The Power of Coalition

Leveraging Fiscal Sponsorship and Shared Services as a Platform for Partnerships

Abstract

Over the years, nonprofits have adapted to a changing world of funding and service provision in creative and collaborative ways. One lesser known but powerful tool for organizations is fiscal sponsorship. Fiscal sponsorship “generally entails a nonprofit organization (the “fiscal sponsor”) agreeing to provide administrative services and oversight to, and assume some or all of the legal and financial responsibility for, the activities of groups or individuals engaged in work that relates to the fiscal sponsor’s mission.” On a practical level, a fiscal sponsor functions as an umbrella organization for programs and provides services such as accounting, human resources, insurance and more. There are hundreds of organizations practicing fiscal sponsorship programs across the nation. The Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC) is one of the Philadelphia region’s premier fiscal sponsors and has helped to develop the field of fiscal sponsorship through its work in the Greater Philadelphia region and as a founding member of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. UAC’s Fiscal Sponsorship approach offers organizations the benefits of a scaled back office, flexible business infrastructure and expertise in nonprofit management. In addition to these business competencies, it leverages its history and relationships in the community, cultural competency in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, and program development expertise to support innovative programs and projects. Together, these business and relational competencies form an important platform for nonprofit sustainability, community change, and strategic partnerships between government, philanthropy, the business community, nonprofits and community leaders.