For setting up a non-profit, you may wish to begin by consulting Chapter 43, Section 4 of the Tool Box, which discusses nonprofit and tax exempt [501 (c) (3)] status in some detail. While nonprofit laws may vary somewhat from state to state, tax exempt status is governed by federal statute; those standards would apply regardless of your geographic location in the U.S., and would apply to a wide variety of organizational purposes, including but not limited to disability issues. If, however, your concerns also include starting the agency, over and above securing nonprofit or tax exempt status, there are of course many aspects to consider, such as planning, publicizing, training, and funding, just for example. Many different chapters and sections in the Tool Box can be helpful for you here. Consult our Table of Contents for details. We are also passing on your question to a colleague of ours who is familiar with the Tool box and who specializes in disability issues; if he is able, we will ask him to write to you directly if he has further information to add. Thank you for writing to us at the Community Tool Box; and all best wishes for success in your important work.
