Set up and register a new nonprofit organisation
You are launching a new organisation but don't know which legal structure to choose, what is required, or how to avoid the most common early mistakes.
What you'll achieve
A properly established, legally compliant organisation with the foundational governance, policies, and systems in place to operate effectively from day one.
How a Nonprofit Builder consultant helps
- Advise on legal structure options, support the registration process, develop founding governance documents, and help you put the core operational foundations in place.
Key deliverables
- Legal structure options appraisal, registration support, founding governance documents, initial policies and procedures, board setup guidance, operational launch checklist.
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Culture audit & values alignment
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Decision-making & accountability framework
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Often paired with
Governance for a new organisation
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Coaching for founders & first-time leaders
“You stepped into leadership without formal management training — you are figuring it out alone, and the pressure is starting to show.”See project
From the resource library
Free tools and guides to get started
- 1.1C001
The Barefoot Guide to Working with Organisations and Social Change
A do-it-yourself guide for leaders and facilitators who help organisations develop in healthier and more human ways. Written by a collective of development practitioners, it covers how to read an organisation, how to facilitate change, leadership, relationships, power and building a learning organisation. A library of downloadable exercises, readings, case studies and diagrams sits on the Barefoot website. Facilitators use it to plan OD processes and run sessions with teams.
Start hereClassicKey manual or guideFree - 1.2C008
Bridgespan Organizational Effectiveness Framework survey
An online team survey on Org360 that runs a Bridgespan-based organisational assessment for nonprofits. It has 85 questions and takes about 34 minutes. Areas include strategic clarity, governance, financial sustainability, and diversity, equity and inclusion, with rating questions and open reflection questions. Leaders, board members and staff respond, and Org360 produces an automatic report with strengths, gaps and a development plan. It is free to use after sign-up.
Start hereEmergingTool or templateFree with sign-upNonprofit Builder tool
All 16 resources on organisational assessment and development All 13 resources on grantmaking and capacity-building funding All 12 resources on networks and partnerships