Fiscal Sponsorship (American Composers Forum)

About this program

American Composers Forum (ACF) offers fiscal sponsorship to ensembles, collectives, groups, or individuals without 501(c)(3) status to enable them to raise tax-deductible funds and apply for grants for new music events or projects; ACF serves as the grant applicant, receives donations/grants, and disburses funds according to approved budgets. Applicants must submit a complete project description, budget, and list of prospective funders for ACF review, and projects must align with ACF’s mission and not compete with ACF’s own funding requests. Sponsored projects must administer funds per approved budgets, comply with applicable tax and employment laws, provide interim and a final narrative and expenditure report (final due within 30 days of project end), and notify ACF if applying for 501(c)(3) status—sponsorship ends upon provisional nonprofit recognition. ACF charges a 6% fee on total funds raised (minimum $300) and typically disburses held funds on request with detailed payment instructions.