Guide to Fiscal Sponsorship and Affiliation

Sponsorship

It is fair to say that since most grants are awarded to institutions rather than directly to individuals, one of the major obstacles to an individual applicant's receiving funding is not knowing how to go about finding an institutional sponsor to apply for his grant.

How can you tell when you need a sponsor? Here are some specific cases where sponsorship of an individual grant applicant is indicated:

• If your idea for a grant requires access to a laboratory, studio, classroom, accounting, financial or computer services, you may find you need an institutional sponsor.

• Should your idea be controversial or involve some element of risk, funders might shy away from it unless you find a reputable sponsor to endorse the idea and lend you credibility.

• If the idea you have in mind will have substantial projected impact on your community, then you probably need a well regarded community agency as your sponsor. It will serve to reassure funders about the changes you may bring about in your own backyard.

In each of these examples, the determination of whether or not affiliation with a sponsor would be beneficial rests on the nature of the grant idea combined with the requirements of the funder.

Sponsors have been defined as "groups, agencies, and institutions with established performance in your field, a record of solid visibility, accomplishment, and thus high-quality credibility." To put it more succinctly, sponsors are third-party groups that collaborate with you to meet funders' requirements. You provide the idea and the manpower; the sponsor provides the track record and credibility. Together you form a kind of symbiotic relationship.

The following types of organizations may serve as sponsors for individual grantseekers. Many have done so in the past: schools, colleges, universities, research institutes, educational associations, professional societies, state and local art associations, historical societies, museums, hospitals, health agencies, nonprofit performing groups, sports clubs, scientific societies, social and recreational clubs, fraternal organizations, community foundations, unions, labor, agricultural, and horticultural organizations, veterans' groups, civic leagues, chambers of commerce, and churches and religious groups of all types and sizes.

This list is not comprehensive. Some of the types of sponsoring organizations are mentioned here to give you an idea of the broad range of groups available. You are most likely already affiliated with several groups that might serve as sponsors for your grant project. In the rare instance in which this is not the case, the list is provided as a jumping-off point to help get you started in determining what type of organization would best serve you in this capacity. Of course, the most important criterion for an effective sponsor is that this organization enhance, not detract from, the development and funding potential of your grant idea.