Develop a non-profit to bring CAM(complementary & alterna...
Develop a non-profit to bring CAM(complementary & alternative medicine) to underserved rural areas!
Q1: A big challenge will be fundraising. I will need to attend some dynamic fundraising workshop and ally with an organization, like idealist, that can help me to network with other health care non-profits.
I will need business and tax advice.
Does anyone have advice?
Idea Description
Develop a non-profit organization to bring complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to under served rural (and later urban) areas. Also to investigate indigenous healing methods and work with them. CAM is a holistic and successful approach to both preventative and healing needs (see WHO lists and reports, National Institutes of Medicine CAM division, and MedLine for research articles).
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
Set up an office and accomplish the research and filing necessary for non-profit status; assess the state of current rural health care delivery in central Pennsylvania (using where I live as a starting point for what I see becoming a national endeavor); network with regional CAM providers; develop a web site.
Vote for it now.
Yes, this is a wonderful idea. It is hard to get people to understand the benefit of alternative therapies when our whole health care system is set up to support the drug companies, HMO's, MDs, etc, etc. Some great fundraising information can be gotten on these two sites: Lynne Twist's Fundraising from the Heart: http://www.soulofmoney.org/index.php/services/workshops/fundraising-from-heart/ and Terri Axel Rod's Raising More Money: http://www.benevon.com/ and one more: Grassroots fundraising: http://www.grassrootsfundraising.org/ These are the best sites, information that I know of in regards to fundraising. I have done a lot of fundraising over the past 12 years, all as a volunteer, I have written grants, organized events, etc, etc To be successful, you will have to put Fundraising…more at the center of your mission, not at the end. all the best with your idea. Regards, Erin
For the business and tax end I will need to understand how my state, as well as the fed, regulates non-profits. I'll need to figure out how to set it up so that I can be paid for running it and how to deal with the need for other employees as the needs arise (actual employees, contract, etc.). I'm sure this will all sort out. For now I simply collect receipts and keep track of mileage...the simple things. Thank you for your interest.
It would be nice if Insurance would realize the money they would save using alternative methods to the dice slice and medicate philosphy they are using. People need to take control of their own health. At least if Cam providers could use a sliding pay scale to help lower income people be able to have better care through natural sources that would be good. What kind of tax questions do you have?