The Founder and Starting

15 January 2020In The Founder1 Minutes

There is only one person in this world that can stop you from starting a nonprofit organization, and that person is you. You don’t need a degree in International Development, you don’t need experience at a global organization, you don’t even need to speak the language of those that you intend on helping. The most important thing you need to understand is that anyone can start an NPO.

Anyone; including you.

Social entrepreneurs come in an infinite array of backgrounds, nationalities, ages and talents. There are two things that binds us all together:

  1. We had an idea that we believed could make the world a better place.
  2. We decided to it.

Deciding to act on your idea is the first of many steps on your journey. You may not have the money, you many not even have access to the community that you want to support, but committing yourself is the first step.

Once you’ve made the decision to start an organization, then don’t be afraid to tell people. Tell your family, community and friends. They will support you.

The sooner you decide to start your organization . . . the sooner you can get started.

Tom Stader

Tom Stader has worked within the International NPO/NGO sector since 2005. He has experience working in Mainland China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the USA. In 2007, Tom founded The Library Project, which donates to rural elementary school and orphanage libraries in Asia, and most recently, Nonprofit Insights. Tom understands the real-world challenges that Founders and NPO/NGO professionals face. He understands that our work is not easy, there are never straight lines in development work, and support is hard to find.

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