We can manage all project expenses via invoice payment, expense reimbursement, and credit cards if preferred. Or we can manage projects as pre-approved grantees allowing your to manage your expenditures internally through your own financial processes.
Launch
Do you need a fiscal sponsor?
Forward Global Launch offers a cost-effective, time-saving solution for your social impact project. We accept tax-deductible donations, and handle the administrative, legal and accounting responsibilities, allowing you to focus on your mission, all at a lower fee than industry norms.
What is fiscal sponsorship?
Fiscal sponsorship is a relationship where a nonprofit organization serves as the administrative host for a project engaging in charitable activities without requiring the project to establish an independent nonprofit organization. Under fiscal sponsorship, a project can receive tax-deductible donations to fund its work while avoiding the time, cost, and burden of applying for and maintaining tax-exempt status. Fiscal sponsorship is a well-established and productive part of the nonprofit ecosystem. It allows projects of all sizes to reduce their administrative burden and focus on pursuing their mission.
There are many scenarios under which a project may choose to be fiscally sponsored, including when a project:
- Is time-limited and not intended to exist in perpetuity
- Intends to operate over the long term but has determined it’s not cost-effective to build out the staffing and infrastructure needed to maintain the accounting, reporting, and governance processes required of a nonprofit
- Intends to apply for nonprofit status but needs to begin taking in funds now while they wait for their application to be approved
- Is not in the U.S. and wants to be able to accept tax-deductible donations from U.S. donors
- Is the effort of a for-profit business that wants to establish a mission-driven, social benefit project to be supported by charitable contributions
- Wishes to accept donations in non-traditional forms, including stock donations and crypto-currency
A Strong Foundation
Launch sponsors projects that advance our vision of a world that works for all people and the planet
Why choose Forward Global Launch?
Mission
When you sponsor with us, we’re building a mutually beneficial relationship. We’re dedicated to the success of your work and you’re supporting Forward Global’s core vision for a world that works for all people and planet. Revenue from fiscal sponsorship directly supports our mission to shape the future of giving and drive progress in the philanthropic sector.
Flexibility
We work with a limited number of trusted projects. This allows us to provide direct, personal support. We are flexible in meeting your operational needs and we’re responsive. Our staff works with you to build a partnership that meets your project’s needs.
Visibility
As a community of philanthropic funders, we are proud to share the work of our sponsored projects with our members. We work with each project to determine how and when deeper partnership with the Forward Global community makes sense.
Rate
We see fiscal sponsorship as core to our mission to drive more resources toward social impact work. In alignment with this goal, we charge only what is necessary to sustain operations and provide a quality service to our sector. While typical fiscal sponsors charge 10% or more, our rate is between 6% and 9% (charged on incoming donations), based on the size of the project budget and the complexity of its operations. We do not charge start-up or application fees and we hold a complimentary meeting with every project to review pricing based on your scope of work.
Self-Service
All projects have transparent, real-time access to their financial activity on our web-based platform. You can review all incoming and outgoing transactions, export donor information, submit invoices for payment, manage budgets or grant tracking, set up fundraising forms and pages, and pull financial reports. The self-service platform gives you 24/7 access to your project operations whenever it’s convenient for you.
Fiscal Sponsorship Services
In addition to the services listed below, we are a small and nimble team committed to the success of all our sponsored projects. We are available to talk with you about what additional support or resources you need to achieve your goals and how we can work with you to ensure success.
Donors & Donations
We accept tax-deductible contributions in any denomination and from all major sources (i.e. credit cards, checks, wire/ACH, DAF or foundation, stock, and cryptocurrencies). We manage all donor tax receipts and donor history tracking seamlessly and automatically.
Expenses & Payment Services
Tax Status & Reporting
We take care of all required tax and financial reporting including year-end audits and 1099 filings. We maintain the tax-exempt status of your project through required governance and regulatory compliance.
Forward Global has the total package to help tackle today’s biggest problems. The team is smart, responsive, collaborative and creative and we continue to benefit from their broad national network of donors with a wide range of experience, connections and allies across key sectors.
— Kristi Kimball, Clean Energy Communities Fund
Forward Global is more than just a fiscal sponsor. It’s a global community of aligned friends, thought partners, and mentors who have helped me iterate, ideate, and prototype. Their support has helped me rapidly lay down the legal, financial and networking foundation I need for years to come!”
— Benjamin Von Wong, The Unforgettable Project
Explore a few of our current projects…
Questions you’re asking…
As a fiscal sponsor, all projects must align with and further our mission. Forward Global’s mission is to shape the future of giving as a global community activating resources to maximize social impact. We evaluate all projects to ensure the are activating resources to maximize social impact. We also screen projects to ensure they have the leadership and operations in place to credibly pursue their stated mission and goals. And we review the support required by each project so we are confident we are best positioned to support their success.
Given the unique mission, structure, and circumstance of each project, we do not have a standardized “checklist” of criteria. We review each project independently based on its potential for impact and partnership. If you would like to discuss the specifics of any particular project, contact us at [email protected] and we’d be happy to talk!
Yes, your project can continue to operate externally under its own name and brand, including maintaining a website, social media accounts, direct email marketing, etc. On tax receipts and financial documentation, Forward Global will be named as the fiscal sponsor. For example, a tax receipt sent to a donor would display your project’s logo and letterhead with the addition of a line identifying the project as a fiscally sponsored project of Forward Global (EIN 98-0592591). This is required for the donor to access their tax deduction.
Funds received through charitable contributions must be used for mission-related charitable purposes. Fiscally sponsored projects are subject to all regulations outlined in the IRS tax code for 501(c)3 organizations. For example, contributions to political campaigns and lobbying efforts are not permitted. If Forward Global is aware of the unauthorized use of funds that do not align with the project’s stated purpose or violate IRS regulations, we may discontinue the sponsorship and withhold the disbursement of funds.
You will have access to your project’s account on our web-based platform operated by Mazlo. You will see your account balance, incoming and outgoing transactions, and other financial reporting in real-time. We are happy to provide a demo of the platform during an introductory call.
Fiscal sponsorship requires a trusted relationship between the sponsor and the project. As a sponsor, Forward Global has expenditure responsibility over the use of project funds. We are required to ensure that projects we sponsor are capable of pursuing their goals or mission through accepted charitable activities and continue to use charitable funds for approved purposes throughout the life of the project. Therefore, projects under sponsorship agree to a degree of financial oversight by Forward Global to allow us to satisfy our legal responsibility.
Projects should also be aware that incoming contributions are made as legal donations to the fiscal sponsor and the sponsor has sole discretion over the use of funds. While instances of sponsors withholding funds are exceedingly rare, Forward Global can make a decision to withhold project funds if a contract violation or misuse of funds is suspected.
We are committed to working with each project to ensure a strong and productive relationship. Our goal is to help all projects thrive. Therefore, we suggest projects familiarize themselves with the legal requirements of fiscal sponsorship so they understand the nature of the relationship. And we’re happy to talk through the details and any questions you may have.
We see fiscal sponsorship as core to our mission to drive more resources toward social impact work. However, it does involve legal and operational risks for the sponsor. In addition to legal liability for the project, we also risk loss of our tax-exempt status if we don’t exercise appropriate oversight over sponsored projects which requires staff time. Additionally, as a sponsor, we have operational costs such as legal, accounting, bookkeeping, donor management, auditing, insurance, and other administrative expenses associated with fiscal sponsorship. As a result, all fiscal sponsors require a fee from projects in exchange for these services.
While typical fiscal sponsors charge 10% or more, our rate is between 6% and 9% (charged on incoming donations), based on the size of the project budget and the complexity of its operations. We do not charge start-up or application fees and we hold a complimentary meeting with every project to review pricing based on your scope of work.
We are committed to only charging what is necessary to sustain our operations and provide a quality service to our sector. Fees earned through fiscal sponsorship also help support our organization’s general infrastructure which makes the rest of our work and mission possible. We are proud to be partners in the broader effort to build a world that works for all people and the planet.
Yes, we’re happy to take referrals. We’re also happy to talk through the in’s and out’s of fiscal sponsorship with anyone looking to learn more about how it works. Send an email to [email protected] introducing them to us and we’ll take it from there.
Great! We look forward to speaking with you. Email us at [email protected] with any materials or resources you already have – no need to create anything new. We’ll schedule a meeting to learn more about the project and discuss next steps. If it’s a fit, we’ll ask you to complete a brief online application (including mission, vision, service area, and basic budget information) and we’ll provide our fiscal sponsorship agreement for your review. Once the agreement is signed, we’ll be able to start accepting donations immediately. This process can be completed in a few days or take longer depending on the complexity of the project.