It often begins with a phone call, an email, or a conversation at a community event. A group of neighbors wants to improve a playground, passionate citizens want to start a new festival, or a growing initiative needs financial oversight to keep moving forward. Each fiscal sponsorship begins with a mission and can find its footing through partnership with the Winona Community Foundation.
What Is a Fiscal Sponsorship? A fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a qualified 501(c)(3) organization—such as the Winona Community Foundation—extends its charitable status, administrative support, and financial management to a charitable project or group that does not yet have its own nonprofit designation.
Said another way, fiscal sponsorship allows the people behind the project do the work and focus on the mission, while the Foundation provides the charitable and financial infrastructure needed to operate responsibly and effectively. Projects must have a clear charitable purpose, begin with a conversation with Foundation staff, and complete a fiscal sponsorship application reviewed by the Board of Directors. A fiscal sponsorship needs to operate as a mini nonprofit with a budget and board of directors (or advisory board).
The Winona Community Foundation is proud to serve both as a fiscal agent for ongoing charitable causes and as an incubator for up‑and‑coming nonprofit organizations. Nordic Ski Club of Winona, Ready Set School, BK5K Youth, Goodfellows, Dive & Rescue, Winona Area Toys for Kids, and others, operate under the Foundation’s fiscal sponsorship arrangement. Meanwhile, organizations such as Engage Winona, Mid‑West Music Fest, Frozen River Film Festival, and Sandbar Storytelling Festival demonstrate the full arc of success: started from an idea, grew under a fiscal sponsorship arrangement, and finally launched as their own 501(c)(3)s.
“The Winona Community Foundation allows us to focus solely on our fundraising and contribution goals to Nordic skiing in Winona. Thanks to the foundation, we do not have to worry about the book work that comes along with running a non-profit.” -Jason Mork, Nordic Ski Club of Winona
“The Winona Community Foundation was instrumental in helping the Sandbar Storytelling Festival (SSF) to grow into a successful nonprofit organization. WCF was a safe place for us to share our vision, to grow financially, and to learn how to manage and maintain a lasting organization. … We still maintain a growing fund, appreciate the grant opportunities offered, and look forward to the moments when we can just stop by the office and say hello to our colleagues!” -Judy Myers, M.F.A., Sandbar Storytelling Festival.
We are proud to partner with and strengthen charitable projects that make a lasting impact in this place we call home. For more information, or to discuss if your project or initiative is the right fit, contact us at wcf@winonacf.org or call 507.454.6511.
