Starting a non-profit organization... HIV/AIDS education/prevention?

Question

If I were interested in doing this, how would I go about it? I would like to educate/prevent the disease. I have my BA in public relations and have several other friends who are interested in helping me get this off the ground. I have a few questions though... Do grants pay for peoples salary? If so, whats a reasonable amount? Do grants pay the lease on property for non-profits? Where can I go for more info on grants? Must they be renewed yearly? Any other helpful information? I just read that 1 in 5 college students are infected with HIV and this is alarming... I want to help...

Sorry, that was supposed to be 1 in 500... must have hit my "Num Lock" Key, thanks for catching that...

By the way, there currently isn't a group in the city (and southern cities) doing this... and the HIV rate has grown since 2001 steadily.

Answer 1

For non-profits, there are grants that can be applied for to help fund projects, but it would be extremely rare that they'd fund regular operating expenses such as salaries and building rent. Grants are normally one-time things that would have to be applied for each year if you have new projects you are requesting funding for. Operating expenses will probably have to be funded through donations and fundraisers.

http://www.grants.gov/ is a site for locating government grants. In most areas, there are also various foundations you can apply to for grants. And many large companies give grants.

That number about college students sounds very high - I'd check on those numbers.

Answer 2

It's a pain in the neck to start a nonprofit, especially when you're interested in doing something that's already being done. If you actually want to do the work of education, work as a program staff member with an AIDS education organization. If you start an organization, you'll spend your time building a board of directors, writing grants, raising money, writing a newsletter, learning bookkeeping and data entry, and supervising others, and you never get to do the actual educational work. So, really, find a group that's already doing it, there are certainly enough out there who would welcome your help. Oh, and grants do pay for educational and program staff, but are less likely to pay for the people running the place, like what you're thinking of, AND the first question they'll ask is why you're not working with the current groups that are already out there.

Answer 3

i might recommend you thoroughly analyze available businesses for opportunities for volunteer and financial information till now installation your man or woman because of the fact installation your man or woman will contain instantaneous costs which will drain greater or much less funds that could flow to helping the vets. With acceptable volunteer help and reckoning on the state, coming up a non-earnings charity does not could be outrageously high priced, yet there is various ingredient paintings and additionally you may make various estimates of earnings and spending and then justify the diversities that may contain financial effects of no longer carried out right. A lawyer who volunteers and then drops out could reason considerable last date and investment issues as grow to be the case with a recent enterprise i grow to be in touch with. at the instant, it has grow to be greater intense priced to prepare to the IRS for exemption - it was very almost loose - and the 1023 has pages and pages of required information, a number of which could be skipped for the various various subclassifications of 501 exemptions. relatively, what you may do is create a non-earnings company below state regulation (absurdly person-friendly in Texas, plenty messier in another states) assembly the standards for incorporators, trustees, officers, conferences, and reported applications interior the incorporation rfile and by way of-rules. then you certainly could inform the IRS why your activities justify the well-known public (government) giving up taxation on your earnings - the stable you do being stronger by way of no longer having that 20% or so taken away. Few people will donate funds in case you haven't any longer have been given the exemption the two because of the fact they could't take the donation off their taxes in the event that they itemize and because having the exemption capacity the bureauracracy took a cautious seem at your company and everyday it.