You must consider the political atmosphere in your community from the very beginning, and it must remain part of your strategic, long-range planning. Even if you don't think your mission and planned area of service will be controversial, the fact that you are interested in becoming a public charity and will be seeking donations to carry out your mission will invite scrutiny. Although nonprofit corporations pay fees and taxes (other than corporate income tax), as do their for-profit counterparts, the perception remains that nonprofits have a free ride.

Pay Attention to Any Pending Tax Law Changes

Every adjustment to state or federal tax codes can bring the entire concept of the nonprofit corporation to the forefront, which becomes a highly charged political issue. You need to stay on top of these potential changes. It is a good idea to connect with and join affiliated organizations that are able to effectively track legislation or ordinances that might affect your ability to carry out your mission.

Build Alliances

If your mission may be seen as controversial for any reason, begin now to build the necessary alliances that will help you organize and continue your work. Although you may think that addressing the major problems in our society such as homelessness, substance abuse, hunger, violence, or accessible health care may not be controversial, the way you choose to address those issues may indeed bring you attention you never expected. You need to prepare for it before it happens.

Exactly how you enter into this public discourse is determined by whether you apply for and receive a 501(c)(3) or a 501(c)(4) determination from the IRS. That difference may well affect how involved you become in the political process and what you may (or may not do) to affect that process.

Neighbors

Where and how you choose to set up your organization's office and operations may affect your neighbors. You may never have given traffic and parking a second thought until now, but they are issues every organization with public or walk-in traffic comes to know well. Parking is, without question, the biggest source of problems in neighborhoods where a new organization sets up.

Every time you hold a meeting or a public event, your attendees will take up parking on the street or park in a spot that was “reserved.” If you have access to off-street parking, you are well ahead of the game, but the vast majority of groups do not have that option. Reaching out to engage the immediate community so that everyone understands what you are planning to do will help neutralize much of the opposition and fear of the unknown that plagues many nonprofits.

Meeting with City Hall

Meeting with local political leaders and introducing yourself to personnel in your city and county administrative offices before you need them shows everyone that you are willing to work with the community, even those who may have reservations about your plans. This is an area where your skill as an organizer who is comfortable meeting with strangers is going to help in many ways.

So much of organizing a nonprofit comes down to establishing and building relationships with both people who are supportive of your plans and those who oppose your organization. If your plans involve zoning or occupancy regulations, all your skills as an organizer and negotiator will come into play. By working with — rather than confronting — local review boards or citizen groups, you should be fine.