How do i start an organization? please help !?

Question

i'm almost 15, and i want to start an organization (non-profit) for teen mental distorders, like anxiety and depression.

anyone have any ideas/sites?

thanks so much [:

Answer 1

Here are some helpful links that I found on starting a non-profit like the one you mention. Btw, I think that's an awesome idea, and I commend you for wanting to start something like this.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 2

To begin with you need to start a dialog with your peers and discover exactly what you hope to accomplish by starting this non-profit organization, in other words what is you goal?  What need do you hope to  address and how are you going to accomplish it? That becomes your mission; your next step is to develop your mission statement.  It should be no more that than three or four sentences long and it must describe what you are going to do and how.  This is your first step after you have this down, we can go on to the next step,

Answer 3

I am diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, with depression & anxiety, and have a teen daughter also diagnosed.   I also happen to be the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization that helps other nonprofits with information, education and other resources, including connecting them with information about how to start a nonprofit charity.  

My personal and professional recommendation is that you connect with Mental Health America (formerly the National Mental Health Association) (www.nmha.org), the Anxiety Disorder Association of America (www.adaa.org), and/or the Depression Bi-Polar Support Alliance (www.DBSAlliance.org), and other established organizations that work in the area of anxiety & depression.

You can connect with their local chapters throughout the country. They have state associations/local chapters.  If you don't have chapters in your area, contact them to see what you can do to start one.  You can start your own chapter of DBSA and their website tells you how to do it.  

If you do have local chapters,  set up an appointment to meet with them to discuss the need you see that is not being met.  Tell them you want to help and why.  Volunteer for them.  You will learn more and help while you are doing it.

I have found that  (1.)  local groups serving mental health are not publicized as much as they could be and (2.) they definitely need to have more programs for teens.  

I can tell you how to start a nonprofit organization; however, if you try to go it on your own, it will be challenging. You need to be able to get your message out to teens that your program exists, have people with medical expertise, have funding to run programs, etc.  Working within a larger organization you will have more leverage, people and resources to help get that done and help teens.  

When I saw your question I thought of my daughter, who is now 19.  She has had a hard time and has needed a group of people her own age to turn to throughout her teen life, not just parents or adults. It has been challenging because of the "stigma", especially with teens, of being diagonosed with a mental health disease.  

We worked with the local hospitals that have mental health, or behavioral health (many of them call it) departments.  The local MHA/NMHA and DBSA programs have also been very good to work with.  We have tried AA since teen drinking only worsens the depression, but didnt have a lot of luck because there are not a lot of teen groups.

A couple of things I am passionate about saying:  

--About 7 in 10 people suffer from depression, 3 in 10 have bi-polar disease, 1 in 2 teens struggle with drinking and binge drinking which is a major depressant, the National Institute on Mental Health estimates that 1 in 4 adults have a diagnosed mental health disease, and many millions more suffer without a diagnosis.   Depression is the leading cause of disability in the US for people age 15-44!

--Mental health diseases are the same as physical health diseases...depression and anxiety are medical DISEASES, not "disorders".  They are treated with medicine and treatment plans by doctors that just happen to specialize in the chemisty of psychiatry--- just like heart diseases are treated with medicine and treatment plans by doctors that specialize in heart disease or, just like eye diseases are treated with medicine and treatment plans by doctors that specialize in eye diseases.  

With medicine and the right plan, people like me with mental health diseases go to college, get high paying jobs, raise families and lead fulfilling lives.

You can make a difference for teens with mental health diseases.  Go for it!  

Hope this helps, Teresa

------Please ask more questions if there is anything else I can do to help.   I'm not exactly sure how you do this on YahooAnswers, but I think you can put "I have a another question on depression and anxiety in teens" if you post more questions.

------In any internet search, watch out for organizations that just come up that say they are charities or nonprofits helping with mental health  Some of them are legitimate, but some are for-profit.  I just did a search and one comes up SEVERAL times that has not been around for very long and I question.  The ones I listed above are legitimate.

Answer 4

Your local chamber of commerce can help. The only problem is your age. You can not start an organization as a youth but you can work with one as a volunteer.

Spend the next 3 years building up your portfolio of volunteer work. That is important when you go to set one up. Be involved in your community and help others. And keep track of everything your do.

Answer 5

i would start by setting up a website ,  putting fliers around your school and the area in which you live. Be yourself, let people know your story and experiences. yours is an excellent idea and i wish you all the luck and encouragement in the world.