A nonprofit shelter can help abandoned animals.
If you love animals and want to create a charitable organization, planning an animal shelter may be a great option to give back to the community and help stray, abused, and sick animals. However, planning an animal shelter takes dedication, resources and a lot of time. You will need to register the animal shelter as a nonprofit organization with the government, as well as find allies, create a board of directors, network, assess your resources, and learn about animal shelters by volunteering.
Instructions
1. Volunteer at animal shelters. Volunteering at animal shelters will help you understand the work involved in caring for animals and give you a more comprehensive idea of what it takes to run an animal shelter. While volunteering at different animal shelters, ask questions about daily operations and take notes.
2. Choose a location. A community that already has an animal shelter may not be the best place to create another one, unless the shelter you plan addresses different needs. It's helpful to assess the needs of different communities and find out where animal shelters are lacking, so you can best help a particular community.
3. Find allies. Veterinarians, activists, concerned citizens, and neighbors can all become the allies that are vital for an animal shelter to run smoothly. People who have experience with animals are invaluable sources of knowledge, and will be able to help with animal treatment and care.
4. Assess resources. Animal shelters are expensive to run and operate: a building must be leased and animal food and supplies purchased. Consider a fundraiser to obtain operating capital, or check grants.gov to search for federal government grants for funding. There are several grants available specifically for no-kill shelters and for animal shelters which offer spaying and neutering services.
5. Create a mission statement. A mission statement is required to create a legal nonprofit animal shelter, and should specify the purpose of the animal shelter and how it intends to help the community. The mission statement typically only needs to be a few sentences long.
6. Create a board of directors. A board of directors is required to meet the legal requirements of a nonprofit organization. A board of directors needs to be a group of dedicated volunteers who have enough time to dedicate to setting policy and running the animal shelter.
7. Write articles of incorporation and bylaws. The articles of incorporation describe the purpose of the animal shelter, and the bylaws describe the power structure and how the animal shelter is to be operated. Articles of incorporation and bylaws are necessary to give the animal shelter legal nonprofit status. Articles of incorporation should be filed with the Secretary of State where the animal shelter is to be located. More information about articles of incorporation and bylaws can be found at Society for Nonprofit Organizations at snp.org/resources.
8. File for federal tax-exemption status with the IRS. Contact the IRS at irs.gov or at 800-829-4933 to request form 1023. Complete the application and send it back to the IRS, either at a local IRS office or electronically at irs.gov.
9. Register the animal shelter with the state's Secretary of State. Contact the Secretary of State by going to the state's website or the office.
10. Obtain an EIN number. The EIN number, or Employee Identification Number, is used to hire employees and to identify a business for tax purposes. The EIN can be obtained at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service online at irs.gov. The IRS can also be called at 800-829-4933.
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