FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) | North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

General FAQs

1) How do I start a nonprofit?

Please visit our "Starting a Nonprofit" webpage for a list of resources with detailed steps and contact information.

2) I'm not a 501(c)(3) organization. Can I still become a Member of the Center?

Membership is only offered to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. However, other 501(c) organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies can become Associates. Private sector organizations or individuals can become Business Sustainers or Individual Sustainers, respectively.

3) Where can I find grant money?

The Center does not make grants or dispense funds. Please see the Center's Member Directory to search for local foundations in your region of the state. Additional resources can be found at GrantStation. GrantStation offers a free weekly newsletter filled with the latest national and regional funding opportunities for nonprofits including upcoming federal deadlines that will assist the serious grantseeker. GrantStation also gives grantseekers the ability to find new grant opportunities, build a strong grants strategy, and write powerful proposals by making use of their databases, planning tools, and step-by-step tutorials.

4) Do you offer pro bono assistance, legal advice, marketing help, etc?

Member nonprofits can request pro bono assistance on legal, accounting, marketing, human resources, executive transition, and professional coaching issues through our Pro Bono Programs. The Center's staff do not provide consultations; however, our volunteer consultants help our Members in their expertise areas. Members can also search Information Central by topic or keyword for resources, articles, samples, and checklists, or request specific resources through Member Assistance. Non-Members can browse for paid services offered to nonprofits in our vendor directory.

5) I called Member Assistance and got a voicemail. Can I speak to a real person?

Member Assistance is a popular service and is set up as a voicemail system so that inquiries can be fairly responded to in the order they are received, typically within 24 to 48 hours. To receive a full and complete answer to your inquiry, please give adequate detail of your issue in the voicemail.

6) Are there any training opportunities offered by the Center?

Please check our event Calendar for trainings specifically for nonprofits offered by many organizations and individuals. Please note, the Center does not host all of the events posted, so please contact the host with further questions. The Center's annual statewide conference is a two-day training and networking opportunity.

7) I registered for a webinar but had to miss it. Can I get a recording?

We record many of our webinars and post them in our Archived Recordings. If you cannot find a recording, please contact info@ncnonprofits.org. Previous webinars can also be purchased by those who did not register for the live event.

8) Do you have volunteer opportunities? How do I find volunteer opportunities?

To find opportunities in your community, search our Member Directory by city or region and contact local nonprofits directly. Other helpful resources include VolunteerMatch.org, Idealist.org, HandsOn Network, and ActivateGood.org.

9) As a business, how can I support the Center's work or reach your Members?

Businesses can support our work by becoming Sustainers. There are varying Sustainer levels with corresponding increases in benefits. Businesses may also promote their services to our Members through sponsorship and marketing opportunities.

10) How do media representatives contact the Center?

Our News & Communications page lists our media contacts to whom you can send your contact information and the topic and deadline for your inquiry.

11) Where can I obtain a list of all nonprofits in my State/City/County?

The Internal Revenue Service compiles the Tax Exempt Organization Search feature to help users find information about a tax-exempt organization’s federal tax status and filings. This resource can provide lists of the following: 1) organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, 2) automatically revoked organizations, 3) IRS determination letters dated on or after January 1, 2014, 4) Form 990-series returns and 5) organizations that have filed a Form 990-N (e-Postcard). Also, the IRS Exempt Organization Business Master File Extract (EO BMF) includes cumulative information on exempt organizations. The data are extracted monthly and are available by state and region. The files are in comma separated value (CSV) format and can be opened by most computer applications including Excel. In addition, you can gather information on nonprofit organizations from the North Carolina Secretary of State and GuideStar. For a listing of our current Members, please visit our Member Directory.

Website FAQs

1) How do I login to this website?

If you have a user login on the Center's website but have forgotten your password, go to Request a New Passwordand enter your username/email address.

If the site recognizes your information, you'll receive email instructions with a link to reset your password.

If the site does not recognize your information or you haven't yet created an account, go to Create a New Account and complete the form. You'll then be able to log into the website immediately.

If you belong to a current Member nonprofit and selected your organization from the dropdown menu while creating your account, then your organization's profile editor will receive an email to approve your affiliation. Once they have approved your request, you'll have access to Members-only sections of the website.

2) What are Profile Editors?

Profile editors are designated staff of Member organizations who have permission to approve the organization's staff contacts, promote staff contacts to profile editors, and remove staff contacts. Initially, each organization has one profile editor, typically the Executive Director/CEO.

Profile editors receive emails when new staff contacts request to be affiliated with their organization. You may promote another staff contact (or multiple) to be profile editors. You may also demote profile editors to affiliated member contacts who will still have full access to the website.

3) How do I update my organization's profile?

Profile Editors can review and update the organization's profile from My Account (located at the top right of every page).

Select your organization name
Select the "Edit" tab
Update the form fields
Click the Save button

To add staff contacts to your organization's profile:

If the contact does not have a user account, have the staff member create a user account.

Go to User Login
Select "I want to create an account"

If the contact has or may have a user account, they can check to see if their password is still valid by going to Request a New Password and entering their username/email address. If the site recognizes the information, they'll receive email instructions with a link to reset their password. If the site does not recognize their information or they haven't yet created an account, they can go to Create a New Account and complete the form. They'll be able to log into the website immediately and the organization's profile editor will receive an email to approve their affiliation.

To remove staff contacts from the organization's profile:

Go to My Account
Select "Coordinate Contacts"
Remove contacts as needed
Save

4) How do I renew my membership?

First, identify the user account of the person at your organization who renewed your membership or created your account through the Become a Member form in the previous year. This user account can renew the organization’s membership by logging in and clicking My Account at the top of any webpage on this site.

On your "My Account" user profile, click your organization name
On the next page (the organization profile), click the "Renew" tab
Select the correct renewal option from the dropdown menu and add it to your shopping cart
Proceed to payment

If you do not know the user account last used to renew your nonprofit's membership or need it to be changed (i.e. cannot see the "Renew" tab), please contact the Center (919-790-1555) and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Website User Guides

How to update your user account (applicable to all website users)

How to reset your password (applicable to all website users)

How to update your organization's profile in the Member Directory (applicable only to the Center's nonprofit Members)

How Profile Editors can manage users associated with their organization (applicable only to the Center's nonprofit Members)

How to find an Order, i.e. a record/receipt of something purchased through the Center's website (applicable to all website users)

How to change your uploaded resume (applicable to users who have created a resume post)