Want to Start a Charity ?

Question

i Really want to help underprivelaged Kids in Africa, i already volunteer to help orphans and handicapped people and i've been to kenya and madagascar and helped meny kids but i always wanted to do more, i want to help kids with dental Problems, it's hard to live with bad teeth that'll help them alot! and anorexia as well ! i feel they are both linked in some kind of way children with bad teeth won't be able to eat, so i want to help anorexic children and children with dental problems, i really want to start a charity but i have no idea how to do that please help ? Btw i'm 16

Answer 1

That's fabulous that you want to help others - especially at only 16 years old! The world needs more people like you!!

I'm in the process of starting a charity to help Africans right now and I can tell you, it's quite involved. You need to get a board of people together and fill out lots of paperwork. In Canada it means establishing as a nonprofit society first, then getting charitable status from Canada Revenue Agency (which means you can then issue tax receipts for donations). Here you need at least 3 people and they have to be 18 years of age or older - sorry.

I assume it's similar wherever you may live in the world.

I suggest that you join an established organization so you can learn more about international development and nonprofit work, then when you're older you can set up a charity.

Free the Children has chapters around the world and have partnered with Oprah - which she calls "O Ambassadors".
Here are their websites with details:
http://www.freethechildren.org
http://www.oambassadors.org

Answer 2

Start with the shoes, although your current target members for the club may be Christian combining the shoes AND bibles might cause people who might otherwise be interested in membership to not join. I am not a Christian, so although I would support an initiative to give shoes to those who have none, I would not support giving out bibles to people who have no interest in getting them and might actually only be accepting them to get the footwear. When I was living in New Orleans, I saw many of the street kids throwing out the bibles that came with "care packages" they were given by Baptist youth groups -- almost before the youth groups were gone and WHILE they were PUTTING ON the socks in those packages! I do not say that your desire to help is misplaced. I am just counseling you to concentrate on what the impoverished and/or homeless are likely to KEEP....

Answer 3

There is a lot of legal work involved in starting a charity so I would make an appointment with an attorney, they know how to do all this and they can tell you about how much it is going to cost, maybe you have some friends whos parents are attorneys and they can get you some info, good luck and God Bless YOU!!!

Answer 4

That sounds like a wonderful idea. Perhaps you can write to Operation Smile and ask them how they got started.

In the meantime, I am helping underpriviledged kids in Africa by helping with The Pencil Project. You can too---it's super easy.

www.thepencilproject.com