Non-Profit Charity Organizations (NPO's) all have to start somewhere.

The first and most obvious starting point is the Idea.  Each NPO comes into being with a fundamental idea of how they want to make a difference in the world. 
This idea must be boiled down to the organization's Mission Statement.

Next, funding must be secured and, if the organization qualifies, a Tax Exempt Status under the IRS's 501(c)(3) code can be secured.

The following articles explain the various steps in an NPO's Start Up phase.