• Step 1: Fit
• Step 2: Eligibility
• Step 3: Letter of Inquiry
• Step 4: Application
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Additional Resources

Eligibility

At this point, you understand Tides Center’s model of fiscal sponsorship and believe your project to be a good fit. Now we ask that you please review the criteria below to verify that your project meets Tides Center’s minimum eligibility requirements.

• Project activities must contribute to the mission of Tides Center.
• Activities must be charitable in purpose.
• At present time, to be eligible to become a project of Tides Center your project must have at least $100,000 in confirmed funding* and a minimum first year operating budget of $200,000. Confirmed funding can come from one or more donors or foundations that have committed in writing to the funding amount and time period should you become a project of Tides Center.
• If your project is funded exclusively by one or more government grants, in addition to the $100,000 minimum your grant(s) must provide an advance to cover two months of project operations.
• Your project should plan to stay with Tides Center for at least one year.
• Your project director or other designated project staff member must have regular access to the internet and email to maintain communication with Tides Center staff.

*While Tides Center is committed to partnering with projects of all sizes and has a history of supporting small organizations in the start-up phase, to balance capacity and opportunity Tides Center annually revises a target mix of potential projects based on annual budget. The minimum confirmed funding requirement for new projects may change in the future.

Currently, Tides Center does not provide fiscal sponsorship to:

• Projects with less than $100,000 in confirmed funding.
• Projects that are funded exclusively by government grants without advances.
• Projects that will continue to operate under their own or another fiscal sponsor’s 501(c)(3). If your project already has a 501(c)(3) determination, it must be made dormant while a project of Tides Center.
• Projects with international activities but no U.S. base of operations.
• Individuals or for-profit entities.

If your project falls into any of the five categories listed above, it is ineligible to become a project of Tides Center. Please see our list of Additional Resources for other options that may be available to you.