Find Your Path
Congratulations! You are interested in starting a non-profit! CWE is an organization devoted to helping business owners launch and grow for-profit business. With that said, however, we know that non-profit is just a tax status and that you still need the same planning that for-profits do! You are welcome to take our workshops and take advantage of our resources, but we are able to provide very limited 1:1 counseling support to non-profits.
We also encourage you to determine if a non-profit structure is the right format for you! We have many clients who have successful mission driven businesses! Mission-Driven businesses strive to address problems in their communities and uplift their stakeholders, their supply-chain, their employees, and their consumers! Please look for our “Starting a Mission Driven Business” workshop at the link below.
Non-profits v. mission-driven businesses
- A non-profit is a corporation that is tax-exempt and invests profits in the pursuit of a particular cause, e.g., combatting hunger. Non-profits require a Board of Directors and related management infrastructure just like a for-profit corporation. They are tax exempt and often eligible to obtain grants, but grant funding is still difficult to obtain and applications are very time-consuming. Non-profits are a phenomenal way to give back and contribute to good causes, but it’s commonly underestimated how much work they are to start and maintain, and how difficult funding is to come by.
- A mission-driven business, or social enterprise, has a social mission, but is a for-profit entity. It could be any type of entity, e.g., sole proprietorship or LLC. It does need to pay taxes and is not eligible for most grants, but it typically requires less regulation and has a clear owner. Mission-driven businesses contribute to a cause as the owner specifies. For example, a mission-driven business may choose to intentionally hire people with disabilities, re-entry populations, and/or veterans.
In addition to checking out our resources, please take a look at your state’s non-profit network:
In order to make the best use of our resources, please go back to the beginning of this quiz and take it as if you were starting a for-profit.