I knew there would be a lot paperwork involved in starting a nonprofit. I thought it would be easier if I used one of the on-line services that help you start a business. I took me about twenty minutes to answer all of the questions on the website and post a payment. The very next day, I received a message about a problem with my application. It was so easy to complete, I thought it must be a misspelling or some other simple error. WRONG. Nowhere in the application had it indicated that a nonprofit needed a minimum of three board members and that it had to have bylaws.
I didn’t have either. I should have known the on-line process was too easy for the government to grant Lola VS Lupus a tax exemption. I borrowed books from the library and ordered more online. I am currently reading six books on this process and have found some amazing websites that are god-sends.
Bylaws are like a constitution that board members must follow. I found a lot of examples of these. The problem is what to put in the bylaws and which are referred to when a dispute occurs. I hope there aren’t any problems going forward, but I do need to protect myself and the people I hope to help. The bylaws also define the purpose of the nonprofit and who it will serve. That leads me to the need for a mission statement. Every time I think I’ve accomplished one thing, five more things come up.
Bylaws also name the board members and their responsibilities. I need one for the state and three for the federal government. Lola VS Lupus will no longer be a one woman show. I will still be in charge, but others will have a say so over my “baby.” The bylaws also need to state term lengths and term limits. They need to address voting issues, policy making, and how LVL will function in the community.
I am taking baby steps to change Lola VS Lupus into a nonprofit. I am working on it a bit every day. This is a huge project, and there is such a need for the help I want to provide through LVL.
Mission Accomplished: Made the first steps to turning nonprofit, If it’s to go to be true??, it probably is, and Becoming productive again
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