Why I started building nonprofit tools

The work that started Mitos

I spent 60–80 hours completing the 50-state charitable registration process for my own nonprofit. Working through that process made me want to automate the repetitive research and paperwork, so nonprofit staff could spend more time on the work their organizations exist to do.

Mitos grew out of that experience. My current focus is California charitable-solicitation compliance: a free solicitation scanner, tools for case-specific research, and hands-on help with registration and submission questions.

The thread behind the name

Mitos takes its name from the Greek word for “thread,” inspired by Ariadne’s thread through the labyrinth. It reflects what I want these tools to provide: a way to follow a complicated process without losing track of the sources or the next question.

Compliance, automation, and public records

The scanner looks for signals on a public page. The internal rules engine helps organize determination research using structured facts and source references. The California guide, still in progress, will bring the written context together.

The upcoming California Charity Observatory, built on Calico, extends that work to the public registry: studying changes in published records over time and sharing aggregate research.

I also build retrocat, an open-source cataloging tool used for a seminary library.