Overview
In 2023, Impact Commons launched its Research & Advocacy work, starting with the first field scan of the fiscal sponsorship ecosystem conducted in close to two decades.
The field scan is the first step in taking stock of the state of fiscal sponsorship practice and beginning to create a baseline from which to build the three research streams outlined below. These research streams are complemented by and in dialogue with ongoing dissemination efforts and conversations with the diversity of field practitioners in our membership and beyond.
The practice of fiscal sponsorship dates to the late 1950s, but despite its age, the field has only recently begun to organize itself and engage in broader field building efforts. Despite the lag in field building, the fiscal sponsor ecosystem has continued to grow, motivating the need for research into patterns of practice within the field as well as its overall value and impact to the work of the nonprofit sector.
