Fiscal Sponsorship workshop
Fiscal Sponsorship workshop, recorded August 16, 2022
COO is committed to supporting community-driven work led by communities most impacted by racism, marginalization, and dis-investment, and we recognize that oftentimes these groups do not have 501c3 tax exempt status. One way groups can still apply for public funding is to enter into a fiscal sponsorship relationship with a nonprofit that does have 501c3 status whose mission is aligned with your group's activities.
This workshop focuses on basic fundamentals of what fiscal sponsorship is - including a particular focus on exploring how to best support youth-led groups who are interested in being fiscally sponsored and working with youth-driven projects.This panel included, youth and community leaders who have had successful experiences as a fiscal sponsor and/or as a fiscally sponsored group and what contributed to a healthy relationship.
This workshop is particularly relevant for youth interested in applying for the Best Starts for Kids’ Youth Healing Project Request for Proposals (RFP), and grassroots groups applying for funding from the County (including COO or Best Starts for Kids RFPs) or from funders requiring 501c3 status.
PRESENTERS
Jodi Nishioka, Executive Director of Communities Rise
Jodi Nishioka (she/her) has worked for over 25 years on behalf of low-income communities, particularly women, children and immigrant/refugee communities. She started her career as an attorney advocating for immigrant domestic violence survivors and single mothers fighting for child support in legal aid organizations in Boston and Honolulu. Jodi continued her work on behalf of women and children within state and city governments in Hawaii and Seattle and later with grassroots nonprofit organizations. Jodi enjoys her work at Communities Rise because it combines her legal skills with her dedication to building power in communities of color and low-income communities. Jodi is also on the Board of Directors of JustLead Washington and enjoys practicing yoga, golfing and spending time with her family.
Madhu Singh, Managing Attorney at Foundry Law Group
Madhu Singh, is the Managing Attorney at Foundry Law Group. Madhu is an active volunteer and speaker for Communities Rise. Her team helps early and growing companies, nonprofits, start-ups and entrepreneurs build and grow their ventures. The firm provides legal strategies as early as incorporation through growth and eventual exits. Currently, she is the president of TIE Seattle, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and equipping entrepreneurs for success. She is an active member of the business and micro-enterprise community and enjoys connecting her clients with resources to enrich and expand their existing enterprises. She has a JD/MBA from the University of Kansas and just completed her nine year tenure serving as the Co-Lead of the Community Development and Entrepreneurship Clinic at Seattle University.
Alejandra Pérez, Washington Dream Coalition
Alejandra’s (she/ella/vos) passion for educational equity comes from her advocacy with and for undocumented students and their families in Washington State. Alejandra has an extensive background in organizing for social justice, running large-scale events and conferences, and providing professional development to educators. She served as Co-Director for the Beyond HB 1079 Conference, was a member of the Dream Educational Empowerment Program National Advisory Council, and is a community organizer with the Washington Dream Coalition. As part of her community organizing work, Alejandra was one of the co-founders of the grassroots COVID-19 Relief Fund for Undocumented Individuals in Washington State and a leader of the Washington Immigrant Relief Fund and the Seattle COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund for Immigrants. Born and raised in Guatemala, Alejandra moved to the United States when she was twelve years old. She graduated from Cleveland High School in Seattle and went on to earn her Bachelors of Arts and Master of Education from the University of Washington Bothell.
Washington Dream Coalition is the first and largest undocumented immigrant youth-led organization in Washington State and is fiscally sponsored by Scholar Fund.
David Coven, CEO, Scholar Fund
David (he/him) hails from the Central District of Seattle, where his passion for access to opportunity was formed. Growing up, he set his sights on breaking the chains of poverty, which led him to study mechanical engineering at the University of Washington. During his undergrad, he worked at the National Science Foundation, Boeing, Tesla, and helped create the Hyperloop for SpaceX’s competition. It was through these dream jobs that he realized his calling: helping others pay for college through Scholarship Junkies, a non-profit he founded. He believes not worrying about money will free students to experience the magic of higher education. David is now expanding the vision of Scholar Fund, to three areas: education access, relief funds, and community development.