FISCAL
SPONSORSHIP
INSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE
Holistic Support
What is Fiscal Sponsorship?
501(c)3 Tax-Exempt status extended to mission aligned projects & organizations.
Non-profits with budgets of $50,000 to $3M spend anywhere from 10-25% of their budget on bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, tax-filing, legal compliance, benefits administration, and what can seem like endless paperwork. Not to mention the time and energy that could have been saved spent on your mission. Instead, it is spent on hold with the IRS and mailing letters to the Secretary of State for the 3rd time.
As a fiscally sponsored project of Holistic Underground Inc., you’ll be able to raise money for your project through state and federal grants, private foundation grants, donor-advised funds, and tax-deductible donations, without needing to form or manage those aspects of a nonprofit organization. Instead, you will be supported by a top-tier team, and become a part of a global community of impact with over 50 other projects.
Types of Fiscal Sponsorship
Model A vs. Model C
Model A
or “Direct Project” Fiscal Sponsorship
All your project’s accounting, bookkeeping, insurance, compliance, HR, payroll, contracting, invoice payments, and other administrative functions are operated by the HU Fiscal Sponsorship Team.
Model C
or “Re-Granting” Fiscal Sponsorship
We provide a non-profit account for you to fundraise, and a community of support. You handle your own bookkeeping, accounting, insurance & administration, with the templates we provide.
Features
Description
Model A
Model C
Featured Sponsored Projects
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AshEL Elrdige, Co-founder - Esphera
“After participating in the Embrace incubator and joining the HU village as a fiscal sponsee, the capacity of our work has deepened in its impact and focus. The skilled coaching and community engagement, being both practical and spiritual, gave us a unique and emergent home in a world hungry for holistic solutions.”
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Needa Bee - Founder - The Village in Oakland
“Our experience with Holistic Underground as our fiscal sponsor has been a sigh of relief. Their team is very accessible, helpful and patient with onboarding us and working through grants, banking and record keeping. With Holistic Underground alleviating me of the record keeping, reporting, keeping up with non-profit law and requirements it has completely freed up my time to focus on what our organization is meant to do: be in the streets to serve our curbside communities.”
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Carolyn Griffeth, Founder--Earthkeeper Wisdom School
“The Holistic Underground has supported us to bring our dream of creating a school of intuitive ritual and ceremonial craft to fruition. We have greatly benefited from their fundraising suggestions and logistical help which has allowed us to begin to receive grants. We are quite astonished with how much our organization has grown in one year with Holistic Underground's support.”
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George Cheng, Founder - Nawabu Culture
“I'm so grateful to have HU as a fiscal sponsor. Not only is it a values-aligned organization, but also an organization that is rooted in the community that it serves. I have always felt the full support of the work that my organization is bringing, and the overlap of a shared vision of working toward collective liberation is what makes HU a great organization to collaborate with. Thank you, HU for being who you are and for showing up.”
We handle Accounting, Payroll, Taxes, HR, Legal Compliance…
So you can focus on doing the work that aligns with your mission. On average, non profits spend 15-25% of their revenue on these aspects alone, and this does not include the time it takes, the learning curve, and the opportunity cost.
Join a Diverse Community of Practice
Where transformative collaborations, introductions and relationships are occurring all the time. Through our partnership with Embrace Community, fiscally sponsored project leads are woven into networking events and gatherings IRL and URL.
Additional Member Benefits
Collectively we have 50+ years of experience in the non-profit sector, and we love sharing our knowledge and experience with our sponsored projects. We created this service because so many of our people reported experiences of fiscal sponsors having a transactional relationship, or not understanding the cultural and deeper dimensions of their work. We are different. We are a community of competent, caring people who want to see you win.
Currently Sponsored Projects
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Currently Sponsored Projects ❈
Community development, support for refugees, health equity research, legal services and more, empowering immigrants for a brighter tomorrow. Received public funding from California tobacco tax investments, and fiscally Sponsored by Holistic Underground.
Led by Sudanese-American lawyer, Gamila Halim, staffed by professional women specialists in civic engagement and health services, Communities Upwards has built health equity programs, community leadership and public participation links among the Middle Eastern population in the Bay Area.
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To create a society where all immigrants, especially women, can flourish. They provide vital support, resources, and advocacy, ensuring integration, cultural exchange, and holistic well-being. Together, they aim to break barriers and illuminate the path to a brighter future.
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In partnership with the University of California Office of the President and the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, CU initiated California’s first significant study focusing on Middle Eastern Immigrant Women in the state. Furthermore, they have done important research with this community regarding breast cancer prevention and the impact of refined sugar on families and communities. Beyond just research, CU is engaged in exploring culturally relevant interventions and solutions.
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Communities Upwards has been an essential resource for refugee communities from North and East Africa seeking political support in the United States.
The word “Nawabu” is an Indigenous Brazilian word that means “all of the people,” and the organization's purpose is to bring about transformative social change through Indigenous wisdom, arts & culture, community, and spirituality.
Fiscally sponsored by Holistic Underground, Nawabu Culture works with Indigenous leaders and their communities in the Brazilian Amazon Forest and support them with cultural preservation, creating economic opportunities, and amplifying their environmental stewardship, all through a variety of projects.
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Being a bridge and bringing people together from all walks of life to reconnect with Indigenous wisdom and bring forth a collective culture that supports life and healing.
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During the pandemic, we were able to provide immediate relief to more than 14 indigenous communities in Brazil, as well we installed a water pump system that benefited more than 300 families, installed solar panels for sustainable electricity, and provided agricultural tools to the villages.
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Throughout this project, we reconnected indigenous communities practices through music events, festivals and social interactions that also worked to face and discuss the socio-political problems that the Amazonian community faces
Fiscally sponsored by HU, The Village in Oakland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improve the quality of life of Oakland residents who have been displaced into the streets during this unprecedented housing affordability crisis; creating education and arts activities for unhoused residents; offering leadership development of unhoused residents and housed allies; opportunities for gaining media literacy and media work; and advocating for practices that will treat unhoused residents with respect and dignity and policies that will end homelessness.
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Decriminalization of homelessness, access to basic life sustaining needs, and equitable housing for all Bay Area communities.
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The Village has evolved to become one of the leading homeless advocacy groups in Oakland and California and their work has grown into 11 programs and direct services for people.
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The Village in Oakland prioritizes developing unhoused leaders to advocate for themselves and their curbside communities. Participating in the Homeless Advocacy Working Group; speaking out at City Council and County Board of Supervisor meetings; helping draft, write or inform policies that impact unhoused residents; and contributing to policy research reports are some of the ways we encourage and support unhoused residents to participate in policy advocacy work.
Oaxxanda is a black-owned land cooperative. By cooperatively purchasing and developing rural and urban property, Oaxxanda Coop is opening in-roads for black land ownership and stewardship, environmental and financial education, developing sustainable lifestyles, and more. The flagship land project in Berry Creek California is currently under development as an regenerative eco-village, and the Oakland based property will be an artist cooperative live-work space.
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Liberation through restoring ecosystems, regenerating communities, storytelling and remembering divinity
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Esphera partners up with local organizations, activists, local farmers, gardeners, health and wellness workers, nutritionists, culinary artists, herbalists, and healers committed to bringing essential food and medicines to all and finding collective liberation
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They aim to provide the sacred service of natural healing and detox to support communities with addictions or mental health diseases, helping them recover and life a life with harmony and peace.
OSC offers JEDI practices to companies and organizations dedicated to working with environmental and sustainable activities.
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Decriminalization of homelessness, access to basic life sustaining needs, and equitable housing for all Bay Area communities.
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The Village has evolved to become one of the leading homeless advocacy groups in Oakland and California and their work has grown into 11 programs and direct services for people.
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The Village in Oakland prioritizes developing unhoused leaders to advocate for themselves and their curbside communities. Participating in the Homeless Advocacy Working Group; speaking out at City Council and County Board of Supervisor meetings; helping draft, write or inform policies that impact unhoused residents; and contributing to policy research reports are some of the ways we encourage and support unhoused residents to participate in policy advocacy work.
The One Acre Project (“OAP”) administers the Fundo Sitaramaya, a 70 acre parcel located in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru, outside the city of Iquitos. Fiscally sponsored by Holistic Underground, OAP wants to conserve 70 acres of land in the region and preserve delicate balance of native forest trees, plants, birds, animals, insects, reptiles and waterways.
The One Acre Project also supports an extended family of caregivers who live on the Fundo, and their children residing in nearby villages so they can have access to schools. They provide tuition and school fees for the children to receive a good education. They also provide living wages and health care.
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Preserve the 70 acres of luscious land and ecosystem in the Amazon Rainforest in Peru to conserve natural resources, specially a big portion of medicine plants, as well to support underserved indigenous communities in the region.
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During the Covid-19 pandemic, the inflation in Peru grew to %8.64, causing illegal poachers to hunt wildlife and deforest nature. Many of the most important plants have also been stolen, including the Ayahuasca vine. Therefore, OAP is resisting deforestation and climate change.
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OAP has helped build a sustainable and agricultural community with local people, providing them with living wages, educational resources and health services.
Fiscally sponsored by HU, Esphera is a healing non-profit organization that creates liberation through food, medicine and media. Esphera recovers, transforms, and distributes food surplus and natural medicines and provides education and support to unhoused, formerly incarcerated, low income and indigenous communities to further the regeneration of people and land.
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Liberation through restoring ecosystems, regenerating communities, storytelling and remembering divinity
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Esphera partners up with local organizations, activists, local farmers, gardeners, health and wellness workers, nutritionists, culinary artists, herbalists, and healers committed to bringing essential food and medicines to all and finding collective liberation
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They aim to provide the sacred service of natural healing and detox to support communities with addictions or mental health diseases, helping them recover and life a life with harmony and peace.
Arts and culture non-profit organization fiscally sponsored by HU dedicated to spread Sudanese music, dances and culture among the Bay Area.
Also led by our longtime collaborator, Gamila Halim, Shabbal Dance aims to connect Sudanese diaspora in California with their roots and ancestors, so they can feel proud of their identity and thrive with who they are.
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Promote Sudanese culture through events, activities and integration in the Bay Area
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Dance is the expression of the body and soul, therefore Shabbal utilizes dance to connect with their Sudanese roots and have a sense of belonging.
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Shabbal Dance group is a place of integration among Sudanese communities in the East Bay, where they can reconnect, thrive and be supported.
Born as a project rooted from HU, The Community aims to seek for healing and liberation among community leaders and practitioners.
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Creating a safe space of healing and liberation for leaders and communities in the Bay Area.
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The Embrace aims to contribute to the social impact of leaders taking action in underserved communities in Oakland, making itself as a incubator of possibilities and nourishment.
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Every event held by The Embrace represents a place of love, liberation and healing.
Reviving living culture through Earth-reverent, soul-nourishing ritual & ceremony
Earthkeeper Wisdom School
A Fiscally Sponsored Project of Holistic Underground Inc.
In these perilous times marked by rapid unraveling, something amazingly beautiful is simultaneously happening.
We are reimagining ways of coming together around what is most sacred and most nourishing to our souls. We are discovering rituals to honor life's sacred rites of passage, to grieve and heal, to commune with Earth, Spirit, and Ancestors, and to co-create a more just and liberated future.
Earthkeeper Wisdom School serves this reemergence of sacred, soul-nourishing culture through apprenticeship in intuitive ritual and ceremony. Led by ritualist Carolyn Griffeth and song leader Lyndsey Scott, Earthkeepers catches and co-creates original rituals and ceremonies for our times, with hearts of devotion, in deep partnership with land and ancestry.
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Earthkeeper Wisdom School revives living culture through Earth-reverent, soul-nourishing ritual & ceremony in three ways:
꩜ We catch and co-create original ritual forms that support the blossoming of soul and the thriving of community.
꩜ We apprentice those called to be sacred space holders and ritual weavers for these times.
꩜ We support community leaders to craft liberatory rituals that inspire social change and facilitate collective healing.
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A 10-month journey within a deep, immersive learning cohort for those called to ritually tend to life's sacred thresholds, to the wholeness of their communities, and to the balance between the human and more-than-human world.
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If you are still in the fundraising stage, but all other aspects of your application are aligned with Holistic Underground, we can provide you with a special MOU that indicates to donors that when you have successfully raised the resources necessary, your projects will be fiscally sponsored by Holistic Underground. Note that the minimum budget requirement still applies. Projects that don’t reach their fundraising goal but still seek sponsorship may be referred to one of our trusted peers in the field.
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Yes! We’ve found that many projects who work with us have not received adequate support or cultural attunement from their past fiscal sponsors, so we’re happy to help you move over to a working with us if you are dissatisfied with your current fiscal sponsor. You can indicate this in your application.
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Absolutely. Many projects choose fiscal sponsorship until they’ve reached a certain scale of budget and operations where incurring the costs of administrating a 501c3 makes sense. When that time comes, we will support you with the transition to the 501c3 you have set up, including a transfer of all your funds.
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Yes. If you’re a fiscally sponsored project with us and you secure your own tax-exempt nonprofit status, we will simply transfer all of your funds over to you when the time comes.
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You can share any questions you have in the application, and leave blank irrelevant areas or write “N/A” or contact us using the contact form with any further questions.
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Fiscal sponsorship is a relationship where an existing nonprofit extends its tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status to another project or organization that aligns with its mission. This allows the sponsored project to operate under the nonprofit’s umbrella without setting up a separate legal entity.
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It eliminates the need for a new nonprofit to go through complex legal and compliance processes, such as IRS filings and state registrations. It also saves time and resources, allowing organizations to focus on their mission instead of administrative tasks.
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Studies show that new nonprofits spend 15-25% of their annual budget on administrative tasks like accounting, payroll, and HR. Fiscal sponsorship helps reduce these costs by handling back-end operations, allowing more funds to go toward the organization's mission.
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Fiscal sponsorship allows organizations to focus on their core mission by handling administrative tasks such as payroll, accounting, and compliance. The existing nonprofit shares its infrastructure, reducing the burden of managing these back-end operations.
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No, you still remain the owner, leader, and director of your project. Fiscal sponsorship is a partnership where the nonprofit provides administrative support, but you continue to lead and make decisions for your initiative.
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Consider your stage of development and administrative capacity. Newer projects with funding but limited resources benefit from fiscal sponsorship by avoiding legal and financial overhead. Established organizations that want to streamline operations without hiring extensive staff may also find it beneficial.
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Fiscal sponsorship can work for organizations with budgets as small as $10,000 up to $5 million. Some projects have large budgets but small teams, investing most funds in direct services rather than administrative staff, making fiscal sponsorship an efficient solution.
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Organizations often transition when they reach a multimillion-dollar budget and need to hire multiple staff members to manage administrative functions. At this stage, it may make sense to establish independent infrastructure rather than relying on a fiscal sponsor.
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Many funders prefer to donate to established organizations with a proven track record. Being fiscally sponsored gives donors confidence that their contributions are managed by a reputable nonprofit with a history of compliance and financial responsibility.
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Yes, fiscal sponsors often introduce sponsored projects to valuable networks, including funders, collaborators, and partners. This helps organizations connect with like-minded initiatives and expand their impact within their field.
Questions?
We’ve got answers.
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Model C is generally more affordable, with fees ranging from 3% to 8% of incoming funds, depending on the nonprofit. Model A costs more because it provides full administrative support, including payroll and bookkeeping. The exact percentage varies based on the fiscal sponsor's services.
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Model A offers full financial management, including payroll, tax compliance, bookkeeping, and grant reporting. The nonprofit handles all legal and financial responsibilities, allowing the project leader to focus solely on their mission without administrative burdens.
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Model C allows more independence but requires the project leader to ensure proper tax reporting. Since funds pass through the nonprofit but are legally separate, the project must work with a tax preparer to avoid classifying received funds as taxable income.
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In Model C, the project manages its own bookkeeping using tools like QuickBooks or YNAB, ensuring proper categorization for tax filing and funder reporting. In Model A, the fiscal sponsor handles all financial management, including tracking expenses, payroll, and tax filings, providing regular financial reports to the project leader.
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Reporting requirements depend on the donor type. Foundations usually require detailed financial and impact reports, tracking expenditures and project outcomes. Private donors may only need a letter of acknowledgment for tax purposes, while government grants often demand extensive documentation and compliance reporting.