Welcome, and congratulations — you just took the first real step toward starting your nonprofit. That decision is the one most people never make, and you made it.
Over the next year, I'll walk you from a first idea to a registered, funded, growing nonprofit — one focused lesson a month, no overwhelm, every step in the right order.
How this course works
Once a month, you'll get one short lesson with a clear goal and a couple of concrete actions. No fluff, no 200-page binder — just the next right move. Every lesson is built on free Good Circles guides, tools, and templates, so when a lesson says "draft your bylaws" or "register to solicit donations," the guide and the fill-in template are right there waiting for you.
Twelve lessons. Twelve months. By the end, you'll have a living, legal, funded organization — not just notes about one.
Your 12-month arc
Here's the whole journey at a glance, so you always know where you are and what's coming:
- Months 1–4 — Form it and get legal. Sharpen your mission, recruit a board, and adopt bylaws. Then incorporate at the state level first, get your free EIN from the IRS, and file for federal 501(c)(3) status (Form 1023, or the streamlined 1023-EZ if you qualify). Order matters here, and we'll keep it in order.
- Months 5–6 — Money and programs. Set up clean bookkeeping and a real budget, register for charitable solicitation in your state before you fundraise, and design programs you can actually measure.
- Months 7–9 — Funding. Get grant-ready, find the right funders, write proposals that win, and build recurring, unrestricted income so one slow year can't sink you.
- Months 10–12 — Marketing and sustainability. Tell your story, grow your donors, and put the annual habits in place that keep you compliant and thriving for the long haul.
A quick word on staying legal
Two facts worth remembering from day one: the EIN from the IRS is free (anyone charging you for it is selling you nothing), and once you're a 501(c)(3) you must file an annual Form 990 (or 990-EZ or 990-N, depending on your size) every year. Miss it three years in a row and the IRS automatically revokes your status. We'll build these habits in gently — no surprises.
There's a certificate at the finish line
When you reach the end and register your new nonprofit's EIN with Good Circles, you'll earn a free Certificate of Completion — proof you did the hard, real work of building something that lasts. It's a milestone worth working toward.
Why Good Circles is in your corner
Good Circles is free for nonprofits, and it's how we help fund the work you're about to build: supporters pick your cause once, then a share of their everyday local spending — 10% of each merchant's net profit — flows to you automatically, recurring and unrestricted. We launch Mississippi-first in September 2026, and these guides are our gift to founders like you, wherever you are.
Start here, today
You don't have to wait a month to begin. Take five minutes with our Start-Here diagnostic — answer three quick questions and it builds a personalized, ordered path through the free resources for exactly where you are right now. Then bookmark the course hub so every lesson and template is one click away.
That's it for today. Take a breath — you're officially on your way. I'll see you next month for the very first step: turning your idea into a clear, fundable mission.
This month's actions
- Spend five minutes on the Start-Here diagnostic to map your personalized path.
- Bookmark the course hub so every lesson, guide, and template is one click away.
- Save this email's 12-month roadmap so you always know what's coming next.
- Tell one person you trust that you've started — accountability makes it real.
Free resources for this lesson
- Start-Here diagnostic — your personalized path
- The Launch & Grow course hub
- All free nonprofit guides, tools & templates
Not enrolled yet?
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