Brad, I don't know if you return to your articles...but...
A really good way to learn, and get help from experts and people who have done this before, is check your local college and see if they have a Master's of Public Administration Program.
If you go in and talk to the head of the department you will be able to get two or more students who can research, plan, and then write it all up for you. This is called "cap stoning" here and is done in place of a Thesis.
The benefits are tremendous. You will get essentially all the expertise of the instructors who are not for profit experts and must stay active in the field (unlike some instructors who teach instead of staying in the field), as well as all their networking contacts, the work and help of at least two other adults (some who have started several not for profits, some who are already in the field (working with Philanthropists and not for profits) who are getting the MPA to finish out a resume.
WSU here, has a business/program called CUPA (The Center for Urban and Public Affairs)...students and instructors literally run it out of the college. They have their fingers in hundreds of projects, like. the Anthem Foundation of Ohio, Antioch Foundation, Progressive Wolf Creek CDC, Ohio Children's Trust Fund, etc
There are literally hundreds of not for profits organizations (private and public) who use Grad students and the instructors/networking web to learn, prepare reports and do all the leg work prior to starting a not for profit.
It's a great resource, and at your disposal.
