First, make sure what you want to do is something that can fit under the non-profit status description and that it is something others will support. Trying to raise money to support shoe shoppers on Rodeo Drive will probably not fit under the description, however, collecting shoes to provide to homeless individuals might.
Then, find some people who have the same passion, vision, and similar mission as you do and get together for some talk time. LOTS of talk time. Get to know all you can about these people, even if you already know who they are. Taking a trip down non-profit road can be a long one and you will want to make sure you can handle the ride without any major road blocks. Be honest and extremely blunt about your ideas and agenda for your non-profit idea. (Everyone has an agenda!!!) Find out what special skills each of you has because you will need people with writing skills, community contacts, non-profit law knowledge, non-profit experience, and many other skill areas to help you create a great organization.
Oh, and be prepared to invest a bit of money. The non-profit status paperwork charge has been upped recently and it's not cheap. Nor is filling out the paperwork something you can do in one day. It requires certain documents and filings to be completed first so do your research and have everything in place.
And that is how it all starts really; a vision, a passion, people to share it with, and the courage to move forward.
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