Once Upon a Nonprofit.

• Author: Beers, Heather
• Position: Focus - Nonprofit Organizations

Weathering start-up issues, handling staffing, increasing revenues and satisfying stakeholders are all challenges Utah's 5,000 nonprofits face in their quest for long-term viability. And though none is selling widgets or making stock-market history, By Heather Beers the lessons learned from these merchants of goodwill provide useful case studies in entrepreneurship and resourceful business management.

Getting Started

Just four years ago, Bad Dog Rediscovers America was little more than an idea for founder and executive director Michael Moonbird. A professional artist, Moonbird had a dream to share the power of imagination and visual arts with at-risk youth. But how to get started?

He first turned to bookstores for how-to guides on opening nonprofits, but when price tags exceeded $200, he opted for a free guide from the Utah Arts Council.

After eight months of wrangling with IRS forms, fees and approvals, he was granted his nonprofit status and started building his teaching studio.

Joined by associate director Victoria Lyons, Moonbird has worked hard to bring BDRA to its current level -- mentoring a consistent group of students each year, conducting outreach educational programs with nonprofit partners and schools, and operating on an annual budget of just over $50,000.

Utah Nonprofits Association, a membership-based organization, is a valuable resource to turn to for expert start-up help. UNA offers ongoing training in a variety of topics, including tax navigation, public relations and management training.

Staffing

Nonprofits must run lean when it comes to staff, and staff often go unpaid for years until fundraising meets operational needs. The Greater Salt Lake Area affiliate of Rebuilding Together along with Christmas in April, which organizes volunteers to revitalize low-income houses and communities, has been operating for seven years with an all-volunteer staff.

Marilee Welsh contributes her time as executive director because she believes in the cause. "We don't have an office or a warehouse, and I work out of my home or at work. But the best part is seeing the faces of the recipients when the work is being done," says Welsh.

Artspace, a Salt Lake City-based affordable housing and arts education organization, is transforming Salt Lakes urban core under the direction of about five paid staff members. However, it took 15 years and building a second facility before they could afford to pay salaries, according to Chairman of the Board John...