Thread: Has anyone gone non-profit with their haunt?

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I hope this is the correct place to post this...if not let me know. My haunt is becoming too large to continue at my home (I do inside too!) and I am thinking about filing for non-profit status and moving it out of my house. My plan is to have kids, ages 12 - 18 help me design, build and run the haunted house. This year I had a couple of kids help me out and it was so much fun! I will need volunteers so we can do one-on-one with the kids. I am thinking special needs kids such as the one i had this year who has ADHD and needs the focus of one adult with him. Anyway what I am asking is has anyone out there filed for non-profit status? What is involved? Also if anyone wants to become part of my haunt or help out in any way please feel free to let me know! Thanks for listening.

i can't offer any help with the non-profit side, but i would think someone on the board would have some ideas of where to start. i do think you have a great idea. as far as volunteers,you should try the local high schools,(the art department, drama clubs ) and even colleges, they have art departments as well,and those going into medicine are looking for ways to help out in the community... good luck

I'm a 13 year old and last year I started the first anual Haunt4MS. All of the money went to MS. It took a lot of planning and my friends helped me out a lot, in the end, we raised $1500 and had 250 people show up. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
the halloweenie

Hallow Salem Witch.

I am a Senior Consultant with a non-profit management co. Your local public library will have a Not-for-Profit section and you can get just about everything you need to know from those resources - as well as via the Fed. Govt. site. It can be daunting process -- and you will want to cultivate a good board of directors. Hey -- all good things start small and grow, right?!

Initially, you may want to "test the water" and consider a partnership with one of the established organizations whose cause you wish to support. They may be willing to join forces and create an event that utilizes the volunteers that they already have in their data base. Voila - instant help! Being in touch with school groups seems at first to be a great idea - but the coordination of so many youth - the liability insurance - the group meetings and planning are all important aspects to consider.

Start with a good, working business plan and plot a calendar of activities. Get as much info as you can -- and go from there. You'll want to consider the financial as well as time aspects. Unless you have unlimited resources, you will want to protect yourself from burn out - figuratively and financially!

It's a great dream and I wish you every success! Keep us posted!

Lots of Volunteer Fire Departments do non-profit haunts, I was and still am thinking of joining forces with them to do a haunt. It is an okay haunt and raises good money, but they have horrible scene setting. I know I could make this seem like a pro-haunt instead of something with plastic tarp walls.

Hook up with them, it also helps with the fire marshal issues with doing a haunt

Halloween and non-profit...boy don't those words go together...

Based on the age group you're looking for, try the local Boy Scouts. This could be a great service project for them...whether it's raising funds, or as a canned food drive. Plus, Boy Scouts have resources that might come in handy...tarps, axes, chainsaws...

Like mentiond above try the school's, scouts/brownies and just post an add on CL for your area that your looking for local haunters or halloween people that would like to help out.

Sorry I can't say much about the non-profit. It's hard to find a place that will let you use there space with out paying for it. It sucks I know.

Last- I am no where near you (colorado here) but I'm always up for helping out espically when it's for such a great cause as MS. I will be more than happy to advertize on our home haunting site for you or anything else you could think of.

Good luck and keep us updated.