Evolution of a Fiscal Sponsor: The Partnership Project’s Journey
By Alicia Prevost and Aremanda Hudson
Alicia Prevost is the Executive Director and Aremanda Hudson is the Communications Associate at The Partnership Project, which seeks to create a stronger, more connected, and more equitable environmental movement. The Partnership Project is a 501(c)3 and (c)4 nonprofit organization that provides fiscal sponsorship and organizational support to environmental campaigns and partners. In this blog, Alicia and Aremanda discuss the evolution of The Partnership Project and how fiscal sponsors can help create a successful movement.
The Partnership Project was founded almost twenty-five years ago as a behind-the-scenes organization to support advocates who wanted to launch environmental campaigns. In The Partnership Project’s early years, ideas and funding for new campaigns came mostly from the “big green” groups in response to threats at the federal level.
These campaigns helped achieve some of the most important environmental victories of the last two decades, including the Roadless Rule, which protected 60 million acres of National Forest lands from logging and road construction; rules limiting toxic mercury emissions; and the Clean Power Plan that set the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants.
Over time, The Partnership Project recognized that being “behind-the-scenes” sometimes meant that only those in the know had access to our resources and support. That’s why we have worked to bring our services to more organizations across the environmental movement.
Fiscal Sponsor “Plus” – Adding Organizational Support to our Model of Service
For nonprofit organizations working to fulfill their missions and grow, navigating the complexities of funding and financial management can be a daunting task. Yet it is so important to get right – particularly for organizations taking on issues that are complex and urgent. Success depends on having the resources to sustain long-term strategic steps toward change while also enabling rapid action.
Fiscal sponsorship is a special arrangement between a nonprofit organization and a sponsor organization that allows the nonprofit to receive tax-deductible donations while taking advantage of the sponsor’s financial and administrative infrastructure. This relationship allows the nonprofit to focus on its core mission, while the sponsor provides back-office support and handles legal and financial compliance issues.
Having the right support can make all the difference. For many organizations, working with a fiscal sponsor provides a range of benefits that can help power the mission, accelerate growth, and drive change.
Historically, high fees and minimum fund requirements present barriers for nonprofits seeking fiscal sponsorship. The Partnership Project is changing that by making fiscal sponsorship services accessible to more groups than ever – with a focus on those who are centering the experiences and voices of populations most profoundly impacted by environmental crises yet vastly underrepresented.
We offer a comprehensive suite of fiscal sponsorship services, always working closely with our partners to understand their needs and tailor our support to meet their goals. Some of the services we offer include financial and administrative support, training and capacity-building, and networking opportunities. By providing these services, The Partnership Project is helping to build a stronger and more effective movement.
An Expanding Community of Partners
The Partnership Project proudly brings together a growing community of organizations doing innovative work. We know that we are better together, and in the past year alone, The Partnership Project has been honored to welcome these amazing new partners: Fossil Free Research, Generation Green, and Rise to Thrive. These are not large organizations, yet their passion and potential for positive environmental impact and climate justice are huge.
Choosing a fiscal sponsor can be one of the most important decisions you make as an organization. It is often a win-win-win for all parties involved: passionate nonprofits increase their access to funding, donors discover powerful new opportunities to give to efforts that matter, and communities benefit from a more collaborative and effective nonprofit sector.
To learn more about The Partnership Project and their fiscal partnership work, visit their website at www.partnershipproject.org. You can also follow The Partnership Project on LinkedIn for updates.