You're In Charge

Some folks considering fiscal sponsorship aren't sure how much control they'll retain of their project if they bring it under the 'umbrella' of Visions Made Viable.

We understand that concern. Too many of us have seen organizations and even boards of directors hijack projects from the passionate and gifted people who created them.

That's why we're committed to defending and advancing the creative and supervisory control of the social entrepreneurs who create new projects for social change.

If you're one of those people, we're all about helping you realize your vision, not ours.

How do we ensure that you retain creative and supervisory control?

While we offer extensive administrative and consulting services to new projects, our board and staff are explicitly committed to furthering your specific vision and project.

When we consider new projects in our application process, we pay close attention to the mission and vision of a potential project. Unless--from the outset--we can strongly support your mission and vision, we won't accept your new effort as a Visions Made Viable project.

As a fiscal sponsor, our board is legally responsible for all projects we sponsor. In effect, our board acts as the legal board for each of our projects.

Once we've accepted a project, our staff and board exercises its responsibilities toward that project by asking four key questions:

1. Is the project still pursuing its mission and vision?

2. Is the project making reasonable progress toward that mission and vision?

3. Are monies and resources donated to that project being used legitimately?

4. Is the project director taking basic precautions to protect the well being of those involved, or in other words, is the project director managing risk adequately?

As long as the project continues to pursue its mission and is making reasonable progress (as mutually defined by the project director and VMV staff), and as long as its use of resources is transparent and honest and adequate risk management is in place, we believe we're doing our job.

Beyond those issues, you retain complete control of the mission and vision itself as well as the strategies you use to get there. We're offer wide ranging consulting services and are willing to invest extensive resources to help you succeed, but in the end, you're in charge.