Fiscal Sponsorship FAQ

Art Jewelry Forum offers a fiscal sponsorship program to the art jewelry community as a way to further support the field. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about fiscal sponsorship to help you determine if fiscal sponsorship is a good fit for your project. 

What is fiscal sponsorship?

Fiscal sponsorship is a way for an individual to be sheltered by the legal tax status of an established nonprofit that provides administrative support and financial oversight. Art Jewelry Forum’s fiscal sponsorship program assures funding agencies and contributors that funds received on behalf of sponsored projects are well-managed and disbursed according to the grant proposal and guidelines.

Will Art Jewelry Forum fund my project directly?

No–a fiscal sponsorship program is a way for you as an individual to access funding sources only available to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. Art Jewelry Forum’s fiscal sponsorship program would allow you to apply for grants from other institutions otherwise allocated for nonprofits.

So … where does the funding come from?

That is entirely up to you! You will need to research and locate foundations, institutions, granting organizations, or individual sponsors whose funding requirements match your project proposal’s goals.

When did Art Jewelry Forum become a 501(c)(3)?

Art Jewelry Forum has been a 501(c)(3) since 1999.

When did Art Jewelry Forum start its fiscal sponsorship program?

The first project we sponsored was in 2016.

How many projects has Art Jewelry Forum sponsored?

We have sponsored five projects since 2016.

I don’t live in the United States; do I have to be a US citizen to apply for Art Jewelry Forum’s fiscal sponsorship program?

No–while AJF is an American-based nonprofit, you do not have to be currently living in the United States or be an American citizen to apply for our fiscal sponsorship program.

Can I apply for fiscal sponsorship for a group project?

Yes.

What are the eligibility criteria?

At the most general, we are interested in sponsoring arts and culture projects. More specifically, Art Jewelry Forum offers the fiscal sponsorship program for the benefit of the art jewelry community. We are looking for projects/proposals that align with our mission of advocating for the field of art jewelry. There are three main components of our mission: education, discourse, and appreciation of art jewelry.

What types of projects does Art Jewelry Forum sponsor?

Types of projects can include academic scholarship, curatorial projects, creation-based proposals, educational community projects, and more. The key element is that the projects should be loosely related to the field of art jewelry.

How are projects selected:

An application for a fiscally sponsored project is reviewed by a committee that only convenes for this specific task. The members of the committee are selected based on their expertise and consist of board members and outside advisors.

What services are included in fiscal sponsorship?

The services we offer the projects we accept include:

Auditing
Bill paying
Bookkeeping/accounting
Receiving donations
Tax reporting

What is the fee for fiscal sponsorship?

The fiscal sponsorship fee is a flat rate of 10% of all earned and contributed income processed through Art Jewelry Forum.

How soon will I know if my application for fiscal sponsorship is accepted?

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Once a complete application is received, the review process typically takes four to six weeks.

When can I start applying for grants and fundraising for my project?

Grant submissions and fundraising can begin only after a project has been approved and accepted into AJF’s fiscal sponsorship program.

If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please email AJF at info (at) artjewelryforum (dot) org.

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