LSCI 106: ONLINE RESEARCH 1: INTRODUCTION TO ONLINE RESEARCH

Student Project

by Ario Salazar

RESEARCH QUESTION:

What are the steps involved in establishing a nonprofit organization?

As a nation the U.S. has one of the oldest traditions: that of philanthropy, which, as it is known, has always gone hand in hand with prosperity. The focus of my research is to learn about the process to begin a new non-profit, given that non-profits are the cultural vehicle through which organized individuals seek to better the communities in which they live. Non-profits are also the cultural vehicles through which philanthropy can take place. Since the topic is a rich one, it is hard to establish, for the purposes of a class, a stricter scope than the one chosen here.

My interest in the topic stems from a desire to one day contribute to the community I live in by beginning a well funded, sound, and relevant non-profit. I know that this project is not only ambitious; it is also one of the toughest challenges to undertake, for several reasons. First of all, beginning a non-profit may not be as difficult as it is to strengthen one until it is stable. Then, there is a myriad of financial, legal, ethical, technological and administrative questions that need to be addressed throughout the process of forming an organization. In addition to that, there are trends in philanthropy, program execution and reporting methods that cannot be neglected as the organization is veered into maturity.

GENERAL SEARCH WORKSHEET

CONCEPT #

Search Terms

1	nonprofit	non profit	foundation
2	how to start	how to establish

WEBLIOGRAPHY

Barnes, Don. “How to Start a Foundation from Scratch.” National Underwriter Life and Health – Financial Services Edition. 27 June 1994: 31. InfoTrac OneFile. Gale Group. 1 May 2004. <http://web6.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/481/394/49895254w6/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A16092118&dyn=5!ar_fmt?sw_aep=plan_skyline>.

Firoz, Nadeem M. and Gloria Wightman. “How to Start a Non-profit Charitable Trust – The Case of Ted Turner Contribution to the United Nations.” Competitiveness Review. 12.2 (Summer-Fall 2002): 102+. InfoTrac OneFile. Gale Group. 1 May 2004. <http://web6.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/481/394/49895254w6/purl=rc2_ITOF_1_How+to+Start+a+Non-profit+Charitable+Trust+_________________________________________________________&dyn=sig!5?sw_aep=plan_skyline>.

The Foundation Center. 2004. 1 May 2004. <http://fdncenter.org>.

Grobman, Gary M. The Nonprofit Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Run Your Nonprofit Organization. Harrisburg, PA: White Hat Communications, 1999.

Harrison, Jon, ed. “Grants and Related Resources: Nonprofit Virtual Library.” 18 Nov 2003. Michigan State University Libraries. 1 May 2004. <http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/znonprof.htm>.

Hopkins, Bruce R. Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization: A Legal Guide. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2000.

Bruce R. Hopkins is a leading authority on tax-exempt organizations and is a lawyer with the firm Polsinelli, White, Vardeman, and Shalton. Whether you’re a nonprofit novice or the director of an established organization, this guide to nonprofit law contains all the information you need to succeed, thrive, and protect your nonprofit’s tax-exempt status. Written by Bruce Hopkins, one of the country’s leading legal authorities in the field, this Third Edition of Starting and Managing a Nonprofit Organization: A Legal Guide covers virtually every legal aspect of starting and operating a nonprofit organization, and has been revised and expanded to include updated information on changes in laws, rules, and regulations governing the nonprofit sector.

Internet Nonprofit Center. 14 Jan. 2004. The Evergreen State Society. 1 May 2004. <http://www.nonprofits.org>.

McLaughlin, Thomas. “The Strategic Agenda: Implementation is No Easy Task.” The Non-profit Times 1 Feb 2002: 16. InfoTrac OneFile. Gale Group. 1 May 2004. <http://web6.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/481/394/49895254w6/purl=rc2_ITOF_1_Strategic+Agenda%3A+Implementation+is+No+Easy+Task+_________________________________________________________&dyn=sig!6?sw_aep=plan_skyline>.

“Starting a Nonprofit Organization: Frequently Asked Questions.” Society for Nonprofit Organizations. 2004. 1 May 2004. <http://www.snpo.org/resources/startup.php>.

last revised: 5-4-04 by Eric Brenner, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA

These materials are copyrighted, but may be used for educational purposes if you inform and credit the author and cite the source as: LSCI 106 Computerized Research. All commercial rights are reserved. Send comments or suggestions to: Eric Brenner at brenner@smccd.net