Why Most People Fail at Starting a Nonprofit (And What Actually Works) | Veronica Cruz

Veronica Cruz runs two nonprofits almost entirely on volunteer power, and she's seen people start with fire in their hearts and a cause they believe in... but very quickly reality hits. ✕ The paperwork takes months.  ✕ The IRS moves at a snail's pace.  ✕ Volunteers don't show up. ✕ Board members burn out. ✕ Grant applications get rejected. In our episode, Veronica walks through what actually goes into building a nonprofit that lasts: → Why diversifying your board's skills matters more than friendship → How to structure funding so you're not scrambling every December → The compliance steps most founders miss Starting a nonprofit requires a great vision and mission, but it also means building systems that outlive your own involvement. Thank you Veronica Cruz for taking the time to talk! *Connect with Veronica* https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronica-cruz-445a4a4/ Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 2:14 - Meet Veronica Cruz 3:27 - What GG's Playhouse Actually Does 4:45 - Why We're Talking About Nonprofits Today 5:49 - The Reality of Starting a Nonprofit from Scratch 8:13 - Closing Down Nonprofits: When Vision Runs Out 9:36 - Board Governance and Why Skills Trump Friendships 11:25 - The All-Volunteer Model: Challenges and Structure 13:04 - Avoiding Board Member Burnout 14:20 - Running a Nonprofit Like a Business 16:05 - How Long Does It Actually Take to Get Started? 18:55 - Funding Opportunities for New Nonprofits 21:24 - Standing Out in a Crowded Donor Landscape 23:04 - The Grant Competition Nobody Talks About 26:36 - Monthly Donors vs One-Time Appeals 28:54 - Why Raffle Licensing Is More Complex Than You Think 32:16 - Partnering With Other Nonprofits for Licensing 35:43 - Tax Implications of Raffle Prizes 36:50 - Advice for Anyone Starting a Nonprofit 38:22 - Legacy Donations and Creative Funding Models 42:00 - Making Donations Convenient: Tech and Payment Options 43:44 - Best Practices for Board Meetings and Policy Review 49:04 - Final Thoughts: Building Nonprofits That Last ~~~ This episode is brought to you by Fausone & Grysko, PLC https://www.thefgfirm.law/