Read our 2022 Annual Report HERE
In Service to
Great Ideas
Almost every time a colleague announces to me that they’re about to file for their 501(c)(3), I reply:
“Are you crazy?”
Active Voice Lab
CONTENT
The problem to
solve
What is the problem for nonprofits?
You’ve done the hard work: Identified a solution to a problem in your community. Now you want to create an effective, compliant, and sustainable organization to keep this solution going. Many potential community leaders are stopped in their tracks by the overwhelming process of getting a business license, 501(c)(3) status, and costly steps like hiring, insurance, and legal liabilities.
Most nonprofit professionals enter the sector to use their passions to drive a greater good. What community leaders find is that everyday administrative tasks such as bookkeeping, human resources, insurance, and tax filings, often consume their focus, swallow much of their mental energy, and may account for as much as 20-40% of a nonprofit’s budget and hard-earned donations. You might prefer to keep your focus on the ground, but find yourself distracted with questions like:
What is
Fiscal Sponsorship
A fiscal sponsor is a nonprofit organization that shares its 501(c)(3) status with qualified nonprofit projects. With this shared status, the project does not need to incorporate as a 501(c)(3), which means, among other things, that you also don’t have to file your own taxes!
The level of service provided by different fiscal sponsors can vary widely. Some offer a bare bones service model, where they simply share their status for a very small fee. Some nonprofits become fiscal sponsors when they share their status with select partners in their network, but they do not always have the capacity or the know-how to support other organizations. Comprehensive fiscal sponsors, like Community Initiatives, take on all legal and fiduciary responsibility for the project, its employees and its activities. Funders are assured that grants meet the purpose and conditions of funding.
Community Initiatives is a dedicated fiscal sponsor whose sole purpose is to provide best-in-class infrastructure for nonprofit leaders. We know the right questions to ask to help you develop a sustainable and scalable solution in your community.
Free of administrative burdens, inspired advocates stay energized and centered on the people they serve and create a positive impact. Helping advocates stay focused on what matters is what we do best, and it is why we founded Community Initiatives to work “in service to great ideas.”