“We are so lucky that … you’ve moved us along without a hitch. I sing your praises to everyone, every actor and artist I know, that we can all appreciate how lucky-lucky-lucky Seattle is to have your contribution to art.”
–Suzanne Bouchard, Shadow & Light Theatre, Shunpike Partner Artist
Fiscal Sponsorship Options
Shunpike offers two different solutions for projects and organizations in the arts. We work to set up effective practices and lasting organizational systems – without reinventing the wheel.
- The Partner Artists program offers fiscal sponsorship along with hands-on support and back office administration for arts groups and projects of all sizes.
- Basic fiscal sponsorship offers a simple solution for groups and projects needing fiscal sponsorship, but not full back office support.
| Program Comparison | ||
| Fiscal sponsorship |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Grants and donor coordination |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Free and discounted consultation in finance, fundraising, evaluation, and advisory board development |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Access to online library of helpful tools and templates |
Yes
|
Yes
|
| Bookkeeping, including financial reports | - |
Yes
|
| Tax reporting | - |
Yes
|
| License and permit tracking and reporting | - |
Yes
|
| Payroll, benefits administration and human resource management | - |
Yes
|
| Support and guidance in legal issues and documents | - |
Yes
|
| Help with procuring appropriate insurance policies | - |
Yes
|
How It Works
Fiscal sponsorship – sometimes called a “non-profit umbrella” – provides community-minded projects with the benefits of tax exemption, without needing to apply for and maintain IRS 501(c)(3) status.
At Shunpike, sponsored groups enter into a contract whereby they become an “Associated Program” of Shunpike. This allows the artist(s) to raise funds and otherwise act as if they were a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit. In exchange, Associated Programs are required to act in a manner consistent with such a non-profit and coordinate their activities with Shunpike.
View our current partners to see which organizations are participating in the Fiscal Sponsorship program.
