IPHI provides administrative partnership services for organizations, initiatives, coalitions, and collaboratives aligned with our mission to advance public health and health equity. Our partnership models include fiscal sponsorship, grants management support, and operational support services tailored to organizational needs. Through these services, we help mission-driven initiatives access nonprofit infrastructure, strengthen operational capacity, and focus on advancing meaningful community impact.
What is a fiscal sponsorship?
A fiscal sponsorship is a formal partnership where an entity, project or initiative operates within an established nonprofit organization in order to leverage its business capacity. Fiscal sponsorship can help emerging or mission-driven initiatives access the financial, administrative, and compliance infrastructure needed to responsibly grow and sustain their work.
IPHI serves as the sponsored entity’s business home, receiving and managing funds on its behalf and ensuring compliance with nonprofit business and funder requirements. Sponsored initiatives operate within IPHI’s financial and administrative systems while project leaders for the sponsored entity manage the programmatic work and project decision-making.
We approach fiscal sponsorship as a collaborative partnership that helps initiatives focus on community impact while operating within a trusted nonprofit infrastructure.
As fiscal sponsor, IPHI provides core nonprofit infrastructure including financial management, HR support, insurance coverage, compliance oversight, and operational systems. Additional capacity-building support may also be available based on project needs and staff capacity.
IPHI primarily provides direct fiscal sponsorship for mission-aligned initiatives operating within IPHI’s nonprofit infrastructure. However, IPHI may also provide fractional support to aligned organizations, coalitions, or collaboratives through administrative or grant management partnerships when the scope, funding, and operational needs are a strong fit.
Infrastructure and Partnership Support
IPHI’s fiscal sponsorship model provides the nonprofit infrastructure, operational systems, and administrative support needed to help mission-driven initiatives operate sustainably, meet compliance requirements, and focus on community impact. Here are some of the services we offer:
Financial management and compliance
We provide robust financial oversight and reporting systems to ensure transparency, accountability, and compliance.
- Budget development support, financial oversight, and regular financial reporting
- Separate accounting by program or funding source
- Compliance-based accounting and reporting for federal funding
- Accounts receivable, invoicing, accounts payable, payment processing, and expense reimbursement, supported by financial management technology platforms
- Inclusion in IPHI’s consolidated audit and IRS Form 990 filing
- Online donation processing and acknowledgments
- Corporate credit card (upon request)
Grants, Contracts, and Subawards
We manage the lifecycle of grants and contracts to ensure compliance and smooth implementation.
- Processing incoming awards
- Funding source recordkeeping and reporting
- Vendor and consultant contract execution
- Vendor payment processing and 1099 reporting
- Subgrantee award administration and reporting
Human Resources and Workforce Administration
We provide full-service HR infrastructure support, while you build your team.
- Recruitment and onboarding support
- Payroll and payroll tax administration
- Comprehensive benefits package and administration of all benefits
- Timekeeping and performance management systems
- Employee data management and record-keeping
- Employee relations support
Here are a few examples of our work:
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- Fairfax Contract Tracing – COVID-19 Response
Legal, Insurance, and Regulatory Infrastructure
We provide legal, insurance, and regulatory infrastructure for compliant nonprofit operations.
- Comprehensive business and liability insurance protection
- Coverage under IPHI’s business and charity registrations
- Access to legal guidance through IPHI’s retained counsel (at cost)
- Lobbying compliance support
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Technology, Systems, and Facilities Access
We can provide access to established systems and meeting spaces.
- CRM and member management systems
- Learning Management System (LMS)
- Virtual meeting platforms
- Office and meeting space access
- IT support
*Some tools may require additional staff time or licensing/user fees.
Capacity Building-Support
We may provide additional operational, technical assistance, or capacity-building support through hourly or negotiated fixed-price arrangements (subject to staff availability).
- Project management and administration
- Grantmaking services
- Technical assistance and subject matter expertise
- Training design and implementation and learning management support
- Communications and marketing support
- Development support, including proposal writing
Here are examples of our Capacity Building Support.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why partner with IPHI?
IPHI is an established public health institute and 501(c)(3) dedicated to advancing public health and innovation in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia region. We partner with organizations, coalitions, and communities to foster sustainable solutions, promote health equity, and drive meaningful systems change. Through fiscal sponsorship, we support mission-aligned initiatives working to improve community health, strengthen local capacity, and advance equitable systems change.
There are many good reasons why a mission-based initiative may choose not to or delay forming an independent business entity or securing 501(c)(3) status. This can be due to scale, maturity, or business model. In other cases, organizations may have established their business structure and 501(c)(3) status, but face barriers building or maintaining the administrative infrastructure, compliance systems, and operational capacity needed to manage funding and sustain their work. Whatever the circumstances, IPHI helps entities operate legally and cost-effectively.
We approach this work as a structured partnership grounded in clarity, alignment, and shared purpose. As a sponsored project, you will operate within a trusted organization that provides:
- Established nonprofit infrastructure
- Strong financial oversight and compliance
- Administrative systems to facilitate mission-driven work
- A respected public health organization with regional and national reach
- A trusted reputation in advancing health equity
- Collaborative partnership focused on long-term sustainability and growth
We take time to ensure mutual alignment, clarify roles, and set expectations from the start. Projects gain stability and professional infrastructure while remaining focused on advancing meaningful impact in the community. Our goal is to help initiatives strengthen their operational foundations so they can advance their missions sustainably over time.
Who do we work with?
IPHI sponsors initiatives that align with our mission to advance public health and health equity. We look for projects that demonstrate:
We work with organizations that have:
- Clear alignment with public health and well-being goals and our mission and values
- Governance structure and appropriate staff capacity
- A funding plan or pathway to sustainability
- Readiness to operate within IPHI’s financial and compliance policies
- Commitment to responsible and transparent use of funds
We are especially interested in initiatives that strengthen communities, advance health equity, and contribute to lasting systems change.
What are the fees/cost structure?
Fee structures can vary depending on the type of partnership, scope of support, funding structure, and operational complexity involved. We offer a competitive fee structure that we will discuss during our application process.
What types of projects/initiatives does IPHI partner with?
We partner with projects/initiatives that align with our mission to advance public health and health equity. Some partners seek fiscal sponsorship, while others engage with IPHI for grants management or administrative support services.
Does IPHI only work with organizations seeking fiscal sponsorship?
No. While fiscal sponsorship is IPHI’s primary partnership model, we may also work with select mission-aligned organizations, coalitions, collaboratives, and initiatives that already have nonprofit status but need grants management, administrative, or operational support. Partnership structures vary based on organizational needs, funding arrangements, and organizational capacity.
Do you need to secure funding before applying?
Projects should have a plan for funding support, whether through existing funding or active efforts to secure funding through grants or other opportunities.
Partner with IPHI
To be considered for partnership, submit a brief inquiry form with a brief description of your organization, initiative, or project. After reviewing the submission, we’ll schedule a conversation to discuss your goals, assess alignment, and determine whether fiscal sponsorship is the right fit. If there is strong mutual alignment, we’ll outline the next steps and begin the formal review process.
Contact Us:
Questions before submitting? Contact:
Evelyn Kelly, Director of Strategic Initiatives at [email protected] or Kady Pecorella, Program Manager at [email protected].