Guide to Fiscal Sponsorship and Affiliation

Sponsorship: What to Look for in a Sponsor

Whether you decide to use one of your current affiliations or to seek out one that you have never before contacted, the selection of the right sponsor is crucial because funders carefully examine institutional factors before they award you a grant. They will question whether the local setting and conditions are appropriate, whether available facilities like laboratories, storage, and support services are adequate, and especially whether your grant project seems to have strong community support. Since one advantage of organizational sponsorship is that it provides you with credibility, it is important that you select a sponsor with a good reputation and a rapport with its own funders. The only way to ascertain this is to make discreet inquiries among staff or board members as well as others who are knowledgeable about the various sponsors in your field.

Also, examine the services the sponsor presently provides, if any. Do they have a satisfied clientele, community support, and the cooperation of the local political structure? Determine which segments of the population are most directly affected by the sponsor's activities. Speak with representatives of these groups. Make contact with local community leaders to find out if a potential sponsor is well thought of and if its services are effectively targeted and appreciated by those who use them.

At first this kind of detective work may make you feel distrustful or even underhanded. However, keep in mind that there is a good deal at stake here. In casting your lot with a sponsor for a period of time, you are closely allying your own name and reputation with that of the organization. Sometimes this connection is difficult to sever and may last in the minds of others (funding executives in particular) after the actual sponsoring arrangement has broken off. So select your sponsor carefully. You don't want your own reputation and credibility jeopardized for future grants.

As a sponsored individual, you may not be privy to many of the goings-on within the institution. It is, therefore, important that you choose a sponsor whose top management is sympathetic with the implementation of your ideas. Ideally, the leadership of the sponsoring organization should view your grant project as a beneficial extension of the organization's own services.