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    jenniepepsi's Avatar
    jenniepepsi Posts: 4,042, Reputation: 533
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    #1

    Oct 23, 2010, 10:47 PM
    I am just starting up and need to know...
    Hello, so in my spare time I have slowly been building a non profit organization for Aspergers, a mild form of autism. Aspergers does not have nearly as much support as it needs and I intend to change that. I have some of what I need. A website. A business phone, business cards, a calendar, laptop, cork board, resources to give out.

    I am setting my 'home office' up, which is basically just a desk in my bedroom lol. It has my lap top on it, along with my other stuff I already listed. Is there anything else I would have need of? I don't have a fax machine, but I can receive fax messages in my email and have that set up. I have a printer, it needs ink before I can use it so I'm going to do that next.

    Can anyone think of anything else I need?
    tickle's Avatar
    tickle Posts: 23,796, Reputation: 2674
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    #2

    Oct 23, 2010, 11:12 PM

    Hi jenniepepsi, you need a charity number from the government if you are going to accept donations You have to register as a non profit.

    Tick
    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #3

    Oct 23, 2010, 11:35 PM
    Hi, jenniepepsi!

    Does your website get good exposure if people don't know what it's called but might be looking for the type of information etc. that's being offered on it?

    Thanks!
    jenniepepsi's Avatar
    jenniepepsi Posts: 4,042, Reputation: 533
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    #4

    Oct 24, 2010, 12:07 AM

    Oh thanks tickle. I do have a donation page set up but didn't realise I needed permission. I will get on that Monday.

    Clough, not great exposure yet. I put business cards up on the advertisement board at the grocery store, and I just put one of those free Google ads up tonight, says it should be up tomorrow. But I'm not sure if I can expect much from them as its free lol. I'm also going to visit local pediatricians and see if they will allow me to put business cards in their office.

    I'm using a company called vistaprint.com that is really awesome, lots of free products, and the ones I pay for are cheap. Business cards, pamplets, pens, car magnets, bumperstickers, all sorts of stuff I can use for advertising.

    I also forgot to mention I have a business computer program that helps me build order forms, record forms, purchase records and all sorts of stuff I haven't even looked into. That's called 'Business in a box"
    Clough's Avatar
    Clough Posts: 26,677, Reputation: 1649
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    #5

    Oct 24, 2010, 01:03 AM
    I would be glad to help you with advice concerning promotion on the Internet. You can be consistently on the first page of a Google search or even on other search engines with people looking for that which might be in the content on your website.
    jenniepepsi's Avatar
    jenniepepsi Posts: 4,042, Reputation: 533
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    #6

    Oct 24, 2010, 07:30 AM

    Thanks clough I will definitely take any advice you have! That would be great!
    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #7

    Oct 24, 2010, 07:51 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by jenniepepsi View Post
    oh thanks tickle. i do have a donation page set up but didnt realise i needed permission. i will get on that monday.
    Hello j:

    You need some help in setting up the "infrastructure" of your business. That includes stuff like what form your business takes (and why), getting the proper licenses for the form you've selected, and setting up your books so that from the FIRST donation, your records will be accurate.

    I suggest that you choose to incorporate your business simply to avoid any personal liability. However, I know NOTHING about you or your situation, so that advice is coming out of left field. Which brings up my next suggestion... Any good businessperson needs THREE professionals on his team - a banker, a lawyer and a CPA... You should START with the CPA. An accountant can set up the "infrastructure" for you at very little cost because he'll make his money delivering ongoing services for you. He'll KNOW what licenses and/or permits you'll need, and he'll know how to apply for them. He'll know how to set up your office and how to make SURE that when you use your home office deduction, you can withstand an audit.. He'll know how to incorporate you, and WHICH type of corporation you'll need. You can probably hire a business lawyer too, at very little cost. He too, knows that his money will come down the road as you become successful.

    So, once you have the structure of your business set up, it becomes transparent and it facilitates you in DOING the things you set it up for in the first place.

    excon
    tickle's Avatar
    tickle Posts: 23,796, Reputation: 2674
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    #8

    Oct 24, 2010, 09:09 AM
    [QUOTE=jenniepepsi;2578619]oh thanks tickle. I do have a donation page set up but didn't realise I needed permission. I will get on that Monday.


    It isn't just permission, you will have to have money to back you up for licensing fees. And I do believe you have to incorporate it as a business.
    Wondergirl's Avatar
    Wondergirl Posts: 39,354, Reputation: 5431
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    #9

    Oct 24, 2010, 09:14 AM

    You will need to contact your village, the township, and the county too, to ask if there are annual business licensing fees.

    What do you want to accomplish with this non-profit, Jennie? You said, "Aspergers does not have nearly as much support as it needs." Support for what?
    jenniepepsi's Avatar
    jenniepepsi Posts: 4,042, Reputation: 533
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    #10

    Oct 24, 2010, 11:55 AM

    Thank you excon. I will find a CPA like you suggested. I love Google lol.

    Thanks tickle I didn't realise there would be fees. I will start on all that stuff right away. Where can I find out this stuff for Arizona? I tried googling it but I couldn't find it. And does a non profit organization have to follow the same fees and such as a business?


    Hey WG, long time no talk.
    What I want to eventually get going (I know it will take a long time, I'm prepared to be patient) is support and help. A support group for parents, in all areas eventually, and even monitary support, such as items that are needed but can't be afforded. Weighted blankets and vests are expensive, and sling swings are even MORE expensive. A lot of OT objects, and therepy items are very expensive and hard to get. I would like to make it easier for the low income familys with asperger children. The autism community has a great deal of support in that area, but unfortunately, the word Aspergers, closes all of those doors. They are trying to fix that but for now and God only knows how long, it will continue to be this way. I also want to have a fund set up (again, eventually, I will have to be patient, so this won't be right away) a fund for scholorships for asperger kids, for when they hit high school and start thinking about college. Or even scholorships for special schools, like one here called Gateway academy, is specifically for children with aspergers but not autism, and they don't function well in mainstream schools (I got lucky that my duaghter is doing well in public school mostly mainstream withonly a few hours a day in sped) but its 12k a year. That is VERY unaffordable for many familys.


    But for now, my hopes is to eventually become a reference or resource to parents. My website has a chatroom and messageboard for online support between moms struggling. Where they can talk and get help and give help and answer questions. I want to be able to have people call me and I can refer them to places they can get help. It was SO hard to find ANYWHERE that I could do that when I first started this with my daughter. I already have a sort of 'verbal partnership' with an organization here in Arizona for asperger familys. I spoke to the lady who owns it, she is the one who helped me in the beginning, and she took my website and phone number information and said she added it to her references and resources she can hand out to parents. I also have a lot of resources on my cork board for familys, including numbers to good counselors and doctors, and even a few homeless shelters that cater specifically to special needs familys in case a parent ever needs that. I'm still building my resources though so I'm sure I will have more soon.

    Its just so hard in the beginning because you Google for aspergers, and meet so many dead ends, that end with autism, but a lot of the autism organizations won't accept aspergers. Even the DDD (department of developmental disabilitys) won't accept an asperger diagnosis for services, it must be autism.

    Wow sorry that was so long.
    Wondergirl's Avatar
    Wondergirl Posts: 39,354, Reputation: 5431
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    #11

    Oct 24, 2010, 12:09 PM

    Have you contacted the Asperger's magazine people or Temple Grandin who writes for that magazine?
    tickle's Avatar
    tickle Posts: 23,796, Reputation: 2674
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    #12

    Oct 24, 2010, 01:36 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by jenniepepsi View Post

    thanks tickle i didnt realise there would be fees. i will start on all that stuff right away. where can i find out this stuff for arizona? i tried googling it but i couldnt find it. and does a non profit organization have to follow the same fees and such as a business?

    .
    Here is the website from EHow on how to do this in Arizona. If you can't open my link, go to Google and enter 'how to start up a non profit organization in arizona'

    [url]www.ehow.com/how_6661562_start-nonprofit-organization-arizona[/url

    It states it isn't there any longer, but it is actually pre-entered in their search, just clock on search.

    If there weren't fees and reguluations on setting up charities and a website, everyone would be doing it and making money which is actually a fraudulent activity.
    jenniepepsi's Avatar
    jenniepepsi Posts: 4,042, Reputation: 533
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    #13

    Oct 24, 2010, 08:46 PM

    That's a good point tickle. I wouldn't want anyone taking advantage of something like this. Like taking donations and then just keeping it for themselves. Thanks for that page. I'm going to go read it now


    WG, right now the only one I have is Asperger Parent Network of Phoenix. But I had completely forgotten about her and her magazine. I will email her. Thanks.
    jenniepepsi's Avatar
    jenniepepsi Posts: 4,042, Reputation: 533
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    #14

    Oct 24, 2010, 08:51 PM

    tickle I found that page you got me to, and it says I need to register with the IRS but all I find is tax exemption forms. Is that what I need? I even typed in the actuall form number, it's a 1023/1024. But that's about tax exemption, not registration.
    Justwantfair's Avatar
    Justwantfair Posts: 3,422, Reputation: 944
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    #15

    Oct 24, 2010, 11:08 PM

    It may just be me, but you may want to refrain from handing outing business cards until the organization is ligitimate.

    Also, this is a huge undertaking for someone of your means financially. I would continue all of the research prior to distributing business information or running an active website. You may find the licensing fees and costs of professional personnel necessary for the running of the business to be beyond your financial capabilities currently.
    Wondergirl's Avatar
    Wondergirl Posts: 39,354, Reputation: 5431
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    #16

    Oct 24, 2010, 11:33 PM

    How are you going to find donors and maybe corporate money? I was at the beginning of getting our local cat shelter turned into a non-profit from just being somebody's house where people dropped off cats they didn't want. I was a volunteer who helped in the shelter as well as with fund raising. Then we found out we had to go through all sorts of acrobatics in order to actually be a non-profit. (Save ALL your receipts from any expenditures or income related to the business!! ) We finally had to hire a lawyer for this (although she did work at low rates because she loved cats).

    There is a series of Nolo (legal) paperbound books at the public library. One is about becoming a non-profit organization. It lays it all out for you. Please check it out!
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    jenniepepsi Posts: 4,042, Reputation: 533
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    #17

    Oct 25, 2010, 09:07 AM

    Thanks guys. I didn't realise there WAS any money involved at this point I knew eventually there would be as I got farther along. But as of right now all I want to be able to do is have a message board for parents to talk to each other, and have resources put together in case someone needs it. It looks like I have a lot more work ahead of me than I thought lol.
    Justwantfair's Avatar
    Justwantfair Posts: 3,422, Reputation: 944
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    #18

    Oct 25, 2010, 09:22 AM

    Why not go to one of the many forum that are already established for family members of people with Asbergers?

    OASIS @ MAAP - Forums

    I just did a quick internet search but my page filled quickly with options. It could be years before your own forum could be as active as some of the already established websites are.
    excon's Avatar
    excon Posts: 21,482, Reputation: 2992
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    #19

    Oct 25, 2010, 11:16 AM

    Hello again, j:

    Yeah, it's going to be hard... So, who told you it was going to be easy? If it was easy, EVERYBODY would be millionaires. You go, girl, and don't listen to the naysayers..

    excon
    jenniepepsi's Avatar
    jenniepepsi Posts: 4,042, Reputation: 533
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    #20

    Oct 25, 2010, 02:24 PM

    Thanks justwant, I thought about that too. But eventually I do want my organization to work, even if I can't now, and I thought I would be easer to have it in place now.

    excon, no one told me it would be easy hehe. I just didn't think money would be involved so soon. I knew I would have a few monitary expenses. The cards, the office supplies, advertisement. I didn't realise about all the fees and such. Ill get it. Its just something I do in my spare time at this point, so its not like I have to hurry and get everything done all at once.

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