How do I go about starting a non-profit organization as a teenager?

It's a very complicated procedure, so you'll need a lot of help. Good luck. Organize your prospective board of directors and confer with them in writing your business plan and bylaws. One of the most important elements of your business plan and bylaws is the mission statement or statement of purpose for your organization. It should be carefully discussed and written with full support of all directors. Use a legal incorporation service to form your corporation under the laws of the state where your organization will operate. These services usually save you money, time and headaches trying to figure out what your state requires. If there is an attorney on your board, have the attorney assist in reviewing the incorporation papers to assure they are appropriate and accurate. Otherwise, follow the instructions of the incorporation service. File your IRS Form 1023 to apply for non-profit status. If you qualify, the IRS will return a determination letter stating you either qualify or do not qualify. Along with your Form 1023, be prepared to supply your mission statement, business plan, bylaws and other documents that support your claim that you will be operating as a legitimate charity. Open a bank account in your non-profit's legal name. An account is necessary to to accept cash donations and to pay bills and disburse cash awards.

Of course you can, but the real question is if you have to. I would recommend that you instead find an organization that is already working on teen depression and offer to help. That way, you can go to work helping people immediately. Otherwise, to start a nonprofit, you would fill out a very long form with the Internal Revenue Service -- presuming you're in the U.S., and spend hundreds of dollars on fees and thousands of dollars on lawyers. Then you would wait six months at least before they approve you, and you would have to wait five years for full approval. So instead of doing a lot of paperwork, link up with an organization that's already doing the work. Alternatively, you can find a nonprofit that will act as a "fiscal sponsor" -- that means they already have the IRS paperwork done and they have nonprofit status. Then, for a small percentage of what you raise, you can use their status. Unless you're going to raise tens of thousands of dollars, which is hard, it's a good deal.