The money required by an NPO for ordinary operating expenses will be much reduced if the start-up costs of the organization are low, as well.
Successful start-ups often stretch the “start-up phase” of the organization over a five-year period. In doing so, the organization is allowed a slow and steady progression that is more likely to follow the progression of the NPO’s specific fund-raising ability. This slower, longer process also allows for additional input during the initial stage of development, minimizing risk by ensuring that the NPO unfolds the way intended.
In establishing an organization it is important that a desire to make big change in the world does not translate to simply founding a large organization. Small NPOs have a flexibility that large groups do not. Huge nonprofits often require vast amounts of startup capital for an unproven goal, and their size can be intimidating to some constituencies that might benefit from more individualized attention. Small NPOs have the ability to not only spend time finding out what truly works and what is genuinely required in a constituency, but also the capacity to change and adapt their mission.
