The largest bridge we build is in our role as Fiscal Sponsor. In this role, projects and programs who do incredible work in our community come to us for partnership, so they can operate more effectively. We remove obstacles and provide essential infrastructure for our projects, including 501(c)(3) status, HR administration, insurance, bookkeeping, and support with the district’s contracting and reporting processes. We also provide organizational development, through fundraising, helping our projects build their network, board development, and 1:1 coaching
Our story
Though the Ed Fund has always served in this role, our fiscal project portfolio has experienced remarkable growth. Over the last five years, we observed an increase in providers coming to us and decided to respond to this need. Five years ago, we operated with a handful of projects, totaling around $400,000 in contracts. Today, our portfolio provides over $2.5 million in direct contracts with WCCUSD, and over $4.5 million in additional funds generated to support various student-facing programs. This growth (which has also led to internal growth at the Ed Fund through more staffing and the evolution of our own infrastructure) represents our commitment to fostering a more robust and impactful ecosystem of service providers in Richmond.
The Ed Fund currently serves 54 fiscal projects ranging from support staff at school sites, student counselors, dance and theater groups, STEM programs, pickleball and skateboarding initiatives, outdoor education, violence prevention efforts, a school-based dental clinic, literacy programs, and many other student-centered services.
Many of these opportunities would not be possible without our sponsorship, as they are often not covered by WCCUSD budgets. For decades, West Contra Costa lacked a diverse and robust ecosystem of providers. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a surge of new leaders step forward to support our students, and we’ve stepped up to meet them. We have shaped our fiscal project portfolio to reflect and respond to our community’s evolving needs, connecting a growing network of partners to the students who need them most. The graphic below represents the impact of our fiscal sponsorship program.
Schools Our Fiscal Projects Support
Our fiscal projects serve at multiple school sites and bring essential programming across WCCUSD. The locations on the map are schools where our fiscal projects make an impact in West County!
Eligibility
To set-up a fiscal sponsorship with the Ed Fund, you should:
- Have a project that supports PK-12 students and/or communities in West Contra Costa.
- Be aligned with our values to eliminate inequities and mission to mobilize resources for our students and align efforts to ensure all students succeed in college, career, and life.
What We Provide
The Ed Fund administrative fee is 10% of all incoming revenue for the following:
Grant Assistance
- Receive and service grants
- Grant writing
Accounting Services
- Fund based accounting services according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and included in our annual audit, as well as federal and state tax filings
Administrative Services
- Background and fingerprinting management
- Listing on website with ability to receive online contributions
- Administrative services such as program design and drafting budget for additional fees
How to Apply
If interested, please fill out the Fiscal Sponsorship Interest Form and the Ed Fund will connect with you to discuss alignment, provide an agreement, and walk you through the process.
Documents for Current Fiscal Projects
- Timesheets (pdf)
- Timesheets (Word)
- Check Request Form (pdf)
- Check Request Form (Word)
- Employment Form (pdf)
- How to set up Bill.com (pdf)
If you have questions, please contact Shakira Reynolds, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at shakira@edfundwest.org or 510-200-8181.