When starting a non-profit, be prepared for your whole life to change, in ways you probably did not even come close to considering.
Be prepared to give yourself fully to the cause that you have decided to care for and promote. I promise you, if the cause you have chosen is not something you believe in with your complete heart and soul, you will not succeed.
The most important things to keep in mind are the people whom you are helping, the lives you are improving and the difference, however small, that you are making in this world.
Be prepared to learn, to make mistakes and to pick yourself back up over and over again.
Saving the world, in whichever capacity you have chosen to do so, will not come easy. Persist. It is worth the tears and the sleepless nights. Because when you start to get it right, the feeling of accomplishment and the good that you can do outweighs all of this.
What is an NPO?
First things first: what makes a non-profit organization?
A non-profit organization (or NPO) is similar to a business entity, but measures its success by standards other than profit. Often, it might set out to serve religious, scientific, research or educational goals. Rather than shareholders, a non-profit is accountable to their donors, founders, volunteers, program recipients and the public community. These are the people who support the organization or for whom it exists. This means complete transparency and honesty in all affairs and ensuring high ethical standards and practices is vital.
There are a number of different types of non-profits in the U.S., but the most common type — including Pineapple Support — is known as a 501(c)3. This kind of charitable organization is generally funded through donations, government grants or membership dues. As such, its income is tax-exempt and is unable to be involved in any type of politics or lobbying.
When I founded Pineapple Support, I approached it like I would when creating any other type of business, with enough of my own savings to get the organization off the ground, a lot of help from my friends and peers and the understanding that I, personally, would be without income for the foreseeable future.
You don’t start a non-profit to get rich. Rather than chasing money for yourself, you’re chasing money to further your mission — in the case of Pineapple Support, it’s mental health services for the adult industry.
Funding an NPO
Raising funds at the beginning of your non-profit journey can be extremely frustrating, because the only person who likely believes in you … is you. You might have an idea and a plan, but nothing to show your potential sponsors that what you intend to create is actually going to succeed. Of course, that hesitation is perfectly reasonable from the perspective of your donors — you’re asking for them to give away their money. It is a chicken and egg scenario, and can be extremely disheartening.
Before officially launching a non-profit, you need to raise enough money —through savings, crowdfunding or other options — to keep the organization going for a minimum of six months. This period gives you a chance to prove what you can do and present potential sponsors with actual working figures.
It was eight months before Pineapple Support received its first substantial donation. I daren’t mention during this time how much of my own funds went into financing the organization for website building, legal set-up and hours of therapy for performers. My electricity was cut off more than once and in those early days, and when donors didn’t want to part with cash, I made sure to see if they were willing to part with services, like hosting, design and labor.
When it comes to marketing and promoting your non-profit, keep a delicate balance. Good marketing is important and consumers can be fickle. Social media is a fantastic way to spread the word about your non-profit, but in order to gain the necessary trust from potential sponsors and clients, you’ll need in-person connection.
With a for-profit organization, we have been educated through market research to promote a business using high-end materials that reflect the quality of the service that business is offering. With a non-profit, this is not so simple. Using high-end, expensive promotional items eats into funds that could be better spent on providing the services you offer. But cheap items that may break quickly or not be used because they are not desirable are an equal misappropriation of donations.
Be frugal, but not cheap. Remember whatever item a person is given — be it a business card, leaflet or swag item — this will be a reflection of the quality of your non-profit.
Get Help
Even the strongest, most accomplished people in this world cannot run an empire alone and the same goes for a non-profit organization. All NPOs require a minimum of three directors; a president, a secretary and a treasurer. As your organization becomes more successful and grows, the decisions made by the board will have an impact on more people.
When the organization finds itself in a stable position, look to expand your board. Finding people who understand and support your mission will help you further it — look for those who have the best interests of the people your organization has been built to support, in mind. I am beyond grateful, humbled and honored to have some of the finest members of the adult industry’s community on the board for Pineapple Support and I would like to thank each one of them for their support, their care and for donating their extremely precious time. Brad Mitchell, Alison Boden, Tim Valenti, Corey Silverstein, Emma Rainville, Lane Farin and Dr. Jena Field … without your support, we could not be where we are today. Thank you.
Be Positive
Remember to remain positive – you cannot please everyone all of the time. There will always be those who will not think your service adequate. There will be times when you feel lost, like you are drowning, unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Try not to get too disheartened. Keep on doing your best to provide the service you feel passionate about and know that you are not alone in these feelings. We are all simply individuals carving out a way to create a better future.
The most important things to keep in mind are the people whom you are helping, the lives you are improving and the difference, however small, that you are making in this world.
Leya Tanit is the founder of non-profit organization Pineapple Support, a mental health network of therapists and listeners that serves the talent community in the adult industry.
