Fiscal Hosting

Maryland Philanthropy Network is currently not accepting new applicants for fiscal hosting.  We believe Maryland communities deserve a strong fiscal hosting ecosystem that supports innovation, centers grassroots leadership, and increases Black leadership in the nonprofit sector.  As a part of that ecosystem, we carefully and continuously evaluate the size and needs of our partnerships and our portfolio as a whole to ensure our organizational capacity can meet and exceed those needs.


Maryland Philanthropy Network has a long history of supporting and hosting initiatives and collaborations -- this is one of the most powerful ways we realize our mission and strategic goal of leading, with and for our members, efforts to influence critical issues, improve community conditions and strive for transformative change. Member shared interests and goals fuel our role as a host supporting innovation and impact; and as an association advancing philanthropy and collaboration with key partners and stakeholders across the state.

 View Our Current Fiscal Hosting Portfolio

Maryland Philanthropy Network supports innovative initiatives and collaborations in the following ways:

  • Acting as a fiscal agent for 501c3 organizations.
    Maryland Philanthropy Network considers fiscal agency when small organizations with related or aligned mission, and member investments, seeks to focus on mission and realize administrative efficiencies and cost savings.
  • Acting as a fiscal sponsor of charitable groups, initiatives and donor collaboratives.
    Maryland Philanthropy Network considers fiscal sponsorship for charitable groups, initiatives and donor collaboratives that have initial funding for working capital and an existing relationship with one or more Maryland Philanthropy Network members. As the sponsoring organization, we provide administrative services such as accounting, human resources, and grants management enabling the sponsored “project” to focus on mission-related activities such as programming and fundraising. The fiscal sponsor bears legal responsibility for ensuring that funds are used for their intended purposes. Fiscal sponsorship is a valuable, cost-effective service enabling innovative initiatives to quickly focus on mission while benefitting from the support of an established, well-run nonprofit. Fiscal sponsorships can be short or long-term relationships.
  • Acting as a host for grantmaking collaboratives.
    Maryland Philanthropy Network considers hosting grantmaking collaboratives when a specific need or strategy is identified and one or more funders take the lead in engaging colleagues to participate and contribute. 
  • Acting as a grant pass through.
    Maryland Philanthropy Network considers grant pass through at the request of members, funder non-members seeking to invest in a regional opportunity or of a government partner whose own fiscal process may make it cumbersome and costly to receive and efficiently re-grant dollars in a timely fashion. 

Maryland Philanthropy Network offers more than 20 years of fiscal management experience. Hosting services are customized to meet the unique needs of each initiative and administrative fees vary depending on the level of service provided.  For most hosted initiatives, Maryland Philanthropy Network charges a percentage fee based on total annual projected expenses, total projected income, or total annual deposits in the case of fiscal agencies.

Services include:

  • Accounting and financial management
  • Communications and marketing support
  • Grants management
  • Event planning and coordination
  • Executive coaching
  • Human resources including payroll and benefits
  • Information technology including email and cloud computing
  • Legal compliance and tax filings
  • Vendor & contracts management