Determining the Right Fiscal Sponsorship for You

To get a fiscal sponsor, you will need to identify potential fiscal sponsors that align with your mission and work. Below are some things to consider.

Research potential fiscal sponsors
Look for organizations with a similar mission to yours as well as one that offers fiscal sponsorship services. This is a good time to get a sense of your priorities, and which organizations cover as many of them as possible.

Here is a list of the most popular NYC-based fiscal sponsors.

Review the administrative fees and membership dues
Fiscal Sponsors will have a fee taken out of each donation, usually ranging from 5%-15%, depending on the administration services provided by the organization.  Fiscal sponsorship programs that offer more comprehensive services (bookkeeping, payroll, etc) will have higher fees, and oftentimes a monthly/annual membership fee. Programs with lower fees have services proportionate to the fee that they charge.  

Review the length of the agreement, reporting requirements, and the scope of services
Be sure that your prospective fiscal sponsor is clear about the services they offer, requirements for fiscal sponsorship, any associated fees, grace periods for grant applications and reporting requirements. If you would like to receive in-kind donations or run a crowdfunding campaign through your fiscal sponsor, be sure to check to see if this is something they can do.

Submit an application
Most fiscal sponsors require an application or interview process to evaluate if your project is a good fit for their program. The application may require information about your project’s mission, budget, and goals. It’s a good idea to have this information available so there are less barriers to the application process.  

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