Since most of you do not go into the basement I could

[Arlin Eastman]

use your advise since some of you will know about businesses.  This is what I posted:


 I have been working with a lady at the Chamber of Commerce since early December about the Non Profit I wanted to start.  She has been a great help in pointing me to others and working with the city who is donating a 12,000sf building to us for as long as we need.  (Yes I will get it in writing before moving in)

I should be paying the lawyer for the non profit in the next month so this is where I need the help.

How do I go about looking for donors to help us get the tools and equipment we need and the many other things?

Or do you know someone who does this for a living and will help is out for a modest fee?

Any and all advise will be looked at and will be saved for later also.

Thanks

and some of my remarks to those who are helping there.



**Mike

The Chamber of Commerce lady has it set up when we open the local TV and two newspapers will the there.


Lawrence

Thank you for both of the links.  I will check into them tomorrow but I do not travel very far yet.


Joseph

I contacted both Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and United Way and I have to be open for 4 months before applying, however, both did say I would be put on the list**

***If you know of someone I sure would like the have the Info please.   I am thinking to start off we would need $40,000 and up to $750,000 in total.

After that we will be saving everything and hoping to open one in every state and in some states more then one. I will find where the highest group of Vets/Active Duty/ Discharged are in each state to put one in. Then the two will save for another and so on.**

**Phil

I do have one and has only raised $800 in two years and I thought of closing it.  I found the biggest thing is people who donate large sums do not want the GoFundMe and Wepay which take out 8% and they do not want to donate and lose that amount of funds.  They would rather write a large check and send it to me like one person did here 7 months ago.

It is good if there are individuals who want to give less then $50 but even at $100 we lose $8 and to me that is a lot that can go somewhere else besides there pockets.

If anyone wishes to go to my home page here they will find my GoFundMe there.**

**Thanks

I do have a link to our GoFundMe in my homepage if you click on my name.

I have talked to HD and Menards and Menards will help us with some timber in renovation and maybe some electrical stuff.
When I talked to HD they taken my info and that is the last I heard but then again I will aproch them when I get my non profit and hope to get some wood and tools from them.

The Lowes is 25 miles away and it is pretty far our house but I can go to their website and ask there.

I also emailed the Minnesota Twins and they will help one I get the Non profit also.  It seems everything hinges on getting the non profit first.**

****************************
The ** are the beginning and ends of quotes


I posted the above just in case you have the same questions.

Thank you so very much for any and all info or links you can do.

[Mike Brady]

Fortunately, you live in a city of some size; and it is likely that there are one or more charitable foundations located there.  Isn't Warren Buffett an Omaha resident?  Charitable foundations exist to fund worthy local projects/causes.  You should find out about what foundations there may be in your area and see if you can talk with them about your proposal. Here are a few to start with:

The Habseb Foundation
The Omaha Community Foundation
World-Herald / Goodfellows Charities Inc.

[Arlin Eastman]

Thanks Mike

[HomerLee]

Arlin,

I sent you a PM some time back regarding a tool donation, check your PMs.

[wood2woodknot]

Is there a Menard's in youy area? I believe they like local charities to work with.

[MattP]

Arlin:

I no longer practice law, but when I did practice law, one of my specialties was starting and advising non-profit corporations. I can't give you legal advice because I no longer practice and i never did practice in your state. But I will give you some general comments:

1. When you say you are planning to pay the lawyer next month for your non-profit status, I assume that means that the lawyer has not yet filed your organization's application for 501©(3) status. If that is the case, you are still several months away from obtaining approval. Even in the best of circumstances, in my experience, approval of the application by the IRS can take a few months.

2. Your best bet for finding donors is to simply pound the pavement like you have been doing. You might also ask your lawyer if s/he knows of anyone who might be interested in helping. Hopefully, you have hired a lawyer who specializes in starting non-profit corporations; if so, this ought not be the first time the lawyer has dealt with a start up non-profit in search of donors. Sadly, you will find, as you are finding, that most doors are closed to you until you have received tax exempt status from the IRS. Not so much because donors will only donate for the tax deduction, but because IRS approval is seen (wrongly, frankly) as conferring some sort of legitimacy.

3. There are professional fund raising organizations out there. They typically take a commission around 50%, or, rather, I should say that is what they were taking when I was in practice. By comparison, 8% at GoFundMe is a bargain, although less effective. You might seriously consider retaining a professional fund raiser; half of something is more than all of nothing.

Again, I am happy to give you the benefit of my experience in this field--I am a great admirer of both you and what you're trying to achieve. So long as it doesn't come close to being legal advice, I am happy to answer any specific questions you might have.

[Arlin Eastman]

Homer

Sent one back thank you for the advise and help

Wood2

Yes I do have both a Menards and Home Depot and both said they will donate lumber and either sheet rock or plywood for the building.  I am hoping they will donate all the electrical stuff also.

Matt

I sent you a PM

[MattP]

Got it, Arlin, and I'll shoot you an email as requested if I think of anything else. In the meantime, I have posted on my facebook page. I have a small circle of other veterans I'm close with. It's a small group, but my best friend is a semi-famous author (and also a combat vet) and he's friends with some really famous authors who mainly do mil sci fi and care deeply about our military folks. I'm going to try to tap into the network and see what we can do. No promises, but I'll give it a try.