Every year, comprehensive fiscal sponsor practitioners enter into dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of legal agreements on behalf of their projects.  Having the right contractual terms in place can be an effective way to balance the interests of protecting the organization and supporting the mission. During this session, our Chief Legal Steward Josh Sattely will provide a brief overview of our Principles for Equitable Contracting followed by a walk through of some contract review guidelines we’ve developed for our member organizations. This session is great for anyone who participates in your organization’s contracting process.

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It’s been a long struggle to establish wider acceptance that a nonprofit’s overhead costs are not excess to be trimmed but rather covering these costs are essential to the mission, outcomes, and staff wellbeing. For fiscal sponsorship relationships, this may mean the sponsor’s and the project’s full costs of carrying out their work, including overhead, must be fully covered to flourish.

As a starting point, in order to craft the right strategy for recovering your costs, you must know what they are. During this hands-on session, we will explore a few different approaches to help you define the full costs of fiscal sponsorship support.

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There are several forms of fiscal sponsorship with important distinctions.  During this session we’ll share a brief overview of commonly used models of fiscal sponsorship and considerations grant managers at funders should keep in mind when grantmaking activity involves a fiscal sponsorship relationship. This will also be a forum for grants managers to ask any questions they have on fiscal sponsorship and for fiscal sponsor practitioners to share their perspectives on how funders might better accommodate sponsors. Should be a lively conversation! 

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The questions of why and when a Model A project should leave a fiscal sponsorship relationship are complex. While financial factors are often assumed to lead the way, we find there other dynamics that both contribute to and often cloud this critical decision making process. We also observe important questions that should be factored into this decision but aren’t. Drawing on data from the 2023 Fiscal Sponsorship Field Scan, we will propose and discuss a framework for mutual analysis and decision making with projects concerning the question of spin out.

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Over the last few years - from the rooftops of institutional funders to workers embedded in communities - calls for nonprofits to develop more equitable structures have echoed across the nonprofit ecosystem.  Yet, while change is easy to talk about, it's extremely hard to accomplish. Organizations working earnestly to develop more equitable ways of being too often get stymied for a variety of reasons at the expense of mission. And identifying and imagining equitable practices is easier than implementing those ideas, in particular where there are conflicting theories of change. Some aspects of these challenges were given treatment in this 2022 Intercept Article and we continue to observe echoes of these dynamics at play within fiscal sponsors and in the sponsor-project relationship.  Join us for an open conversation where practitioners can share their perspectives on these complex matters.

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So you have a rapidly growing portfolio of fiscally sponsored projects and need capital to grow your team and systems to get to your desired state of sustainability and impact. Join this conversation to explore how peer fiscal sponsors have strategically sourced growth capital to meet the moment. We will also look at how a few of the findings in the field scan illuminate possible capital gaps in our ecosystem. How do they (and you!) identify the right funding sources and articulate the value proposition? Join us to find out!

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Does your organization have a clearly articulated theory of change or impact model? If so, does it incorporate your fiscal sponsorship practice? Join us for a conversation on why it’s important for nonprofits maintaining fiscal sponsorship practices to understand how this program fits into the big picture.

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Social Impact Commons embraces all types of fiscal sponsorship and other models for sharing nonprofit infrastructure.  While this remains true, informed by our work and interactions with fiscal sponsors and projects of all different shapes and sizes, Social Impact Commons believes that applying commoning principles to ‘Model A’ fiscal sponsorship holds the potential to transform how social good is supported in the U.S. and beyond. The result, Management Commons, allows social good initiatives everywhere to benefit from turnkey access to shared nonprofit infrastructure informed by their unique needs. Pursuing this vision in earnest requires a recalibration of how nonprofit work is carried out and indeed, what it means to even be a nonprofit. Join us as we release an updated version of our position paper (current summary of vision here) and explore possible futures together!

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This seemingly simple question is sometimes surprisingly difficult to answer. Afterall, fiscal sponsor practitioners are complex nonprofits.  Most operate multiple programs outside of their fiscal sponsorship practice and simultaneously provide several types of fiscal sponsorship. We invite you to join us to review the insights coming out from our recent field scan on current sustainability practices and discuss how the resource sharing model could further evolve to more equitably and holistically resource diverse communities. More specifically, this conversation will focus on the fiscal sponsors’ liquidity (both of sponsor and its portfolio), fund accounting management practices, and whole cost awareness and cost recovery measures.

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Over the past year, Social Impact Commons, in collaboration with the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors, conducted the first in-depth scan of the field of fiscal sponsors in 15 years.  A lot has changed since then and we’re excited to share what we learned. We’ll use this time to discuss key findings, implications and advocacy opportunities for the field as a whole  as well as for individual fiscal sponsor practitioners. This session will offer a sneak peak of the field scan findings report being released later in November.

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It’s been several months since the Supreme Court deviated from long standing precedent and effectively killed the use of affirmative action in college admission decisions. This decision will have far reaching consequences for society that we are only beginning to understand, notably with regard to DEIA values, policies, and practices. For this session we’ll focus on exploring the implications for fiscal sponsors. What should you be thinking about as you go about your work and evolve your strategies? Are there different legal considerations you need to take into account? How are you adjusting and moving forward in this new reality?   Join us and special guest attorney Marla Conley from Conley Law Group as we delve into these and other important and timely questions!

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Model C fiscal sponsorship is one of the two predominant models of fiscal sponsorship out there on the landscape. In fact, in many areas lacking "Model A" fiscal sponsorship, this intermediary relationship is misunderstood to be the only type of fiscal sponsorship relationship. Over the years, this structure has unlocked billions of dollars to support charitable work carried out by groups themselves lacking 501(c)3 status, creating tremendous societal benefits.  Yet, beneath the surface, there are serious questions and misunderstandings around when and where it's the right model, as well as equity and ethical considerations beyond the sponsor-project "Model C" relationship that warranting conversation. Join us as we unpack all of this for what promises to be a lively practitioner conversation!

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It’s been a long struggle to establish wider acceptance and understanding of the  full costs of operating a nonprofit – that “overhead” is not excess to be trimmed, but essential to the performance of mission. If it isn’t sufficiently covered, mission, outcomes and staff suffer. And although progress is being made (e.g., MacArthur Foundation’s recently updated indirect policy), many funders continue to not cover full costs for their grantees. For fiscal sponsorship relationships, this may mean neither the sponsor’s nor the project’s full costs of carrying out their work are fully covered, perpetuating the starvation cycle. Join us to explore emerging opportunities for fiscal sponsors to advocate for more equitable cost-recovery structures to both support and sustain important nonprofit work, as well as emerging practices for capturing whole costs for sponsored projects.

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Building a fiscal sponsor practice designed to support grassroots and community-led initiatives is a worthwhile endeavor requiring careful planning and attention to the right details. For this conversation, we’ll hear from practitioners who have built such practices to surface issues and considerations including tailoring support, building trust, sharing power, and developing sustainable financial models. We’ll also ask, what does “grassroots” or “community led” even mean?

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Comprehensive fiscal sponsors offer nonprofit homes to mission aligned programs, which often require facilities and real estate as an essential operating resource. Beyond conventional leasing relationships, sponsors are being asked to take ownership of real estate on behalf of projects. Yet, most fiscal sponsors are not staffed or resourced to manage real estate as an asset class, which entails different approaches to capitalization and day-to-day management.   Join us for a conversation on approaches that fiscal sponsors can take in supporting projects with bricks and mortar ambitions.

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During Part I of this conversation, exempt law attorney Erin Bradrick shared her expert perspective on the key terms that go into a ‘Model A’ fiscal sponsorship agreement.  For this next session, our Chief Legal Steward Josh Sattely will lead us on a walk through a sample FSA (linked HERE) that Impact Commons co-designed with a number of fiscal sponsors. This agreement is designed to cover the legal underpinnings of the relationship and can even serve as an orientation and management tool. It is written to be even handed and not full of tricky legal jargon!

These sessions are intended for fiscal sponsorship practitioners, project leaders, and anyone else who wants to get under the hood and better understand how these relationships are designed and governed.

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A well designed Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement is one key ingredient to a successful ‘Model A’ comprehensive relationship. Yet too often, they are not understood by the parties and contain convoluted and inconsistent language. Sometimes the intended relationship isn’t even reflected in the agreement leading to confusion and frustration.

We want to help!

Part I of this conversation will led by exempt law attorney Erin Bradrick, Principal at NEO Law Group and will cover the key clauses that go into a ‘Model A’ fiscal sponsorship agreement. Part II taking place on July 27th led by Josh Sattely, Chief Legal Steward at Social Impact Commons will be a group exercise to walk through a sample FSA that Impact Commons co-designed with a number of fiscal sponsors. Together Erin and Josh have worked on hundreds of fiscal sponsorship agreements with dozens of fiscal sponsors and are excited to share their learnings and hear from the community on their experiences and insights.

These sessions are intended for fiscal sponsorship practitioners, project leaders, and anyone else who wants to get under the hood and better understand how these relationships are designed and governed.

Part I will be hosted by our partners at the “Fiscal Sponsor Conversations”. Sign up here for free access to Part I and all future conversations hosted by Andrew Schulman and Oliver Hack. Sign up here for free access to Part II and all future Social Impact Commons conversations.

There's no "I" in community. Well. . . maybe there's one but the point is, we draw our inspiration and topics for our conversations from working with our community of fiscal sponsors, projects, funders and other coconspirators. In addition to completing our conversation series feedback survey, we'd love for you to join us to do some reflecting on where these conversations can go and set a course for the next 6 months.  We have a few ideas we'll share but please come to the table to think expansively around the community you'd like to see grow and flourish.

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Government funding has played a seminal role in disaster recovery and other social benefit programs, especially in recent years with COVID and a growing cadence of natural disasters.  Yet fiscal sponsors are often loath to accept government resources on behalf of their sponsees for the simple (and understandable) reason that administering government funds is immensely complicated and often administrative costs are not fully recovered. Grassroots organizations and BIPOC communities also have lived experiences that leave them wary of the government.  Yet federal agencies are increasingly mandated to steer resources into advancing social equity.  This positions fiscal sponsors as logical platforms for bridging these divides and better resourcing communities. Join us for a panel discussion that delves into the challenges, opportunities, and success stories around fiscal sponsorship and the government funding landscape.

This conversation may be of particular interest to fiscal sponsors, government agencies, and funders looking to see their grantees better leverage government resources.

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We increasingly see fiscal sponsors accidentally or intentionally developing Donor Advised Fund (DAF) programs and, likewise, organizations running DAFs finding themselves acting as fiscal sponsors. Whether accidental or strategic, more and more organizations simultaneously managing DAF and Fiscal Sponsorship programs harbor unique challenges and opportunities.  Join us for a conversation with DAF and fiscal sponsor practitioners to explore intersections and opportunities to amplify impact by putting together both of these models of shared management.

This conversation may be of particular interest to organizations that operate both DAF and fiscal sponsorship practices as well as organizations curious about doing so.

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Join us for a FREE introductory training by Hopeworks in trauma-informed practices!

Fiscal sponsors have emerged as a catalyst for social change and a home for leaders, often representing marginalized histories, to pursue their purpose and mission. As a result many of those driving projects and served by projects come from a place of social and psychological trauma, both individual and collective.

These traumas show up in day-to-day management in a variety of ways, often as well-grounded resistance to legal, bureaucratic, and other administrative structures. Challenges to compliance with management policies or even to making progress toward mission can be the result of unacknowledged trauma. Today more than ever, fiscal sponsors need to embrace and develop trauma-informed approaches to co-managing with their projects. Join us for an introduction to trauma-informed practice and a conversation about its application to fiscal sponsorship.

Hopeworks, a community-based nonprofit based in Camden, NJ, will provide a interactive and engaging trauma-informed care training for our member conversation time. The training helps folks better support individuals that have experienced high levels of stress and trauma.

This conversation may be of particular interest to relationship managers at fiscal sponsors.

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The community foundation has been around for over a century.  Today there are 800+ community foundations of all different shapes and sizes that largely exist to sustain and support local communities through Donor Advised Fund (DAF) sponsorship.  Community foundations see firsthand the challenges small, important nonprofits encounter in standing up and maintaining independent charities and, as a result, often support technical assistance and capacity building. Some community foundations have turned to fiscal sponsorship as a capacity building tool. As foundations strive to be relevant to their communities, serving as a fiscal sponsor or supporting the development of fiscal sponsor capacity in their communities is emerging as a possible mission imperative. Join this conversation as we explore opportunities for cross pollination between the fiscal sponsorship and community foundation communities.

This conversation may be of particular interest to fiscal sponsors, community foundation leadership, and funders.

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Interest and innovation around funder collaboratives and collectives is exploding.  Collaboration can be a powerful way for funders to come together and collectively understand multi-faceted problems and then deploy their pooled resources to support systemic solutions. Similar to fiscal sponsorship, although funder collaboratives have been used for decades, the field still feels in its infancy with patterns of practices and peer awareness just beginning to emerge. When undertaken with a grounding in equity, funder collaboratives can be transformational. Join us for a conversation on how fiscal sponsor practices can advance funder collaboratives in a manner that centers equity and community voice. 

This conversation may be of particular interest to funders involved in or considering getting involved in the funder collaborative space as well as leaders at fiscal sponsors.

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