Intake Process
Apply for Fiscal Sponsorship at CultureWorks
Thanks for your interest in fiscal sponsorship at CultureWorks!
Our fiscal sponsorship program is geared towards arts, culture, heritage, and social impact sectors.
Please review this page in full to learn about our intake process and readiness criteria.
NOTE: CultureWorks’ fiscal sponsorship program is currently full. We will not hold an Intake Window in Spring 2025. If you would like to be added to our waitlist, please complete the Interest Form and we may consider applications on a case-by-case basis as capacity allows. Stay tuned for details about the Fall 2025 Intake Window.
Video walkthrough of this page:
Intake Process
Our intake process is designed to provide a solid foundation for an ongoing partnership. We learn about your project and assess your readiness for fiscal sponsorship. We also tell you more about our services and how we work, so you can determine if our approach is right for you.
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The intake process involves a series of steps:
Preparation. Review the readiness criteria below and prepare the requested information. Take a look at the manuals in our online toolkit to learn more about our policies and procedures.
Interest Form. Submit our online form to start the application process.
360 Application. We will send you the full application during our next Intake Window (fall and spring), or as needed for time-sensitive situations.
360 Interview. After we’ve reviewed your application, our staff will schedule a meeting to talk more.
Notification. We will let you know whether we're ready to move forward with fiscal sponsorship for your project, whether we believe additional preparation is necessary, or whether your project might be better served elsewhere.
Timeline
NOTE: CultureWorks’ fiscal sponsorship program is currently full. We will not hold an Intake Window in Spring 2025. If you would like to be added to our waitlist, please complete the Interest Form and we may consider applications on a case-by-case basis as capacity allows. Stay tuned for details about the Fall 2025 Intake Window.
Intake Windows
CultureWorks typically holds Intake Windows twice a year, in the fall and the spring. The fall cycle is for projects looking to start in January, and the spring cycle is for projects starting in July.
Time-sensitive Applications
We may consider applications outside of intake rounds, depending on timing and capacity. In your Interest Form, please indicate if there is a time-sensitive reason to consider your application outside of an Intake Window. Our standard turnaround time to process a fiscal sponsorship application is one month. We are unable to consider requests with less than two weeks’ notice.
Which type of fiscal sponsorship?
We currently offer two types of fiscal sponsorship: Comprehensive (Model A) and Contributed-Only (Model C). Both types allow projects to accept donations and apply for grants under our nonprofit tax status. If you’re not certain which is best for you, we can help to advise you during the application process.
Fiscally sponsored projects are housed within our 501(c)(3) charitable trust, CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia. The two models each have a distinct relationship with the Trust.
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SERVICES:
Integrated into CultureTrust as part of our organization.
Full suite of administrative services provided, including financial management and bookkeeping, insurances, payroll/benefits, contracts, compliance, and maintaining 501(c)(3) tax status.
Close partnership with our staff team.
Complimentary access to our coworking space.
Free or discounted tickets to CultureWorks workshops and events.
Promotion of your events through our social media and newsletters.
FEES:
12% allocation fee on all revenues, plus $50/month membership fee.
Must have $10,000 in cash or pledges to be eligible. (12% service fee applies to the initial deposit.)
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SERVICES:
Arms-length relationship to CultureTrust; we recommend setting up an LLC or other business entity.**
Management of contributed revenue only, including receiving donations and grants on your project's behalf. Funds are then disbursed to your business entity. You are responsible for all other aspects of your business, including earned revenue, expenses, insurances, payroll, etc.
Staff team available for support around contributed revenue.
Complimentary access to our coworking space.
Free or discounted tickets to CultureWorks workshops and events.
Promotion of your events through our social media and newsletters.
FEES:
7% allocation fee on contributed revenue only, plus $50/month membership fee.
$1,000 in cash or pledges recommended to cover first year membership fee
**NOTE: We recommend setting up a business entity to separate your projects' activities from your personal finances. Please consult your tax advisor about the best option for your situation.
*Did you know? For most of our projects, the fiscal sponsorship allocation fees are less than out-of-pocket costs for equivalent tools and services. Plus you get the friendly support and expertise of our staff team!
Readiness Criteria
Fiscal sponsorship is a partnership that requires mutual investment. In our intake process, CultureWorks assesses potential projects for readiness to ensure we can begin our partnership on solid footing. We find that the projects who thrive have already done significant planning and preparation and are ready to take immediate advantage of our services.
We ask that potential projects meet the following readiness criteria before applying:
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Your project has a clear mission statement. Vision and/or values statements are also recommended, though not required. Your work falls within IRS parameters for charitable purposes (NOTE: arts & culture typically fits under the education umbrella).
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Your project’s mission and programming align with CultureWorks’ mission and values.
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Your project is either already running programming or has clear programming plans with a concrete timeline. If this is a new initiative, you must be able to clearly articulate the who/what/when/where of your anticipated programs.
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Your project has identified more than one person to support the work, regardless of whether they serve in a volunteer or paid capacity, full or part-time, advisory or day-to-day.
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Your team has drafted a budget for your project that clearly details anticipated revenue and expenses. Your budget seems realistic and achievable for your scope of programming and team capacity. Feel free to use the budget template in our toolkit.
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Your team has drafted a clear, concrete plan for how you will raise funds to cover your project’s expenses. You have identified specific sources of funding and have concrete next steps.
Note that our fiscal sponsorship program is geared toward projects funded by philanthropic dollars or earned revenue (e.g. ticket sales, program service fees), rather than reimbursable government grants.
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Your project has begun the process of sourcing pledges and funds from various identified sources.
CultureWorks currently requires $10,000 in cash or pledged funds to be considered for Model A (Comprehensive) fiscal sponsorship, and $1,000 for Model C (Contributed-Only).
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Your project has designated an administrative point person (the Project Director) with prior experience in project or program management, fundraising, operations, and/or administration.
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Your team understands and commits to an initial fiscal sponsorship term of 2 years as defined by the CultureTrust fiscal sponsorship agreement.
What’s in a Name?
You might wonder why you see the name CultureWorks in some places and CultureTrust in others.
CultureWorks is our umbrella organization and public brand. We manage our fiscally sponsored projects under a separate business entity, CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia. The structure provides legal and financial protection for our projects.
If you join our fiscal sponsorship program, your project’s legal name will be “[Project Name] of CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia.” Please be sure to use the CultureTrust name and EIN on all legal and financial documents.
Additional Resources
Looking for extra help to get started? Here are some suggestions:
The Business Model Canvas is a free, downloadable tool to help map out all the aspects of your project.
The La Salle Nonprofit Center offers classes, trainings, and panels.
The Regional Foundation Center at the Free Library of Philadelphia holds regular workshops, offers access to grants databases, and provides online resources.
The University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center holds Academically-Based Community Service (ABCS) courses on many topics, including financial literacy and nonprofits.
The National Council of Nonprofits has a strong list of Administration and Financial Management resources, including links to Budgeting Guides & Templates
Candid offers online live and pre-recorded workshops, a foundation directory, and templates for budgets and grant proposals.
Questions?
If you have further questions about our intake process, please contact James Haro, Fiscal Sponsorship Operations Manager.