Thank you for your interest in fiscal sponsorship with The Ocean Foundation! We are excited by the work of every potential new project that comes our way and welcome the opportunity to collaborate. Before applying, please review the details below in full surrounding fiscal sponsorship to gain insight into TOF’s role as the sponsor and your organization’s potentially new role as the sponsored.

Fiscal Sponsorship With The Ocean Foundation

As the only fiscal sponsor focused solely on marine issues, The Ocean Foundation can help reduce the complexity of operating a successful project or organization by providing the critical infrastructure, proficiency, and expertise of an NGO so you can focus on program development, fundraising, implementation, and outreach. We create a space for innovation and unique approaches to marine conservation where people with big ideas — social entrepreneurs, grassroots advocates, and cutting-edge researchers — can take risks, experiment with new methods, and think outside of the box.

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Sponsorship And The Different Models

Fiscal Sponsorship

“Fiscal Sponsorship” refers to the practice of nonprofit institutions offering their legal and tax-exempt status, together with all applicable administrative services, to individuals or groups engaged in research, projects, and activities relating to and furthering the mission of the sponsoring nonprofit organization. At The Ocean Foundation, in addition to providing the legal infrastructure of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity, with appropriate legal incorporation, IRS tax-exemption, and charitable registration, we offer our fiscally sponsored projects and organizations the following services:

Financial oversight
Business administration
Human resources
Grant management
Capacity building
Legal compliance
Risk management

A/B Model-Fiscally Sponsored Funds

TOF Fiscal Sponsorship Overview

What we refer to as our Fiscally Sponsored Funds, direct programmatic sponsorship, or comprehensive sponsorship, is ideal for individuals or groups, which lack a separate legal entity and desire support for all administrative aspects of their work. Once they become a project of The Ocean Foundation, they become a legal part of our organization, and we offer a full spectrum of administrative services so that they can effectively manage their finances, receive tax-deductible donations, enroll contractors and/or employees, and apply for grants, among other benefits.
For this type of sponsorship, we charge 15% on all incoming revenue.

Our Current Projects

Model C-Friends of Funds

TOF Friends of Funds Overview

What we refer to as our Friends of Funds, a pre-approved grant relationship is best suited for organizations that are already legally incorporated. This can include foreign charities seeking tax-deductible support from U.S. funders, but also U.S. charities during the wait for their non-profit determination from the IRS. Through this type of fiscal sponsorship, we do not provide the administrative services related to running the project, but we do provide grant management as well as the administrative and legal infrastructure to collect tax-deductible donations.
For this type of sponsorship, we charge 12% on all incoming revenue.

Our 6-step intake process is intended to determine whether a project meets organizational, financial, and legal criteria for fiscal sponsorship at The Ocean Foundation. Click the arrow to view our steps.

Step 1: Review and Submission
Review above sponsorship details and then complete application.

Step 2: Preliminary review
Individual team review of submission assessing criteria relating to programmatic, budget and risk.

Programmatic

Mission alignment
Charitable purpose
Viable activities

Budget/Financials

First-year budget
Funding plan
Existing commitments (if any)

Sponsorship Needs

What could our fiscal sponsorship program support your project with (operational, financial, admin, etc.)

Step 3: Internal staff review round 1
Team discussion regarding application.

Step 4: Intake Interview
Facilitate call with applicant to address any unanswered questions based on the reviews, and gain clarification on how the project fits in the program.

Step 5: Internal Staff Review Round 2
Discussion of intake interview to further determine whether the project is a good program fit and pass the second-round standards. A final set of recommended projects are presented to TOF’s President.

Step 6: Notify the Project
Acceptance letters and onboarding forms are shared with approved projects.
Notifications are shared with submissions that did not make it into the program.

Am I ready to be sponsored by TOF?

Does my mission align with TOF’s mission to improve global ocean health, climate resilience, and the blue economy?
Do I have a fundraising plan? Please note that TOF does not currently assist projects with fundraising.
Does my organization have a detailed budget?

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Please email [email protected] with additional questions.

The Ocean Foundation is part of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors (NNFS).