Ask HN: How do I acquire funding for a startup non-profit?

Well, as a non-profit start-up it seems like simply asking for money would be easier than for an average start-up. Presumably people are willing to donate, if it's a good cause, and you can base your appeal on the good you'll do, rather than the likelihood that they'll get return on investment.

No personal experience with an early-stage non-profit, but it seems like the best way to acquire funding would be to look for government grants or grants from larger non-profits. The government funds a lot of ideas which they don't have the manpower or expertise to implement themselves. Once you have some early work done it should be a lot easier to get donations from the community at large.

Become a for-profit : ).

Have you looked at Pepsi's Refresh Project: http://www.refresheverything.com/

Also, be sure to learn about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)

Approaching corporate foundations might be a good start. If you have a compelling idea, they have deep pockets, and your success would reflect positively on the overall organization (e.g. MicroPlace at eBay)

I was CTO of an early-stage non-profit for a year and can provide some insight into how they went about raising money, feel free to email me.

Can you be more specific about what the idea is ?

I assume you're not worried about someone stealing the idea and it'll help us point you to appropriate sources of funding.

Hone your grant writing skills.

Cheers