How does a teenager start a nonprofit organization?

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The first thing that you need is a mission statement. What's your cause? What's the purpose of your organization? Your mission statement should be short. Usually 3-4 sentences is long enough. Call the IRS or go to www.irs.gov to request a form to apply for a non-profit or charitable organization. Once you receive this application, it'll have all the information included to complete the application. The application may seem very intimidating; most people hire lawyers to complete it, but if you can follow directions, you can complete it yourself. Along with your application, you'll need to have By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation. Just google it and get a template for these docs online. Then modify it to fit with the purpose of your mission. Apply for state and federal tax exemption. For state, go to the web site to download it or call them to ask for the application. Do the same for a federal tax exemption application. You'll need to have your application for a non-profit entity approved before you can submit these applications. Once you've acquired state and federal tax exemption, you can start applying for funding.