Intake Process
Apply for Fiscal Sponsorship at CultureWorks
Thanks for your interest in fiscal sponsorship! Our fiscal sponsorship program is geared towards those working in arts, culture, heritage, and social impact sectors. We welcome new projects to join our community of creative practitioners and social entrepreneurs.
Please review this page in full to learn more our intake process and readiness criteria.
Prefer to listen? Check out our video talk-through of this page.
INTAKE PROCESS
Our intake process is designed to provide a solid foundation for an ongoing partnership. We learn about your project and assess your readiness for fiscal sponsorship. We also tell you more about our services and how we work, so you can determine if our approach is right for you.
The intake process involves a series of steps:
Read this page in full and review our readiness criteria below. Also take a look at the manuals in our online toolkit to learn more about our policies and procedures.
Submit an initial request through our interest form. (NOTE: This is the first step!)
During the next intake window our staff will send you the 360 Assessment Form and application details.
Submit your 360 Assessment Form and any other requested materials by the due date.
After we’ve reviewed your application, our staff will schedule a 30-minute 360 Assessment Meeting to talk more.
If we determine your project is a good candidate for fiscal sponsorship, we’ll confirm whether to move forward with the Model A (comprehensive) or Model C (pre-approved grant) track. Then the onboarding process will begin!
timeline
CultureWorks reviews fiscal sponsorship applications 3-4 times a year, depending on interest and our capacity.
Our next intake process will run from June-July 2024, with applications due July 15.
June 6 at 5pm: Intro to Fiscal Sponsorship Workshop (virtual, free!). We’ll present the basics of our fiscal sponsorship program. Register now.
June 17: Intake window opens; submit the interest form to get started. Our staff will send the 360 Assessment Form to those already on the waitlist, as well as those who submit interest forms after this date.
July 15: 360 Assessment Form due
Rolling through July 26: 360 Assessment Meetings, to be scheduled individually
July 31: Notification of acceptance
(NOTE: If we have a high volume of applicants, this may take longer. We’ll let you know if the timing shifts.)August-September: Onboarding process, see dates below
If you’re not quite ready for this round, our next intake window will be November 2024.
onboarding
Save-the-dates! If accepted into our fiscal sponsorship program, the onboarding process will involve the following steps. Note that details are still being firmed up, and dates may be subject to change.
Week of August 5: Agreement signing
By August 12: Welcome email with full onboarding details
(optional) August 14: Art Showcase at CultureWorks with Da Vinci Art Alliance (in-person)
August 20: Systems training for Model A projects (virtual)
August 21: Systems training for Model C projects (virtual)
TBD week of September 9: Co-working space and community orientation (in-person)
Types of Fiscal Sponsorship
We currently offer two types of fiscal sponsorship:
Model A - Comprehensive. This model offers the highest level of services and support, providing bookkeeping, insurances, payroll, contract-signing, grants management, and more. CultureWorks assesses a 12% service fee* from all project revenues, plus a $50/month membership fee.
Model C - Pre-approved grant. In this model, CultureTrust receives grants and donations on behalf of your project and re-grants them to you. You handle all other aspects of your business. CultureWorks assesses a 7% service fee* from contributed revenues only, plus a $50/month membership fee.
*Did you know? Fiscal sponsorship service fees typically cost less than what you would pay for the equivalent tools and services out of pocket. Plus you get the friendly support and expertise of our staff team!
READINESS CRITERIA
Fiscal sponsorship is a partnership that requires mutual investment. In our intake process, CultureWorks assesses potential projects for readiness to ensure we can begin our partnership on solid footing. We find that the projects who thrive have already done significant planning and preparation and are ready to take immediate advantage of our services.
We ask that potential projects meet the following readiness criteria before applying:
Mission & Vision: Your project has a clear mission statement. Vision and/or values statements are also recommended, though not required.
Alignment: Your project’s mission and programming align with CultureWorks’ mission and values.
Programming: Your project is either already running programming or has clear programming plans with a concrete timeline.
Team: Your project has identified more than one person to support the work, regardless of whether they serve in a volunteer or paid capacity, full or part-time, advisory or day-to-day.
Budget: Your team has drafted a budget for your project or can clearly list anticipated revenue and expenses. Feel free to use the budget template in our toolkit.
Fundraising or Business Plan: Your team has drafted a clear, concrete plan for how you will raise funds to cover your project’s expenses and you have identified sources of funding. The formatting of this plan can vary in formality or structure. Note that our fiscal sponsorship program is geared toward projects funded by philanthropic dollars or earned revenue (e.g. ticket sales, program service fees), rather than reimbursable government grants.
Current Funds: Your project has begun the process of sourcing pledges and funds from various identified sources. CultureWorks currently requires $10,000 in cash or pledged funds to be considered for Model A fiscal sponsorship.
Project Director Experience: Your project has designated an administrative point person (the Project Director) with prior experience in project or program management, fundraising, operations, and/or administration.
Commitment to Fiscal Sponsorship: Your team understands and commits to an initial fiscal sponsorship term of 2 years as defined by the CultureTrust fiscal sponsorship agreement.
What’s in a Name: cultureWorks vs. CultureTrust?
CultureWorks manages our fiscally sponsored projects under a separate business entity, CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia. The structure provides legal and financial protection for our projects.
Your project name will be “[Project Name] of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia.” Please use the CultureTrust name and EIN on all legal and financial documents.
But you can call us CultureWorks among friends.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Looking for extra help to get started? Here are some suggestions:
The Business Model Canvas is a free, downloadable tool to help map out all the aspects of your project.
The La Salle Nonprofit Center offers classes, trainings, and panels.
The Regional Foundation Center at the Free Library of Philadelphia holds regular workshops, offers access to grants databases, and provides online resources.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center holds Academically-Based Community Service (ABCS) courses on many topics, including financial literacy and nonprofits.
The National Council of Nonprofits has a strong list of Administration and Financial Management resources, including links to Budgeting Guides & Templates
Candid offers online live and pre-recorded workshops, a foundation directory, and templates for budgets and grant proposals.
Questions?
If you have further questions about our intake process, please contact James Haro, Fiscal Sponsorship Operations Manager.