Questions about
starting a nonprofit.

Our service fee is $500. Standard Michigan incorporation is $20, and the IRS application fee is $275 for eligible Form 1023-EZ filers or $600 for Form 1023. Other professional and operating costs are separate. See the costs page for examples and official sources.

No. It pays for the defined startup support package. Government fees, tax application preparation, legal review, insurance and other providers are separate.

Our service work is organized around a 30-day window after kickoff requirements are complete. Recruiting directors, professional review and government processing may take longer. We do not promise an approval date.

Michigan generally requires at least three directors under the Nonprofit Corporation Act. Exceptions include private foundations and certain dental-care corporations. Our package focuses on a straightforward public-charity startup; unusual structures need separate review.

Do not assume family involvement makes the board independent. Eligibility, control and conflict questions depend on the structure and facts. We recommend independent perspectives and refer family control or payment arrangements for professional review.

Many small startup boards serve as volunteers, which is the model used here. Payments or reimbursements need proper approval and records. Compensation for services, especially involving founders or relatives, needs careful conflict and reasonableness review.

It depends on the purpose and activities. Not every nonprofit qualifies, and exceptions to the application requirement exist. A qualified professional can help determine the right structure and federal treatment.

The corporation is formed under state law. Section 501(c)(3) is a federal tax classification for qualifying organizations. Forming the corporation does not itself give it federal charitable tax status.

Check Michigan registration or exemption requirements first, including charitable-asset rules. If federal recognition is pending, do not promise donors deductibility. Online or out-of-state fundraising can create additional questions.

Some founders handle portions themselves. An attorney is especially useful for governing documents, related-party arrangements, membership rights, contracts, licensed activities or unusual structures. Our package does not replace legal advice.

Someone needs to keep accurate books from day one. A CPA or qualified tax professional is valuable for the exemption application, annual returns, payroll, paid insiders, sales or complex funding. Ongoing bookkeeping is separate from this package.

You can start developing the idea and gathering information. An ordinary Michigan public-charity startup generally needs at least three directors; the law has limited exceptions. It should not operate as one person’s private property.

The work continues: board oversight, proper use of funds, accurate records, timely filings, donor communication and safe programs. Approval is a milestone, not a finish line.

Common duties include Michigan’s corporation report, the appropriate IRS 990-series return or notice, and charity registration renewal or charitable-trust accounting where applicable. The exact calendar depends on the organization and fiscal year.

We help you build a recruitment plan and give you messages, role descriptions and interview questions. We do not provide a placement service or guarantee willing candidates.

No. Government agencies make their own decisions. No approval, grant, fundraising result or search ranking is guaranteed.

That may become a separately scoped service after the organization is ready. It is not included here. We do not promise funding, take a percentage of an award, or use community foundations as a business outreach channel.

Not in this package. We organize records, explain the process at a general level and coordinate a handoff. A qualified paid preparer or the organization handles substantive application preparation.

Yes. The agreed handoff includes board recruitment materials, meeting templates, a sample budget, records guidance and a compliance checklist. Documents that need professional review are clearly marked.

That is a useful discovery. You can explore a partnership, fiscal sponsorship, a smaller informal project or a different business structure before spending money on filings. Those choices may need their own legal or tax advice.