A fiscal sponsorship is when a nonprofit extends their legal and tax-exempt status to groups/projects that honor the organization’s vision and values. The nonprofit may also support the groups/projects in other ways, given a number of variables and factors.

1. Group/project is eligible to pursue nonprofit status if they should so choose at any time (project is not for personal financial profit or gain).

2. Project is Native designed, Native led, and provides not-for-profit resources and/or services directly to Indigenous communities.

3. Project displays and practices clear alignment with HRI values and vision.

4. Preferred: Project centers the self-determined needs, interests, and futures of California Native Tribes, groups, and leaders.

5. Preferred (2025): Project is self-starting, self-sufficient, and not in need of fundraising support or hands-on management.

1. A few meetings with our team to learn about you, your work, and your vision. We may also ask to speak with your collaborators, community partners, and/or elders and advisors (1-2 months).

2. Formal review and approval (or, at times, denial) of your written project proposal, including letters of support, by the HRI Board of Directors (1-3 months).

3. Negotiations of a contractual agreement between yourself and HRI (1-2 months).

4. Set-up of accounts, access, etc (1 month).

Additionally, HRI will ask for a quarterly progress report. This can be a formal written report or it can involve HRI attendance at a set meeting, event, or gathering, etc, when and where appropriate.

• Extended tax-exempt status through HRI’s 501(c)3.

• Extended coverage under HRI’s insurance.

• Support with processing of Independent Contractor Agreements (ICAs), W-9s, W-2s, 1099s, and monthly, quarterly, and annual payments, accounting, and reporting.

• A dedicated nonprofit checking account to receive project-related grants and donations, and from which to issue checks and payments to partners and vendors.

• A dedicated debit card for project-related expenses.

• A dedicated HRI email from which to issue all project-related communications.

• Access to HRI’s unlimited Drive storage for all project-related docs, sheets, presentations, images, etc.

• Additional coaching, consulting, and design (pending HRI capacity and availability)

HRI deducts a small percentage of any incoming grant funds and/or individual donations to the fiscally sponsored project. Standard industry practice is 5-15% depending on the degree to which the fiscal sponsor (that’s us) provides additional services. Currently, HRI asks a 10% fee in exchange for providing basic banking, accounting, and minor administrative services. Based on internal capacity, HRI may at times offer the addition of organizational strategy and design, project management, governance consulting, technical training, and/or grant writing and fundraising, all of which would incur a higher fiscal sponsorship fee.

But what fiscal sponsorships really mean to us is that, outside our regular 9 to 5s in offices and conference rooms, we get to support hands-on community work at the grassroots level in small but tangible ways.

Its your hard work, vision, and dedication. We’re just happy to be a helpful step along the way.