Southeast Uplift's Fiscal Sponsorship Program

Quoted exerpts from the TACS Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Handbook

Southeast Uplift is able to provide fiscal sponsorship to neighborhood associations and other community groups that currently do not have 501(c)(3) nonprofit recognition from the Internal Revenue Service.  SE Uplift will offer fiscal sponsorship services to extend our own reach into the community in support of our mission and goals.

"A good fiscal sponsor relationship can have many positive advantages for all the parties and the community.  The most successful sponsorship relationships are generally those in which the project complements the mission of the sponsor."

SE Uplift has been entering into fiscal sponsorships with groups for many years, however we have just recently created a formal Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement to guide these relationships. 

How Does Fiscal Sponsorship Work?

"At a minimum, the sponsor should collect all pertinent financial information and records; it should approve all financial expenditures, hiring and firing, and all significant decisions in running the project; and it should have the power to terminate the relationship if the project engages in any activty that jeopardizes it's tax-exempt status."

Additional details will be outlined by staff and in the Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement.

Criteria for Fiscal Sponsorship Projects

• The project must fit within the mission and purposes of Southeast Uplift and not jeopardize the agency’s local, state and federal legal status.
• The project must be within the Southeast Uplift Coalition or able to demonstrate relevance to the Southeast Uplift community.
• The project's seperate legal existence, for all purposes including tax reporting is established by one of the following:

           a) Grantee is a nonproft corporation in the State of Oregon

           b) Grantee is an individual person, acting as a sole proprietor

Steps for Fiscal Sponsorship:

1. Contact SE Uplift to set up a meeting to discuss the proposed project, the specifics of fiscal sponsorship including the administrative fee that will be assessed on incoming funds and the application form.  Click here for the fiscal sponsorship application.
2. Once completed, the project contact should submit the application to SE Uplift for review by the Executive Committee at the next appropriate monthly meeting. 
3. Staff will contact approved project coordinators to set up a meeting to discuss and sign off on a Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement. 
4. Once the agreement is signed, a designated account will be set up at SE Uplift.  Staff will monitor account funds and provide project coordinators with quarterly financial reports.
5. The Project is required to submit all fundraising materials, including grant applications, to SE Uplift for approval.
6. SE Uplift will meet at least annually with Projects to dicuss progress, review annual progress report and discuss renewal and/or termination. 
7. When the Project comes to completion or stops being active, SE Uplift will work with the Project Contact, using the termination portion of the agreement, to bring the Project to a close and transfer funds as needed. 

Resources for Current Fiscal Sponsors

To download the reimbursement request form click here.

For more information, contact Kristen at 503-232-0010, ext. 319 or kristen@southeastuplift.org.