How do you start a non-profit charity?

Want to start a charity. Have some ideas, don't know how to start it?

• Okay so I am a teen, and I have a friend who just came into remission from cancer.(I don't know if that is the correct wording.) She got it when she was 17. I'm so happy for her and because of her I want to start a charity to raise money for cancer research and stuff like that. She is a very artsy person and loves to paint and her name is Rachel. So I wanted the charity to be called Rachel's Paintbox so that the charity could somehow involve art. But that is all I have. Any idea's? Could I partner with a company or something?

• Answer:

  In order to start a charity (non profit) you need to become a 501(c) 3 in order to accept contributions and for contributors to be able to deduct them on their tax returns. Go to http://www.501c3.org/ for instructions on how to become one. It takes about a year to get approval from the IRS and costs a lot of money. You are better joining an established non profit.