Fiscal Sponsorship

We provide financial and risk management, human resources, and capacity-building support, enabling sponsees to focus on their vision and mission while keeping costs low.

Educopia’s Fiscal Sponsorship services reduce administrative costs and risks, and simplify organizational functions.

Fiscal Sponsorship (FS) refers to the practice of non-profit organizations offering their legal and tax-exempt status to groups engaged in activities related to the sponsoring organization’s mission. Educopia’s Fiscal Sponsorship program seeks to provide administrative and operational scaffolding for mission-aligned and values-aligned projects and collectives explicitly interested in co-creating a more equitable knowledge landscape.

New Sponsee Inquiry Form

Application Materials and Process

Fiscal Sponsorship Program FAQs

Our Current Fiscal Sponsees

MetaArchive Cooperative

MetaArchive Cooperative is a digital preservation network created and hosted by and for memory organizations. MetaArchive is an extensive distributed digital preservation network that currently includes 15 secure, closed-access preservation nodes and more than 200TB of content. These preservation nodes are hosted by libraries in different geographical regions across three continents. The MetaArchive network actively preserves content for more than 60 member libraries, archives, and museums. Collectively, the Cooperative’s members have developed a stable, affordable, and geographically dispersed digital archive that has safely and securely preserved content since 2004 without the loss of a single “bit”.

Vision and Mission: The mission of the MetaArchive Cooperative is to engage in sustainable digital preservation through community collaboration. Their vision is preserving the past, harnessing the present, preparing for the future.

FS Model: Model A, Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

Educopia’s role in MetaArchive’s development, organization, and sustainable hosting allowed us to engage and participate via thoughtful processes, and facilitated a level of diversity across our institutions that let each of the member organizations bring different experiences and skill sets into the network. Even as MetaArchive is navigating its transition and sunsetting process, we’ve been able to work with Educopia to make informed decisions as a cooperative.

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MetaArchive Cooperative

MetaArchive Cooperative is a digital preservation network created and hosted by and for memory organizations. MetaArchive is an extensive distributed digital preservation network that currently includes 15 secure, closed-access preservation nodes and more than 200TB of content. These preservation nodes are hosted by libraries in different geographical regions across three continents. The MetaArchive network actively preserves content for more than 60 member libraries, archives, and museums. Collectively, the Cooperative’s members have developed a stable, affordable, and geographically dispersed digital archive that has safely and securely preserved content since 2004 without the loss of a single “bit”.

Vision and Mission: The mission of the MetaArchive Cooperative is to engage in sustainable digital preservation through community collaboration. Their vision is preserving the past, harnessing the present, preparing for the future.

FS Model: Model A, Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

Educopia’s role in MetaArchive’s development, organization, and sustainable hosting allowed us to engage and participate via thoughtful processes, and facilitated a level of diversity across our institutions that let each of the member organizations bring different experiences and skill sets into the network. Even as MetaArchive is navigating its transition and sunsetting process, we’ve been able to work with Educopia to make informed decisions as a cooperative.

More about the Sponsee

BitCurator Consortium

The BitCurator Consortium (BCC) is an independent, community-led membership association. The purpose of the BitCurator Consortium is to build a community of organizations that support practitioners responsible for the curation of born-digital materials, especially through the application of free and open-source tools. The BitCurator Consortium serves as the host, and center of, administrative and user support for the BitCurator software environment.

Vision and Mission: The BitCurator Consortium promotes the development of innovative, sustainable curation of born-digital materials by any organization responsible for caring for such materials. Their organizational vision is to address the articulated needs of the BCC community—training, collaboration, research, software development, documentation, integration, scripts—while advocating for the expansion of digital forensics practice worldwide.

FS Model: Model A, Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

Educopia has been instrumental in supporting the BCC since its inception, and has been an active partner in helping the community grow and mature over the last ten years. As the Consortium transitions to a new phase of its existence, Educopia staff have worked alongside us in helping plan for the future and ensure we are well-equipped and prepared for the coming years.

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BitCurator Consortium

The BitCurator Consortium (BCC) is an independent, community-led membership association. The purpose of the BitCurator Consortium is to build a community of organizations that support practitioners responsible for the curation of born-digital materials, especially through the application of free and open-source tools. The BitCurator Consortium serves as the host, and center of, administrative and user support for the BitCurator software environment.

Vision and Mission: The BitCurator Consortium promotes the development of innovative, sustainable curation of born-digital materials by any organization responsible for caring for such materials. Their organizational vision is to address the articulated needs of the BCC community—training, collaboration, research, software development, documentation, integration, scripts—while advocating for the expansion of digital forensics practice worldwide.

FS Model: Model A, Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

Educopia has been instrumental in supporting the BCC since its inception, and has been an active partner in helping the community grow and mature over the last ten years. As the Consortium transitions to a new phase of its existence, Educopia staff have worked alongside us in helping plan for the future and ensure we are well-equipped and prepared for the coming years.

More about the Sponsee

Software Preservation Network

The Software Preservation Network (SPN) is a leading organization established to advance software preservation through collective action. Guided by the belief that software is critical information infrastructure, SPN works to create a space in which organizations and individuals from cultural heritage, industry, academia, government, and the public sphere can contribute their myriad skills and capabilities toward collaborative solutions that will provide persistent access to software and software-dependent data.

Vision and Mission: The Software Preservation Network is a coordinated, distributed effort to ensure long term access to software through community engagement, infrastructure support, and knowledge generation.

FS Model: Model A, Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

Educopia is an integral support system for Software Preservation Network, and has been from SPN’s earliest days and through every transitional period. As SPN works to raise awareness of software preservation as key cultural heritage infrastructure and build shared knowledge of software preservation in practice, Educopia provides critical community facilitation and outreach support that allows our community to focus on our collective mission.

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Software Preservation Network

The Software Preservation Network (SPN) is a leading organization established to advance software preservation through collective action. Guided by the belief that software is critical information infrastructure, SPN works to create a space in which organizations and individuals from cultural heritage, industry, academia, government, and the public sphere can contribute their myriad skills and capabilities toward collaborative solutions that will provide persistent access to software and software-dependent data.

Vision and Mission: The Software Preservation Network is a coordinated, distributed effort to ensure long term access to software through community engagement, infrastructure support, and knowledge generation.

FS Model: Model A, Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

Educopia is an integral support system for Software Preservation Network, and has been from SPN’s earliest days and through every transitional period. As SPN works to raise awareness of software preservation as key cultural heritage infrastructure and build shared knowledge of software preservation in practice, Educopia provides critical community facilitation and outreach support that allows our community to focus on our collective mission.

More about the Sponsee

Library Publishing Coalition

The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is an independent, community-led membership association of academic and research libraries and library consortia engaged in scholarly publishing. LPC creates strategic affiliate relationships with other membership organizations with similar values and interests, and relationships with publishers and service providers who are interested in working with the community of library publishers.

Vision and Mission: The Library Publishing Coalition extends the impact and sustainability of library publishing and open scholarship by providing a professional forum for developing best practices and shared expertise. Their vision is a scholarly publishing landscape that is open, inclusive, and sustainable.

FS Model: Model A, Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

The Library Publishing Coalition would not be the vibrant community it is today without the support of Educopia staff and their expertise over the past ten years. Working with Educopia as a fiscal host has provided LPC with a clear community-driven process for strategic planning, smooth transitions from year to year for the board and committees, and excellent staff resources for organizing and communicating with our community.

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Library Publishing Coalition

The Library Publishing Coalition (LPC) is an independent, community-led membership association of academic and research libraries and library consortia engaged in scholarly publishing. LPC creates strategic affiliate relationships with other membership organizations with similar values and interests, and relationships with publishers and service providers who are interested in working with the community of library publishers.

Vision and Mission: The Library Publishing Coalition extends the impact and sustainability of library publishing and open scholarship by providing a professional forum for developing best practices and shared expertise. Their vision is a scholarly publishing landscape that is open, inclusive, and sustainable.

FS Model: Model A, Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

The Library Publishing Coalition would not be the vibrant community it is today without the support of Educopia staff and their expertise over the past ten years. Working with Educopia as a fiscal host has provided LPC with a clear community-driven process for strategic planning, smooth transitions from year to year for the board and committees, and excellent staff resources for organizing and communicating with our community.

More about the Sponsee

The Maintainers

The Maintainers is a global research and practice network that is focused in advancing maintenance, repair, and care. They convene interdisciplinary change-makers, researchers, practitioners, and every-day people who center maintenance, repair, and care and the myriad forms of labor, expertise, and infrastructure that sustain our human built world.

Vision and Mission: Through collaborative efforts across an interwoven network of communities, The Maintainers pursue their mission of maintaining self and society through reflection, research, and advocacy in the hopes of achieving a more caring and well-maintained world.

FS Model: Model C, Pre-Approved Grant/Indirect Fiscal Sponsorship

Funder: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Siegel Family Endowment

The Maintainers has gone through many transformations as a project, so it has been meaningful for us to lean on Educopia’s infrastructure and expertise as we navigate the complexities of planning our present and future. Beyond their expertise, we equally value that everyone is exceptionally warm, kind and thoughtful – we are so grateful to grow alongside them!

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The Maintainers

The Maintainers is a global research and practice network that is focused in advancing maintenance, repair, and care. They convene interdisciplinary change-makers, researchers, practitioners, and every-day people who center maintenance, repair, and care and the myriad forms of labor, expertise, and infrastructure that sustain our human built world.

Vision and Mission: Through collaborative efforts across an interwoven network of communities, The Maintainers pursue their mission of maintaining self and society through reflection, research, and advocacy in the hopes of achieving a more caring and well-maintained world.

FS Model: Model C, Pre-Approved Grant/Indirect Fiscal Sponsorship

Funder: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Siegel Family Endowment

The Maintainers has gone through many transformations as a project, so it has been meaningful for us to lean on Educopia’s infrastructure and expertise as we navigate the complexities of planning our present and future. Beyond their expertise, we equally value that everyone is exceptionally warm, kind and thoughtful – we are so grateful to grow alongside them!

More about the Sponsee

Cita Press

Cita is a library and press devoted to publishing and promoting the long history (and future) of feminist literature. It is a collaborative labor of love between designers and writers that connects writing from the public domain and open source fonts, code, and images. While the work they have published so far is by women, Cita is interested in publishing work by writers whose genders have been historically marginalized in the publishing and literary landscape.

Vision and Mission: Through their library, outreach, and operations, Cita works to: Elevate the work of those who first addressed gender inequality; Use open source resources and actively credit them; Maintain content in open access platforms, licenses and formats; Give free access to feminist writing, scholarship, and design; Make visible and celebrate the work of contributors; Pair classic literature with contemporary open scholarship and design; Be committed to intersectionality; Be participatory, crowdsourced and open to new voices and collaborations.

FS Model: Model C, Pre-Approved Grant/Indirect Fiscal Sponsorship

Funder: Mellon Foundation

Cita’s partnership with Educopia has allowed us to transition from a small volunteer operation to a staffed organization that works with contributors and partners from all over the world on a range of research and publication projects. Through Fiscal Sponsorship and Consulting, Educopia provides Cita with the infrastructure that makes our work possible and deep expertise that helps guide our approach and practices. We love Educopia!

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Cita Press

Cita is a library and press devoted to publishing and promoting the long history (and future) of feminist literature. It is a collaborative labor of love between designers and writers that connects writing from the public domain and open source fonts, code, and images. While the work they have published so far is by women, Cita is interested in publishing work by writers whose genders have been historically marginalized in the publishing and literary landscape.

Vision and Mission: Through their library, outreach, and operations, Cita works to: Elevate the work of those who first addressed gender inequality; Use open source resources and actively credit them; Maintain content in open access platforms, licenses and formats; Give free access to feminist writing, scholarship, and design; Make visible and celebrate the work of contributors; Pair classic literature with contemporary open scholarship and design; Be committed to intersectionality; Be participatory, crowdsourced and open to new voices and collaborations.

FS Model: Model C, Pre-Approved Grant/Indirect Fiscal Sponsorship

Funder: Mellon Foundation

Cita’s partnership with Educopia has allowed us to transition from a small volunteer operation to a staffed organization that works with contributors and partners from all over the world on a range of research and publication projects. Through Fiscal Sponsorship and Consulting, Educopia provides Cita with the infrastructure that makes our work possible and deep expertise that helps guide our approach and practices. We love Educopia!

More about the Sponsee

Wintergreen Women Writers Collective

For the last 37 years, Wintergreen has nourished and fostered the work of a broad and influential community of Black women writers and poets. Through the Collective, they have workshopped and critiqued writing that later appeared in print; seeded ideas that resulted in programs, conferences, and organizations; and given each other guidance on educational pedagogy as well as publishing, promoting, and naming books.

Vision and Mission: The history and legacy of Black women writers are honored and preserved. Black women writers have access to intergenerational spaces where, in community and mutuality, they can nurture one another and locate resources to support their creative practice.

Through nurturing and encouraging Black women writers, WWWC will publish, document, preserve, and celebrate their creative work.

FS Model: Model C, Pre-Approved Grant/Indirect Fiscal Sponsorship

Funder: Mellon Foundation

Throughout Wintergreen’s initial “Sacred Work” grant project, our partnership with Educopia proved invaluable in helping us develop the capacities and infrastructure needed to support our implementation activities. As we embark on our next phase of development, we look forward to continuing to explore new ideas and grow in thought partnership with them.

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Wintergreen Women Writers Collective

For the last 37 years, Wintergreen has nourished and fostered the work of a broad and influential community of Black women writers and poets. Through the Collective, they have workshopped and critiqued writing that later appeared in print; seeded ideas that resulted in programs, conferences, and organizations; and given each other guidance on educational pedagogy as well as publishing, promoting, and naming books.

Vision and Mission: The history and legacy of Black women writers are honored and preserved. Black women writers have access to intergenerational spaces where, in community and mutuality, they can nurture one another and locate resources to support their creative practice.

Through nurturing and encouraging Black women writers, WWWC will publish, document, preserve, and celebrate their creative work.

FS Model: Model C, Pre-Approved Grant/Indirect Fiscal Sponsorship

Funder: Mellon Foundation

Throughout Wintergreen’s initial “Sacred Work” grant project, our partnership with Educopia proved invaluable in helping us develop the capacities and infrastructure needed to support our implementation activities. As we embark on our next phase of development, we look forward to continuing to explore new ideas and grow in thought partnership with them.

More about the Sponsee

Our Fiscal Sponsorship Models

Educopia currently provides support for two different models of fiscal sponsorship:

Model A

Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship

In this model a group / initiative / collective/ program of work / project does not have a separate legal entity and is looking for administrative infrastructure and operational capacity that Educopia can provide.

In this model, Educopia maintains all legal responsibility for the sponsored project, its employees, and activities.

Model C

Pre Approved Grant
Relationship

In this model, Educopia receives grants and donations earmarked for a group/project, and re-grants those funds in furtherance of the group/project’s goals.

Fiscal sponsorship fees fall within a range, depending on the type(s) of revenue the sponsee receives.

Educopia promises clarity and transparency regarding fees. We dedicate time and attention to recurring, annual assessment of costs associated with our Fiscal Sponsorship services.

Our Fiscal Sponsorship Services

Working with Educopia unlocks a comprehensive suite of services and resources that provide operational efficiencies, compliance support, and opportunities for connections and peer-to-peer learning across our network of sponsees.

Finance

Comprehensive financial and accounting services
Utilize tax exempt status
Tax filing and annual audit review
Disbursement: invoices, reimbursements, grant requests
Receipt of monthly and quarterly financial reports
Monthly 1-hr meeting with Educopia’s Operations team to answer any questions regarding financial goal tracking, assistance with financial projections and tracking encumbrances, advice on nonprofit finance best practices

Administration

Monthly 1-hr meeting with a member of the Fiscal Sponsorship program team for capacity building support (e.g., tracking on project goals, evaluating governance models, comparing engagement strategies, etc.)
Referrals for affordable and effective professional services (e.g., web design and development, video production, illustration and graphic design, public interest technology and intellectual property legal advisors, etc.)
Participation in monthly convenings of fiscal sponsee leadership facilitated by a member of the Fiscal Sponsorship program team; a space for peer learning, resource sharing, and catalyzing new collaborations

Human Resources

Human resources and payroll services: hiring, training, and monitoring

Capacity Strengthening

Developing processes for meaningful co-design
Audience & market analysis
Strategic messaging and design
Virtual and in-person facilitation (e.g., retreats, board meetings, summits, annual meetings, work sprints)
Supporting strategic partnerships

Additional Services (Hourly Rates)

Consulting: Additional consulting hours (beyond the monthly 1-hr meetings with members of the Operations and Fiscal Sponsorship program team). Educopia provides Consulting services in the following areas:
1. Organizational Development & Strategic Planning
2. Governance Modeling & Sustainability Planning
3. Designing, Building, and Maintaining Knowledge Infrastructure
4. Community Engagement
Legal Counsel: Special project requiring substantial time from legal counsel (beyond standard review)
Accounting Projects: Special projects requiring substantial time from accounting (beyond standard review)

Finance

Comprehensive financial and accounting services
Utilize tax exempt status
Tax filing and annual audit review
Disbursement: invoices, reimbursements, grant requests
Receipt of monthly and quarterly financial reports
Monthly 1-hr meeting with Educopia’s Operations team to answer any questions regarding financial goal tracking, assistance with financial projections and tracking encumbrances, advice on nonprofit finance best practices

Administration

Monthly 1-hr meeting with a member of the Fiscal Sponsorship program team for capacity building support (e.g., tracking on project goals, evaluating governance models, comparing engagement strategies, etc.)
Referrals for affordable and effective professional services (e.g., web design and development, video production, illustration and graphic design, public interest technology and intellectual property legal advisors, etc.)
Participation in monthly convenings of fiscal sponsee leadership facilitated by a member of the Fiscal Sponsorship program team; a space for peer learning, resource sharing, and catalyzing new collaborations

Human Resources

Human resources and payroll services: hiring, training, and monitoring

Capacity Strengthening

Developing processes for meaningful co-design
Audience & market analysis
Strategic messaging and design
Virtual and in-person facilitation (e.g., retreats, board meetings, summits, annual meetings, work sprints)
Supporting strategic partnerships

Additional Services (Hourly Rates)

Consulting: Additional consulting hours (beyond the monthly 1-hr meetings with members of the Operations and Fiscal Sponsorship program team). Educopia provides Consulting services in the following areas:
1. Organizational Development & Strategic Planning
2. Governance Modeling & Sustainability Planning
3. Designing, Building, and Maintaining Knowledge Infrastructure
4. Community Engagement
Legal Counsel: Special project requiring substantial time from legal counsel (beyond standard review)
Accounting Projects: Special projects requiring substantial time from accounting (beyond standard review)

How We Work

Our mission is rooted in connecting diverse and historically marginalized groups with resources, power, and each another. Through our fiscal sponsorship portfolio, we equip sponsees with the tools and capacity-building support needed to tackle new challenges or enhance their current impact, all while centering their leadership.

Our team combines deep expertise in nonprofit management with lived experience in navigating the complexities of the knowledge landscape to support our fiscal sponsees in amplifying their impact. While providing essential infrastructure, we prioritize transparent communication and thought partnership, enabling our sponsees to make informed decisions that advance their missions.

All of our activities across workstreams are mutually reinforcing: our Consulting services often enable fiscal sponsees to surface common questions and insights, that in turn drive Educopia’s Research agenda. Ultimately, we provide diverse knowledge communities with resources that undergird organizational health, systems leadership, and collective impact.

Sponsee Updates

09/17/2024

Wintergreen Women Writers Collective Receives $750,000 Award from Mellon Foundation

06/27/2023

Wintergreen Women Writers Collective Receives $150,000 Award from Mellon Foundation

04/10/2023

Scaling Small: Partnerships and Organizational Resilience for Cita Press

Questions about Fiscal Sponsorship?