photo credit Kristen Milliron
We provide an array of administrative, financial, fundraising, communications, and advocacy services so our fiscal partners can focus on the real work of benefiting people powered parks and public spaces. Since offering fiscal sponsorship in 2011, we have supported over 300 community projects and alliances throughout King County.
Services we offer to fiscal partners:
- 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status for grant eligibility under Seattle Parks Foundation
- Hosted web page on the Seattle Parks Foundation website to showcase your project, key accomplishments, and encourage contributions
- Exclusive donation page with automated tax receipting for all online contributions
- Donor management, inclusive of donation acknowledgements and receipting
- Access to an online portal with information specific to your project including active grants, expense tracking, revenue, and donor reporting
- Coordination of insurance coverage and (by request) liability insurance certificate for up to $1 million per occurrence and $2 million in aggregate
- Annual distribution of 1099-MISC for vendors/contractors as required
- Grant application review, administration and record-keeping
- Resources and toolkits to best serve your project, inclusive of event tutorials, grantsmanship resources, communications support, and more
- Promotion of your events and volunteer opportunities via SPF’s website, eNews, and social media accounts
- Non-legal review of contracts and agreements (to provide feedback and to support contract negotiations)
We aim to provide the best support for our community partners and are always exploring how we can improve their experience with our organization.
Recent updates to our Sponsorship Program include:
Our Fiscal Sponsorship Structure
Generous donors who support our operations help to cover 50% of our fiscal sponsorship program expenses. The remaining administrative costs are applied to incoming project contributions to ensure we can continue to offer exceptional support to our fiscal partners. Explore our sponsorship levels below.
For fiscal partners, our Standard Sponsorship is 10% of the grant award or donation of all funds raised, unless otherwise agreed upon. This includes:
- Accounting and Operations: Financial processing, 501(c)(3) status and management, tax compliance, access to insurance, and contract feedback.
- Fundraising: Grant support, gift processing and receipting, access to online giving platforms, and fundraising toolkits.
- Marketing and Communications: Project page on SPF website, promotion of your project and events in SPF social media posts and emails, access to partner network, and a quarterly members-only eNews.
- Partner/Advocacy Support: Onboarding, partner networking events, guidance for public funding and project navigation, and support from your project liaison.
This sponsorship is available for projects led by people of color, rooted in community, and focused on justice, accessibility, and equity at a subsidized rate of 8%.
This includes:
- Accounting and Operations: Financial processing, 501(c)(3) status and management, tax compliance, access to insurance, and contract feedback.
- Fundraising: Grant support, gift processing and receipting, access to online giving platforms, and fundraising toolkits.
- Marketing and Communications: Project page on SPF website, promotion of your project and events in SPF social media posts and emails, access to partner network, and a quarterly members-only eNews.
- Partner/Advocacy Support: Onboarding, partner networking events, guidance for public funding and project navigation, and support from your project liaison.
This sponsorship is available at a rate of 12% for high visibility projects with complex scope, as well as endowments and capital campaigns. This includes:
- Accounting and Operations: Financial processing, 501(c)(3) status and management, tax compliance, access to insurance, and contract feedback.
- Fundraising: Grant support, gift processing and receipting, access to online giving platforms, and fundraising toolkits.
- Marketing and Communications: Project page on SPF website, promotion of your project and events in SPF social media posts and emails, access to partner network, and a quarterly members-only eNews.
- Partner/Advocacy Support: Onboarding, partner networking events, guidance for public funding and project navigation, and support from your project liaison.
Who We Provide Fiscal Sponsorship To
Seattle Parks Foundation supports partners whose projects:
- Increase access, accessibility, and/or activation in community, parks and public spaces
- Advocate for identity-based affinity groups that have historically been excluded from parks and public spaces
- Have shared, inclusive, diverse, and accountable community leadership with a diverse steering committee
- Are supported by the broader community, including a steering committee representing diverse interests
- If place-based: are supported by relevant public agencies, and has (or plans to obtain) permission from landowner
- Are supported by partners who will ensure ongoing and high-level stewardship
- Can (or plans to) attract funding from community donors, public grants, and other funders
- Have specific goals, regular financial activity, and the capacity (or plans to build capacity) to deliver on commitments
Testimonials
As always, SPF provides indispensable administrative support services allowing orgs like ours to establish ourselves without overbuilding and investing in a ton of overhead. I am grateful that this administrative function is finally getting the budget commitment it needs to be sustainable.
Sean Watts
Community Land Conservancy
The initiation of our grant could not have happened without you. The resource/information you provided to assist us in understanding how to process a city Small SparksGrant was essential. Communications were clear, professional and encouraging. I loved working with you all!
Meg Olsen
Judkins Park P-Patch
Seattle Parks Foundation comes with a suite of services that includes communications, best practices, and fundraising opportunities that would have been extremely difficult to pull together for our low-profile grassroots project.