Non-profit is usually the best way to go in this situation. This will allow you to receive many government grants as well as private donations and even get many tax write-off's. I am not the expert on this so I would consult an attorney in your area who specializes in this as well as a CPA since they will be able to find the best way to form your business.

Hi Leigh-Ellen, Welcome to the Community! We're glad you're here. I'd suggest you to post your question in the Starting a Business Discussion Forum where more community members can weigh in - many who may have once been in your shoes. Also, there are a variety of resources on Business.gov to help navigate your way through potential non profit resources. Check that out here: http://www.business.gov/start/non-profits/. Finally, we also wrote a recent blog article about Starting a Nonprofit so I encouarge you to check that out as well. Good luck and thanks again for joining! JenniferD