right.

It won’t always belong to you.

1- It never did belong to you. If it’s God-breathed, then it wasn’t even your idea in the first place. Steward it as if it doesn’t belong to you. Recognize God’s ownership of it from the beginning.

2-There will come a time when you will no longer be able to propel the organization forward, and you’ll have to trust God with the people who now feel as much ownership of your life’s work as you do; your staff, your board, your top volunteers. Operate with a succession plan in mind.

3-Make it your goal to work yourself out of a job. Sometimes it’s appropriate to initiate the work with an exit strategy in mind. If your programs actually solve problems, you shouldn’t need to operate indefinitely. One day the solution will be left in the hands of your recipients. What a day!

Written by Tia McNelly
Executive Director
tia@flourishkenya.org

If you read all of that and you aren’t deterred in the slightest, there’s a BIG chance you SHOULD do this!

If that’s you, we’re cheering for you! Will you reach out to us so we can pray for you? We can’t hold your hand or even consult with you; that’s not our mission, but this is no small thing, and you can use all the cheerleaders you can get!

While you’re here, why not help us celebrate National Nonprofit Day with a donation to Flourish Kenya?

We’re ending the teen pregnancy epidemic in rural Kenya in this generation because every youth deserves to flourish.