Forming a nonprofit is easy and almost always the wrong first question. This article explains what running one actually requires, beginning with the distinction people conflate constantly: incorporating a nonprofit, obtaining federal tax exemption, and being able to accept deductible donations are three separate things with three separate processes. It covers the difference between a public charity and a private foundation and why that classification determines nearly every obligation that follows. It explains what a board actually owes, why the conflict of interest policy is the single most important governance document, and how the excess benefit rules impose personal liability on individuals rather than on the organization. It covers the annual filings whose neglect automatically revokes exemption, state charitable solicitation registration that almost nobody completes correctly, unrelated business income, and the strict prohibition on political campaign activity. It closes with what a founder should actually do first.