http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative- Flowers of One Garden of Hope Clinic: No autistic or disabled child should be denied help with these proven, effective but often costly therapies. I would like to set up a free and low-cost, nonprofit clinic with ongoing support from service-minded individuals who would also like to contribute their time and/or expertise to help these children with gentle complementary and alternative therapies and parent wellness education. I would like to expand my current website into a clearinghouse site for studies, research, news and resources for autistic children and children with developmental disabilities. We are only scratching the surface of what complementary and integrative therapies may have to offer us so I applaud your exploration of their applications related to autism one of our least understood conditions. Although the state-specific information will not be applicable, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits has some good general information on the steps involved in starting a nonprofit. Also, The National Council on Nonprofit Associations has a good resource page at http://www.ncna.org/ and you can also find information on your state non profit association on their site as well. The state nonprofit associations often offer very helpful classes on starting and running nonprofits. There may be some other organizations or individuals who might be interested in working with you to help you realize your dream. Local complementary therapy professional schools may be good partners for you as might alternative therapy professional associations. You could also consider partnering with traditional practitioners who are interested in complementary therapies and university researchers who are interested in conducting research into complementary therapies, autism or disabilities. Partnering with these researchers or associations may give you access to apply for research grant funds from government and foundation sources in addition to the grant opportunities that will be available to you as a nonprofit. I am not sure how they might help specifically but The National Institute of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine may be a good place to contact or to look for information as well. There website is at http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/ There are also many foundations focused on autism such as the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism and the Autism Society of America that you could contact to gauge their interest in working with you. I hope this helps you with some ideas for getting started. Good luck! Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:42:33 -0600 advice http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative-#advice1029 http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative-#advice1029 Flowers of One Garden of Hope Clinic: No autistic or disabled child should be denied help with these proven, effective but often costly therapies. I would like to set up a free and low-cost, nonprofit clinic with ongoing support from service-minded individuals who would also like to contribute their time and/or expertise to help these children with gentle complementary and alternative therapies and parent wellness education. I would like to expand my current website into a clearinghouse site for studies, research, news and resources for autistic children and children with developmental disabilities. Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:32:18 -0600 comment http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative-#comment5410 http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative-#comment5410 Flowers of One Garden of Hope Clinic: No autistic or disabled child should be denied help with these proven, effective but often costly therapies. I would like to set up a free and low-cost, nonprofit clinic with ongoing support from service-minded individuals who would also like to contribute their time and/or expertise to help these children with gentle complementary and alternative therapies and parent wellness education. I would like to expand my current website into a clearinghouse site for studies, research, news and resources for autistic children and children with developmental disabilities. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:42:47 -0600 comment http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative-#comment5351 http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative-#comment5351 Business advice on all aspects of operating a sustainable, nonprofit community service project. Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:54:09 -0600 challenge http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative-#challenge1007 http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/rss/1719--Free-and-low-cost-alternative-#challenge1007