People sometimes question the need for a mission statement, but an accurate, effective mission statement is essential to your nonprofit organization. Why? It’s the most widely used nonprofit marketing piece, and it’s your first and most concise tool to win public understanding. 

What’s included in a mission statement?

A mission statement encompasses the following:

• Explains why your organization exists
• Defines what you do
• Sets your priorities
• Motivates your activities

However, the purpose of a mission statement is not to give all your program descriptions, because you want to keep it short. A mission statement serves as a blueprint of your activities, so it should be clear, uncluttered, and not full of adjectives – just stick to the facts.

How should you use your mission statement?

You should include your mission statement on all your publications, in your press releases, and everywhere you say something about your organization. You can even put it on your fax cover sheets. It serves as a brief introduction for those who don’t know you and a reminder for those who do.

How does my mission statement relate to my goals?

Your success as a nonprofit organization can be measured by how effectively you perform to achieve the mission you’ve outlined. Therefore, any projects your organization chooses to undertake should be compatible with the mission statement you have already established. A mission statement serves as a yardstick for deciding what programs your organization can and should undertake. Even if a program is valuable and interesting, if it is not relevant to your organization’s mission, it is likely better suited to another organization.

No matter how worthy your nonprofit’s cause, you won’t automatically attract funds.  Sometimes you have to start with the basics; fundraising. Successful fundraising requires organization, a simple implementation strategy, a plan to motivate your volunteers and something to offer in return for the “donor” support.

Many nonprofits are sitting on a pile of gold and they don’t even realize it.  There are numerous volunteers, private foundations, businesses and individuals interested in helping, but it’s up to your organization to network and engage the community in your mission with proven fundraising strategies.

Below are 5 simple fundraising events that can get you started!

Register on CharityNetUSA.com today to get a plethora of free fundraising tips, resources and more event ideas; along with instructions on organizing, marketing and executing them! Click Here to Register Now!

Many non-profits do not take the time to hash out an estimated budget for their programs before embarking on the grant proposal process. However, establishing a budget is an essential step in the operation of every organization, regardless of whether or not they are seeking grant funding. Without conducting some research regarding costs and making financial calculations, a non-profit cannot accurately determine how much money they need in order to achieve their goals, and therefore do not know the amount of funding they should request from foundations.

Fortunately, The Foundation Center offers a free online Proposal Budgeting Basics course:

“This online course is designed to help with the basics of developing a project budget, and it is geared for those who have general knowledge of proposal development. (Beginners might want to take the Proposal Writing Short Course.) When you complete this course, you will know:

• The basic components of a project budget
• Different types of financial documents often required for proposals
• How overhead costs and fringe benefits may be incorporated within the budget
• How to access resources on the Web, which provide templates of project budgets”

You do not need an accountant to prepare your non-profit organization’s budget; however, if you have little knowledge about project budgeting, hiring an accountant can be useful the first time around. 

Here are a few additional resources that will aid in preparing your organization’s budget:

• Nonprofit Guides provides a sample budget, proposal cover letter, letter of inquiry, proposal, and other helpful examples.
• The Cleveland Foundation’s website offers a Grantee Toolkit including sample templates for a project budget request.
• Register on the CharityNet USA website and gain access to a variety of free non-profit tools and resources.

Fees for Applying for 501c3 Tax Exempt Status are Set Increase!

User fees will increase for all applications for exemption (Forms 1023, 1024, and 1028) postmarked January 3, 2010:

• $400 for organizations whose gross receipts are $10,000 or less annually over a 4-year period
• $850 for organizations whose gross receipts exceed $10,000 annually over a 4-year period
• $3,000 for group exemption letters

Last time the IRS increased their fees they received a deluge of applications and had a huge backlog for months. Don’t wait until the last minute to receive your exempt status, get your 501c3 application (Form 1023) in before the holidays to save money and expedite the process. 

Remember, you will face additional hurdles if you apply more than 27 months after the end of the month in which your organization was legally formed.

Benefits of 501c3 Tax Exempt Status

The primary benefits of tax exempt status include:

• Donors can make charitable contributions and receive a tax deduction. Most often donors will refuse to offer funding if they will not receive a tax deduction.
• The organization will be qualified to receive private and public grant money.
• As a tax exempt organization you can save money on lower postage rates on corporate mailings.