Fiscal
Sponsorship

Whidbey Island Art Council is an "umbrella" organization, or fiscal sponsor, offering its 501(c)(3) non-profit status to emerging arts organizations on Whidbey Island. Fiscal sponsorship provides not only a non-profit umbrella under which your organization may seek tax-deductible donations and grants, but also monthly bookkeeping reports and annual tax preparation services. View a list of current sponsored programs here.

To learn more and apply, please follow these steps:

  • Review Basic Program Requirements

  • Contact us with any questions at info@islandartscouncil.org

  • Complete and submit Application Form (below)

BENEFITS OF SPONSORED PROGRAM STATUS

  • Retain full fiscal decision-making within your organization

  • WIAC manages your banking and taxes

  • Use of WIAC’s non-profit EIN for tax-deductible donations and to qualify for charitable grant applications

  • Check-writing and banking services by WIAC’s Treasurer

  • Monthly bookkeeping reports (EOM)

  • Annual tax prep services by WIAC’s bookkeeper and tax preparer

  • Basic event liability insurance included, upgraded coverage available at additional cost

  • Use of WIAC’s Paypal account and POS tools and at events and online

  • Complimentary Business-level WIAC Membership

  • Access to WIAC’s social media and email marketing subscribers

  • Invitations to WIAC special events and trainings


DOES MY ORGANIZATION QUALIFY?

If your organization…

  • Does not already have a 501(c)(3) or other non-profit tax designation

  • Has its own decision-making body (board, committee, etc.)

  • Manages its own events, membership and/or sales

  • Does not use its own business bank or online payment account(s)

  • Wishes to accept tax-deductible donations and apply for charitable grants and funding


COST

  • 10% of incoming funds (not sales from the shows, just incoming artist registration fees, donations and advertising or sponsorships, etc.), or $10 per month, whichever is greater.

BASIC PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The following are basic requirements to maintain tax-exempt status under federal law.
 
MONEY & BANKING
Sponsored Programs may not maintain individual banking or PayPal accounts. All funds received must be deposited to a WIAC bank account. All payments must be made from a WIAC bank account.
 
Each WIAC program is charged a monthly administration expense allocation (in 2024, 9% of new revenue or $10 per mo whichever is greater; this will increase to 10%/$10mo in 2025).

Donations must be made payable to Whidbey Island Arts Council or WIAC, with a memo notation of the program. Donations, registrations, or payments made on the WIAC website are credited directly to the appropriate program.

All Invoices and bills must be approved by the Program Director or program approved surrogate and be accompanied by a Check Request Form. The board treasurer will provide instructions on how to fill out WIAC forms.
 
Performers, musicians, service providers and other contract laborers must complete a W-9 before they can be paid.
 
Programs must provide 30 days notice to the Executive Board when applying to a public grant. All applications must be submitted to the WIAC Board or Executive Director in advance and the application must be approved by the WIAC Executive Board in writing.
 
PROMOTION & ADVERTISING
If your program maintains a website, the following statement should appear on the home page of the website: “[YOUR PROGRAM NAME] is a program of the Whidbey Island Arts Council (WIAC) a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization (91-1147736).”
 
All printed material for advertising, promotion, or public use should have the WIAC logo and the following statement: “[YOUR PROGRAM NAME] is a program of the Whidbey Island Arts Council (WIAC) a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization (91-1147736).”
 
The WIAC logo and this statement must be on all forms of advertising.  This is not required for printed tickets. These disclosures are required to show that your program is a part of the WIAC, nonprofit organization and is not an independent entity. WIAC will send you a WIAC logo suitable for print and web purposes. 
 
WORKING WITH MINORS
Anyone working with minors as part of your program must have a background investigation before beginning work.  This can be provided by the Island County Sheriff.
 
INSURANCE
The Arts Council provides Liability insurance on a per cost basis for events when requested. Sixty-days-notice is required.

Prior to approval as an Umbrella Program of the Whidbey Island Arts Council a signatory of each umbrella will be asked to have a meeting with our Treasurer to go through a checklist and sign off on all procedures.

Additional basic procedures specific to WIAC are not fully listed here. To review, request a blank copy of the current sponsored program agreement.

In compliance with Washington State law, WIAC and its umbrella organizations shall not discriminate against a person on the grounds of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, creed, marital status, age, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, honorably discharged veteran or military status or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.