Fiscal sponsorship is one of the most practical tools available to the bioregional movement. It lets a project receive tax-deductible donations, apply for grants, run payroll, and hold insurance under nonprofit law, without first forming its own 501(c)(3). For an early-stage project, that can be the difference between starting this year and waiting three more.
The Department of Bioregion runs a Fiscal Sponsorship Program for projects whose work is rooted in place and aligned with our mission. This page explains what fiscal sponsorship is, the models we offer, who we sponsor, and how the arrangement works. When you are ready, see Apply for Fiscal Sponsorship.
At a glance
- Two models. Model A (comprehensive) or Model C (pre-approved grant relationship).
- Administrative fee: 10% of incoming revenue, excluding in-kind gifts. No fee on funds you bring with you.
- Review: Board approval, up to three months. We respond within one week of submission.
- Contact: fsp@deptofbioregion.org
What fiscal sponsorship is
Fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) nonprofit extends its legal and tax-exempt status to a project or group whose work aligns with its charitable mission. It lets individuals and unincorporated groups receive tax-deductible donations, apply for grants, and use established nonprofit infrastructure without first forming their own nonprofit. For some projects it is an incubator and a stepping stone toward independence. For others it is the long-term home they actually want. Both are legitimate.
The models we offer
The Department of Bioregion follows the fiscal sponsorship models codified in Gregory Colvin’s Fiscal Sponsorship: Six Ways to Do It Right, and practiced by sponsors such as the Tides Center. We offer two.
Model A: Comprehensive
Your project becomes an official internal program of the Department of Bioregion. We hold legal, financial, and fiduciary responsibility, including funds, activities, and any employees. You lead and organize the work; we provide the legal home, the financial backend, and the oversight the IRS requires of every sponsor. Best for early-stage projects, individual organizers, and teams that want full backend support.
Model C: Pre-Approved Grant Relationship
Your project is a separate legal entity with its own structure and EIN. We receive donations and grants designated for the project and re-grant them under an approved scope of work. Best for established organizations and international partners that need a funding conduit while keeping their autonomy.
If you are not sure which fits, we will help you decide. Most applicants start with a conversation, not a form.
Who we sponsor
We sponsor individuals, groups, and initiatives helping to create a world of bioregions and thriving bioregional movements, whose work is rooted in place and aligned with our mission to regenerate local cultures, economies, and ecosystems. We support work that:
- Raises awareness of bioregions through education, research, or storytelling
- Grows bioregional movements and strengthens local resilience and belonging
- Presents bioregionalism as a practical, place-based alternative to extractive systems
- Protects what is special in each place: land, waters, species, languages, and cultural knowledge
- Advances grassroots governance, stewardship, mutual aid, and ecological repair
- Builds regenerative, non-extractive, place-based economies
- Centers frontline communities in climate and ecological justice
Geographic scope is universal. We sponsor projects across bioregions worldwide, not only Cascadia.
What sponsored projects receive
Once approved by our Board of Directors, your project joins our 501(c)(3) umbrella with access to:
- Tax-deductible donations and grant eligibility
- Coverage under our liability insurance for eligible activities
- A dedicated, separately tracked project fund
- Payroll and contractor payments, including across borders
- A mailing address and internal nonprofit tools
- End-of-year tax reporting and financial oversight
- Protection from personal liability for authorized activities
- Visibility through our website, newsletter, and social media
You keep full rights to your work and to the funds you raise, less the administrative fee, and either party can end the agreement if it is no longer a good fit.
The financial arrangement
All donations, grants, ticket sales, and other revenue are received by the Department of Bioregion and deposited into your project’s dedicated fund. We deduct a 10% administrative fee on incoming revenue, excluding in-kind gifts, to support the shared services that make sponsorship possible: insurance, grant and tax reporting, payroll administration, financial oversight, and communications. A 10% rate sits at the lower end of the field’s standard range of 5 to 15 percent. No fee is charged on assets or balances you bring with you.
What we ask
- Uphold our values and refrain from illegal or unethical activity
- Keep your project fund balance positive
- Stay in regular contact and keep us informed
- Share budget and impact information for annual reporting (due March 15 and September 15)
- Acknowledge your affiliation publicly, using language such as “a program of the Department of Bioregion, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit”
Reporting is twice a year and story-based, not exhaustive paperwork. We exist to make this lighter, not heavier.
How fiscal sponsorship serves the movement
Bioregional organizing is distributed by nature. The work happens in watersheds, on coastlines, in cities and small towns, and no single nonprofit can or should hold all of it. A sponsor handles the parts of nonprofit life that do not need to be reinvented in every bioregion, so local teams can focus on the parts that must be local. We are not the only sponsor in this space, and we do not need to be; a healthy movement has many fiscal homes. Our contribution is a 501(c)(3) backbone tuned to bioregional values.
A growing number of people are recognizing that to secure the clean air, water, and food that we need to survive healthfully, we have to become guardians of the places where we live.
Lansing Scott, First Cascadia Bioregional Congress, 1986
Documents available on request
- 501(c)(3) determination letter
- Completed Form W-9
- Certificate of insurance and incident report template
- Bi-annual reporting template
- Fund deposit form
For these or any questions before you apply, write to fsp@deptofbioregion.org.
Ready to apply?
Start at Apply for Fiscal Sponsorship. Not sure fiscal sponsorship is the right structure? If you want to start or grow a place-based team, see the Bioregional Incubator.