non- profit organization

First things first. You need to form an non-profit corp. You can do it online. There will be applicable fees according to what state you reside in. You'll need to figure out a name for your corp. The specific laws & fees differ from state to state. If you're planning to do this in Illinois check out this site: www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/forming-nonprofit-corporation. This way you can get a tax exempt number. Then, go to a good bank in your area, and open a nonprofit business account. At that point, I would start a website and get some business cards made. You are going to need them. There are a lot of gov't grants for this kind of thing, but if you don't know how to write a grant proposal get help! At the very least, go to the library and get a copy of 'Grant Writing for Dummies'. No, I'm not kidding. I read it and it gives you a good overview of grant writing. Beware of online companies willing to write proposals. I've heard some real horror stories. Have a solid business plan. Figure out your budget. It will be based on the size of housing you feel you need to have. Most good business planning programs give you a profit & loss template. Use that to create your budget. Unfortunately, there will be a limit to how many you can house given the square footage you can afford. You may luck out and someone may donate property as a charitable donation. It's not uncommon. Grants probably won't make your budget. You will spend most of your time seeking funding from private industry, corporations, and donations. Allow for canned food drives and assistance from local churches in your area. This is a monumental task! It is also a worthy one. If there is anyway I can help feel free to contact me. I may be able to point you in the right direction.

There are many government grants out there that will give you free money to start your organization. You can also run fund raisers that benefit the women's and children's shelter.