By Tracy Kaufman, engagement specialist, Foundation Center |

If you’re in the early stages of forming a nonprofit and struggling to find your footing, you may be in search of people or organizations to help you along the way. One option that some new nonprofits pursue is the assistance of a nonprofit incubator, which helps to guide you at the time when you need support most.

What is a nonprofit incubator? A nonprofit incubator is an organization that helps to nurture and facilitate the development of a young nonprofit through the provision of resources, services, and seed funding. The use of an incubator improves the chances that a new organization will be able to remain sustainable over time, and also provides strong opportunities to build relationships with other organizations in the sector.