Sunday, July 08, 2007

Family Photos

This blog centers on Beauty of Water, an international art project in appreciation for water. For more information, please visit the Beauty of Water website.

Now and then I like to share personal photos. Here are recent shots taken by family friend Andrea McDonald. We are in the back yard at the home of my sister, Lynne, on the left in this photo, where I am currently living in Edmonds, Washington, USA. My sister Sarah is on the right. Sorry, you have to create a Costco account to view these, but so far they've been good about not spamming.

Fiscal Sponsorship Research

I have been researching fiscal sponsor organizations, comparing fees, services, requirements, and application procedures. Here are some of the entities we are looking at: Earth Island Institute, Fractured Atlas, Global Giving Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, Rose Foundation, Rudolph Steiner Foundation, Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, Tides Center, Universal Giving, and Work With Us. There are a couple of others, and we are open to new suggestions.

Fees and services: Fiscal sponsorship services include funds administration and accounting. The fees charged for fiscal sponsorship among these entities range from free to 10% of donations received, with most falling between 6% and 9%, plus a modest annual or quarterly fee.

Additional services offered may include: credit/debit card processing, grant support, fundraising guidance, online fundraising, leadership development, executive expertise, volunteer recruitment, human resource management, payroll, publicity, email marketing, community outreach, tabling at events, networking, technical support, website creation, content management design, database management, online tools such as forums, legal guidance, leases, contracts, insurance, and office space.

Project types: Here is a sampling of different types of projects the fiscal sponsors named above aim to partner with: environmental campaigns and programs, artists of numerous media, international social, economic, and environmental projects, community building, arts and culture, spiritual renewal, ecological restoration that makes a cultural impact by creating progressive change, environmental sustainability, international development, and youth development and organizing.

Simple application processes: While the application processes for each of these fiscal sponsors vary, it seems that the sponsors understand that there is a reason their applicants elect not to form their own non-profit organizations. That is, applicants are probably small and grassroots, hence the need for fiscal sponsorship. Most of the application procedures are relatively simple, which is refreshing and encouraging.