Valerie Gerhart from the Midland Area Community Foundation interacts with the sculpture “Bunnies Don’t Bite” by Seward Johnson during the 2016 Art & About exhibit.

Bringing Big Ideas to Life

Partner with SCF as your project fiscal sponsor and get started fundraising

Do you have a great idea for a community project? Are you thinking about starting a new nonprofit organization? Saginaw Community Foundation is here to help make your dream project a reality by becoming your fiscal sponsor. When SCF acts as your fiscal sponsor, we enable you to begin accepting tax-deductible contributions to further your cause, while either working towards securing your own 501(c)(3) nonprofit status or testing the viability of a short-term community project for possible long-term implementation. 

What exactly is fiscal sponsorship?

Fiscal sponsorship is a common mechanism used by nonprofit community foundations that enables individuals, groups, or organizations to start new projects or programs without the need to establish a new, separate 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization.

Fiscally sponsored projects, programs, groups and other initiatives get their charitable status from their fiscal sponsor. It saves money, reduces duplication of personnel, conserves resources, and simplifies organizational needs.

Saginaw Community Foundation’s fiscally sponsored efforts are not separate and isolated entities; they are an integral part of the Foundation. We receive charitable donations and grants on behalf of our fiscally sponsored projects; maintain the necessary legal and financial infrastructure for all project activities; and, allow project leaders to focus their efforts on successfully achieving project/program goals.

Why choose fiscal sponsorship?

Establishing an independent 501(c)(3) is expensive and takes time – costs can run from around $15,000 to upwards of $100,000 or more by the time all start-up costs are accounted for. It can take six months or more to get formal approval to become an independent nonprofit organization.

Being fiscally sponsored by SCF is extremely cost-effective, particularly for organizations that are just emerging where funding may be scarce and saving money is important. Fiscal sponsorship is an efficient way to reduce costs while maintaining the integrity of the project, program or group’s purpose. 

Why a fiscal sponsorship with SCF?

We are your community foundation – we are your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. We have worked diligently to advocate and raise significant funding for community initiatives that directly benefit all who live and work here. We understand the vital importance of community stewardship and ownership in assuring a resilient, vibrant and sustainable future for Saginaw County. The Foundation is committed to the missions of its projects and are able to leverage our experience and reputation to achieve greater support in our community for your endeavor. 

Fiscal sponsorship with SCF allows for experimentation with grassroots groups/efforts to be viewed as legitimate fundraising entities by using SCF’s name and fundraising license. 

SCF will handle administrative duties like tracking revenue and expenses and provide financial statements, deposit donations and issue checks for project/program related expenses, track donations to the project/program and provide donor acknowledgment, to name a few. Meeting space in our office can also be arranged, if needed.

Ready to get started?

We’ve already helped hundreds of projects and start-up nonprofits in our community achieve their goals. We are ready to partner with you to make your project or new nonprofit a success. Give us a call at (989) 755-0545 or contact Reneé Johnston via email.