Starting a nonprofit is a noble and brave idea. However, people often begin the process without fully understanding what they are getting themselves into. Good intentions aren’t enough to keep a nonprofit afloat so before starting one, here are five essential questions to consider:

1. What problem are you seeking to solve?

Identifying a concrete problem that you are attempting to solve will help you establish your mission, ensure your solution is strategic and targeted, and guide your selection of critical team members and co-founders.

2. Who are you seeking to solve this problem for?

Just as a business needs to understand who their target customer is, a nonprofit needs to be clear on who they are seeking to serve. While it is noble to try to help everyone, starting off with a target population will increase your chance of success.

3. Are there similar nonprofits already trying to solve your identified problem?

It’s important to get a clear understanding of the landscape you’re planning on entering. Perhaps a similar organization has a model you want to replicate or steer clear from.

4. Do you have the time, capacity, skills, and financial stability to start a nonprofit?

Think carefully about the skills necessary to get the work you are interested in doing done. Most likely you have some, but not all of the skills you’ll need.

5. Do you know people with the skills, capacity, interest, and passion to be on your founding team?

Adding team members will help you as the founder to round out your skill sets, and will help you to be as efficient and effective as possible. Finding the right team members is essential to non-profit success.

Read the full article about 5 questions to ask before starting a nonprofit by Jasmine Allen at Blackstone Charitable Foundation.