The Nonprofit FAQ

We can't afford a full office and staff. Where can we turn?
Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs
A 501(c)(3) public charity providing nonprofit status, start-up guidance, and other services to member groups. In short, SEE frees up attention for the project work by taking over administration and office work for member organizations and, thereby, improving the project's effectiveness. See http://www.saveourplanet.org.

Tides Center
A national fiscal sponsor that works with projects that share its vision of a just, healthy, and sustainable world. Tides Center projects work to effect change in the areas of social justice, economic development, civic engagement, environmental sustainability, environmental justice, human rights, community development, international affairs, and nonprofit capacity building, among others. Varying in size from a single dedicated volunteer to a staff of hundreds, Tides Center projects are located all over the nation.

Tides Center provides:
  • A comprehensive suite of back-office services, including financial, human resource, payroll, risk and liability, compliance, and grants management services.
  • The legal framework. Tides Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, legally and financially responsible for all Tides Center projects and activities. Because they are an integral part of Tides Center and not separate legal entities, projects are able to receive charitable donations and grants available only to tax-exempt organizations.
  • Capacity-building support and assistance in building the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to carry out effective progressive social change work.


For these services, Tides Center charges projects 9% of gross annual revenue.

For more information, see www.tidescenter.org.


NOTE:The arrangement described above is more generally known as 'fiscal sponsorship' (also described by saying that one organization is acting as the 'fiscal agent' for the other). There is a FAQ item that provides more links on this topic at http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/faq/205-171/57-95




Revised 7/25/01, 11/14/04; 3/8/07; 3/5/08 -- PB