Fulcrum Arts offers support to artists and independent arts organizations through fiscal sponsorship, professional development, and consulting.
Emerge Fiscal Sponsorship Program
The Emerge fiscal sponsorship program increases the capacity of independent artists, collectives, and small arts organizations by offering financial management, fundraising consulting, and the ability to seek funding through fiscal sponsorship. Our goal is to provide artists with the necessary tools to create sustainable practices, while allowing them to remain independent, dynamic, and responsive to the shifting social and economic contexts in which they live and work.
Fulcrum Arts is a member of the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors, committed to raising the understanding of fiscal sponsorship among the public and funders, sharing a desire to build best practices, and working to enhance the sector by building capacity to advance public benefit.
Success Stories
BADWest
The Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers West (BADWest) is an LA-based professional organization dedicated to supporting and promoting Black documentary filmmakers. Since joining the EMERGE program in 2017, BADWest has raised over $100k towards support their mission of actualizing, funding, and exhibiting films by Black documentary filmmakers worldwide. Recent funders include Color Congress and California Humanities.
People’s Pottery Project
People’s Pottery Project is a social enterprise that empowers formerly incarcerated women, trans, and nonbinary individuals through ceramic arts. Their flexible programs allow participants to earn a living wage at every point of involvement with the business, from training, to fabricating, to ongoing employment, providing opportunities to build both technical and business skills. In the 5 years of being an EMERGE project, the organization has raised more than $1.5 million dollars towards growing its workforce development initiatives and expanding its studio operations. Funders include the National Philanthropic Trust, the Amity Foundation, and the Goldhirsch Foundation.
Clay Day LBC
Clay Day LBC is a Long Beach-based art education organization that promotes imagination, creativity, and empowerment by introducing children to the art of ceramics. In within a year of joining the EMERGE program, Clay Day has received grants amounting to more than $50k from the Long Beach Arts Council and Snap Foundation.
What is Fiscal Sponsorship?
Fiscal sponsorship is a financial and legal arrangement in which a nonprofit organization (the fiscal sponsor) extends its tax-exempt status to a project, initiative, or group that does not have its own 501(c)(3) designation. This allows the sponsored project to receive tax-deductible donations and grants while operating under the umbrella of the fiscal sponsor.
Why join the Emerge program?
Every fiscal sponsor is different, and we encourage you to research and find the sponsor that best suits your goals.
Wondering if Fulcrum Arts’ Fiscal Sponsorship Program is right for you? As the largest arts-focused fiscal sponsor in the region, we offer unique benefits to artists, curators, and creatives like you. Here’s what makes our program special:
Access to Funding
- Get tax-deductible donations from supporters
- Apply for grants requiring 501(c)(3) status
- Let us handle the money stuff while you focus on your art
Boost Your Credibility
- Having Fulcrum Arts behind you opens doors
- Connect with others who can help your project grow
Keep It Simple
- Perfect for trying out new ideas or short-term projects
- Skip the complicated nonprofit paperwork and focus on what you do best
We’ve Got Your Back
- We’ll take care of all the financial paperwork
- We process and track all donations
- Need help with fundraising? We’ll guide you through it
Join Our Creative Community
- Meet other amazing artists and creators
- Get your work noticed through our network
Frequently asked questions
Emerge supports artist projects, collectives, and independent arts organizations with a demonstrable public benefit and objectives that fall within Fulcrum Arts’ mission to support art, science, and positive social change. Please refer to our directory of current projects for the types of projects we support.
We are a hybrid Model A and Model C fiscal sponsor. Unlike a fully fledged Model A, individuals managing a fiscally sponsored project with Fulcrum Arts are independent contractors and not employees, and the project is considered to be a separate legal entity.
Where we differ from a typical Model C is that we hold your funds in a restricted account and only spend those funds at your discretion. We do not simply charge a fee and pass the funds along to you, where you would then be responsible for any associated income tax. We provide proper oversight for all charitable income, insuring that funds are used in accordance with regulations established by the California Registry of Charitable Trusts and the IRS, as well as honoring any donor restrictions.
Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to programmatic excellence and community service, organizational and financial viability, and be based in the State of California.
There is also a required minimum project budget of $10,000 (for one-time projects such as events, festivals, exhibitions, etc), or a $15,000 annual budget for ongoing programs and organizations.
No.
Applications typically take 4-6 weeks to process between submission and contract signing. After applying, you should receive a confirmation on next steps within 5 business days.
We understand that those artists projects that serve the most vulnerable or neglected communities often do so with the fewest resources. We may accept applications for projects that fall below the budget requirement but advance Fulcrum Arts’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals on a case by case basis. Please e-mail us at emerge@fulcrumarts.org for more information.
We accept both charitable (donations from individuals, governments, and foundations) and earned income (ticket sales, merchandise sales, etc.).
We charge an administrative fee of 7% on all charitable and earned income, and a $100 annual program membership fee.
Please submit your questions via e-mail to emerge@fulcrumarts.org. We do not respond to unsolicited phone calls.