Anyone interested in starting a public-benefit 501-c-3 charitable organization should familiarize themselves with a few core components.
Legal Requirements
First, there are legal requirements: filing Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State; establishing a board of directors (typically a minimum of a President, Treasurer and Secretary serving as officers is required); and applying for tax-exempt status with the IRS (most major donors, foundations, etc. will not contribute financially otherwise).
None of the regulatory requirements are difficult, although they can be time-consuming to complete. It may make sense to hire a nonprofit consultant, accountant or attorney familiar with the nonprofit sector to assist.