Frequently Asked Questions

A “for profit” business is generally created to sell a good or service with the goal of making a “profit” for the owners or shareholders of the business. A nonprofit by definition is an organization that is created to advance a particular cause – but not for the purpose of making a profit.

a. You can apply for grants and get free money to help you run your programs


b. You can accept donations


c. Donations you receive are tax-deductible


d. You can buy things for your nonprofit tax-free


e. You get to feel good knowing you are making a difference and helping others


f. You can get paid a salary and pay others


g. Your personal liability is limited

Yes. We have a package that includes reviewing the paperwork you’ve already filed, making any necessary changes and then completing the application to the IRS.

It depends on what you need. At minimum – you will need to pay for filing fees (the fees that go to the government to process your paperwork) in addition to legal fees (the fee paid to the lawyer for spending time doing the work for you). Filing fees alone on the state level are on average around $100 and filing fees on the federal level (again depending on which form(s) you’re filing) are on average $600. That means you will need at least $700 just to cover the filing fees alone. You should then budget above that fee to cover the legal fees for the attorney doing the work for you.

With client cooperation, meaning when our clients respond to our e-mails promptly and provide us with the information we need on time, we can have all of the documents ready to file with the government in 4-6 weeks.

1. Do It Yourself. You could. But your time is better served not reading the I.R.S. code or searching endless articles of Google for information that may or may not be correct. You could find yourself making costly mistakes that could’ve been avoided – or wasting time having to start all over like many of our clients that initially took this route.


2. Online Companies. Yes, they’re cheap but they create one size fits all documents. They can’t give you any legal advice since they’re not attorneys. They often require you to mail everything in yourself. You may speak to a customer service representative from overseas instead of working with an attorney and staff that know you by name. Their packages also don’t include everything you need including state tax exemption filings, fundraising registration, federal trademark, etc. Also they don’t promote their success rate for their filings because many are more concerned with how many clients they can sign up instead of how many they can actually get approved.


3. Big Law Firm. They may be too busy to give your startup nonprofit the attention it needs. You may have to go through several paralegals to reach your attorney. You’re typically billed for every call and email whenever you have a question.


4. CPA or Accountant. They are not lawyers so they cannot legally advise you or answer any of your questions. Their packages also do not include everything that you need.


5. Small Law Firm. They do everything – so they’re not an expert at anything. They may not have any systems or support staff so things may take longer to get done.


6. Our Firm (Chisholm Law Firm).

Our firm was started by an attorney that has her own nonprofit – so we know how you’re feeling and what you need to be successful with your own nonprofit.
We specialize in nonprofits so we know everything there is to know about this process.

Our “done for you” ultimate package includes everything you need to create a custom nonprofit that is structured to (1) protect you from getting kicked off your own board, (2) own your name; (3) gives you guidance for every decision you need to make including getting funding & paying yourself (if you desire).

We have a 100% success rate since 2010* so we know what we’re doing. We have staff and systems so that we can execute efficiently and get your filings done in a timely manner.

Our packages include unlimited representation regarding your filings so you can call or email us anytime and don’t have to worry about being charged.
We’re friendly and you won’t see anything bad about us because we deliver the results we promise to our clients every time! (Disclaimer: Past results do not determine future outcomes)

Yes. Any leftover profit would be reinvested back into the nonprofit instead of belonging to the founder. In a for-profit business, the founder/owners would keep any profit earned by the business themselves.

Yes. You can earn a full-time salary, benefits, etc. working for your nonprofit.

You just need to know what you want your nonprofit to do. We’ll take care of the rest. When you’re ready to start, just give us a call at 407-674-2657 or send us an e-mail at info@chisholmfirm.com. We will send you a (1) new client form and (2) secure payment link to get started. Once those two items are received, we will schedule your appointment with our nonprofit attorney and start the process.

If we extend to you the opportunity to work with us, one of the first steps after hiring us is your meeting with your nonprofit attorney. During this meeting, your attorney will advise you and give you detailed instructions regarding what you legally can and cannot do while we wait to hear back from the IRS regarding your application.

All major credit cards, debit cards, Paypal, wire transfers, cash, money orders and bank checks. Checks are subject to a 5-day hold and we will not be able to start the process until it clears from our bank. If you want to pay using a method not listed, let us know.