Community Partners’ Fiscal Sponsorship programs offer a comprehensive or streamlined alternative to starting up and running a nonprofit organization. Both avenues are efficient platforms for quickly raising tax-deductible charitable donations.
Community Partners has served as a fiscal sponsor for close to 30 years. We provide the structure and a full range of administrative and financial services that allow nonprofit projects large and small to get up and running quickly, keeping leaders focused on mission. Our staff also offers invaluable guidance, training, and connections that help project leaders achieve greater impact.
Two types of fiscal sponsorship offer flexibility to support a wide range of efforts. Limited (or Model C) fiscal sponsorship should be explored for those interested in time-limited events or who primarily require a streamlined way to receive grants and tax-deductible charitable donations without the full range of services offered through comprehensive fiscal sponsorship. Learn more about limited fiscal sponsorship here.
Comprehensive fiscal sponsorship is a powerful tool that enables leaders to cultivate innovative ideas for social good without the administrative burdens and bureaucratic red tape that go along with creating a stand-alone organization. Limited fiscal sponsorship seamlessly enables for-profit entities with charitable branches or a time-limited philanthropic venture to collect tax-deductible dollars without the additional cost of administrative extras (i.e. human resources, technical assistance, insurance and fiscal oversight). Determine if limited fiscal sponsorship is the right fit here.
Our comprehensive and limited fiscal sponsorship programs can work for a wide range of efforts. Whether testing a new solution to a challenging issue, establishing a network or coalition, or finding a new home for an established program or organization, Community Partners can help you do good - better.
Within comprehensive (or Model A) fiscal sponsorship, we offer:
Legal Structure Projects accepted for sponsorship benefit from our status as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. They function like nonprofits and are able to receive foundation grants and other charitable donations, while remaining a part of our organization with all the support and oversight that entails.
Finance and Administration Projects of all sizes and at all levels of development benefit from our economies of scale and our CFO-level finance services at a fraction of the cost. We offer:
- Comprehensive finance and accounting services
- General liability insurance
- Human resources and payroll services
- Tax, audit, lobbying filings and other services to ensure projects are in full compliance with local, state, and federal regulations
Guidance Each project leader works with a team of experienced Community Partners staff liaisons. Regular counsel is offered by team members on organizational development issues ranging from fundraising and resource development to strategic planning. Trainings, peer learning opportunities, “Meet the Funder” sessions and more are offered on an ongoing basis.
Civic Reach With extensive connections across all sectors of the region -- from government and nonprofit, to business and philanthropy -- we make introductions to critical opportunities and people that can better position and advance the work of our projects.
Ready to move forward with fiscal sponsorship? See Mutual Expectations for comprehensive (or Model A) and limited (or Model C) fiscally sponsored projects for a more detailed description of costs and services, and learn more about our application process.
Community Partners is one of the country’s most respected fiscal sponsors. We’ve served more than 600 projects since 1992, and are committed to promoting best practices in our field. We are a founding member of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors and encourage anyone considering fiscal sponsorship to review NNFS’ Guidelines for Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship. You might also want to take a look at this blog post on finding a vetting a fiscal sponsor we wrote for GrantSpace.