Your plan must show at least $15,000 in contributed income through NYFA. That amount can be confirmed, pending, projected, or a combination. You do not need to have it before applying, but you do need a strong plan to get it.
Only contributed income counts toward the $15,000 NYFA income requirement.
A quick way to tell what is contributed income: ask whether the person or funder receives something in return. If they give money to support your work and get nothing back, it is contributed income. If they get something in exchange, such as a ticket, artwork, a product, or a service, it is earned income.
Contributed income (flows through NYFA): grants that require 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsor, tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporate contributions, employee matching gifts, stock donations, and Seed&Spark crowdfunding donations.
Earned income (handled by you, outside NYFA): ticket sales, fees, merchandise, artwork or book sales, licensing, commissions, and crowdfunding on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, GoFundMe, Patreon, and similar platforms.
Neither, and not counted toward $15,000: personal funds, in-kind donations, loans, credit card debt, and money from investors.
You are responsible for identifying funders, submitting applications, cultivating donors, and generating earned revenue.
NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship does not provide funding to your project.
Counting Kickstarter, GoFundMe, or Patreon as contributed income. Only Seed&Spark crowdfunding donations flow through NYFA.
Listing grants that pay artists directly. Some awards go straight to the artist and do not pass through a fiscal sponsor.
Listing grants that do not accept fiscally sponsored applicants. Check each funder’s guidelines.
Using vague funder names, such as "Foundation Grants" or "Arts Grants."
Leaving out NYFA's 8% fee, or submitting budgets where income and expenses do not match.
Listing artists or collaborators as unpaid volunteers. NYFA values fair pay for artists.
AI can be a great tool for finding funders. It can also suggest grants that have closed, changed, or don’t accept fiscally sponsored projects. Before adding a grant to your application, take a moment to check the funder’s website for:
Current deadlines
Eligibility, including whether they accept fiscally sponsored projects
Whether the program still exists
The panel reviews each grant you list, so a quick check now helps your application.
How you plan to raise funds and who you plan to ask.
There is no wrong answer. A first-time fundraiser can be approved with a realistic plan and support.
The next question asks about your fundraising history, including grants, crowdfunding, and donations.
Tell us about fundraising you have done in the past 5 years. This can include grant applications, crowdfunding campaigns, and donations you asked for from individuals or businesses. For each one, share the outcome: awarded, declined, amount raised, or still pending.
Why we ask
We want to understand your experience raising money, not just your successes. An application that was declined or a campaign that fell short still shows you know how to ask for support.
How this differs from the question: "What fundraising have you already done for this work"
This question covers all of your fundraising history. “What fundraising have you already done for this work?” covers only this project.
Example: “2024: Applied to Puffin Foundation for a short film, awarded $2,500. 2023: Ran a Kickstarter for a photo book, raised $6,200 of $8,000. 2022: Applied to LMCC Creative Engagement, declined. Ongoing: about $1,500 a year in individual donations from a mailing list of 300.”
Fiscal sponsorship only helps with income that requires 501(c)(3) status, such as certain grants and tax-deductible donations. Select every way you plan to use it. If none of your funding needs that status, you may not need a fiscal sponsor.
Residencies, fellowships, and awards: most go directly to artists and do not need a fiscal sponsor.
Crowdfunding: Seed&Spark is the only crowdfunding platform that works with NYFA. Donations raised there can be tax-deductible, and your campaign must launch after your contract is signed. NYFA cannot receive funds raised on other platforms, such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, GoFundMe, or Patreon.
In-kind: donated goods and services do not flow through NYFA as income. NYFA can acknowledge donated goods, such as equipment. Donated services and free use of space are not tax-deductible and cannot be acknowledged.
Crowdfunding on other platforms
You can run campaigns on platforms like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or GoFundMe.
Those funds go directly to you, not through NYFA.
Donations are not tax-deductible for your donors.
They do not count toward the $15,000 contributed income requirement.
List them in your budget under earned income, not contributed income.
Seed&Spark
The only crowdfunding platform that runs through NYFA.
Donations are tax-deductible and count as contributed income.
Campaigns must launch after your contract is signed.
Early support shows momentum. Include grants you have applied for (successful or not), donations you have received, crowdfunding campaigns, and other fundraising completed to date.
This can be contributions that are confirmed (received or committed in writing) or pending (requested and awaiting a decision). You do not need to have received money yet.
If you have not started, write "Not yet started" and explain your plan.
This is the core of your plan. Reviewers check that each grant and timeline is real, that it fits your project, and that it requires a fiscal sponsor.
If you have not yet identified specific grants, describe your research plan and timeline for identifying funders. Applications without specific grants identified are unlikely to be approved.
For each grant include: funder name and grant program name, typical award amount, application deadline (if known), and whether you have applied to this funder before and the outcome.
Example: "XYZ Cultural Fund. Up to $25,000. Deadline in October. First time applying."
Many funders limit who can apply by location or discipline, and some do not accept fiscally sponsored applicants. Read each funder's guidelines before listing it.
NYFA staff verify every grant you list. A grant you are not eligible for can affect your application.
Individual donors are often the first and most reliable source of funds. Describe personal outreach, events, online campaigns, corporate sponsorships, matching gifts, or crowdfunding. If you rely on grants alone, explain why.
Strong answers include goals based on real numbers, such as past gifts and list sizes.
Your total project budget and every source of income behind it.
NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship is designed to help you access contributed income. Before answering the questions in this section, make sure you understand the difference between contributed income and earned income.
Contributed income is money given to support your work without the expectation of receiving something in return. For Artist Projects, this is the only type of income that flows through NYFA. Examples include, but are not limited to:
Government grants
Foundation grants
Corporate foundation grants and corporate giving programs
Tax-deductible donations from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters
Employee matching gift programs
Major gifts from individual donors
Crowdfunding donations through Seed&Spark
Stock donations
What is NOT contributed income:
Personal funds you are investing in your project
In-kind donations (goods or services donated, not cash)
Loans from family, friends, or financial institutions
Credit card debt or personal financing
Income from investors or revenue-sharing arrangements
Earned income is money received in exchange for goods or services. For Artist Projects, earned income cannot flow through NYFA and must be handled entirely outside of your fiscal sponsorship account. Examples include, but are not limited to:
Ticket or admission sales for screenings, performances, or exhibitions
Workshop, class, lecture, or speaking fees
Merchandise sales such as t-shirts, posters, books, or albums
Artwork sales or product sales
Licensing or royalty income from distribution, streaming, or publishing
Commissions or service fees
Consulting fees
Sales through your website or online store
Revenue from Patreon, Kickstarter, GoFundMe, Indiegogo, or other crowdfunding platforms (these are considered earned income, not tax-deductible donations). Only crowdfunding donations through Seed&Spark can be tax-deductible.
Having earned income does not disqualify you from fiscal sponsorship. Many fiscally sponsored projects have both contributed and earned income. It simply means the earned income portion of your budget is handled outside of NYFA while your grants and donations flow through your fiscal sponsorship account.
The total of everything you will spend to complete your project. Your total income must equal this number, and both should match the totals on your income and expense budgets.
If NYFA is sponsoring one phase of a larger project, such as post-production or an exhibition, budget only that phase.
Include only grants, donations, and Seed&Spark crowdfunding funds that will flow through NYFA. Do not include earned income, personal funds, or in-kind support.
After your first year, NYFA checks that you have received at least 10% of this amount. Enter a number you can realistically raise, not just one that meets the $15,000 minimum. None of this income needs to be confirmed.
This completes the picture of how your project will be paid for. Using your own money is fine, but it does not count toward the $15,000 income requirement.
In-kind support is donated goods or services, valued at what you would otherwise have paid. Enter the dollar value you expect to receive.
NYFA can acknowledge donated goods, such as equipment. Donated services and free use of space are not tax-deductible and cannot be acknowledged.
How it works in your budgets: list each in-kind item on both budgets at the same value. On your income budget, it is the donation. On your expense budget, it is the cost the donation covers. The amounts must match exactly.
Why both: the donation covers a real cost. If no one had donated it, you would have paid for it. Listing it on both sides shows the true cost of your work and keeps your budget balanced.
Example: a board member donates rehearsal space that would cost $2,400 to rent. Income budget: "Rehearsal space (in-kind), $2,400." Expense budget: "Rehearsal space (in-kind), $2,400."
This confirms you understand that earned income stays outside NYFA for Artist Projects. Having earned income does not affect your eligibility.
Fiscally sponsored projects must be nonprofit in nature and serve a public benefit. Equity investors and revenue-sharing arrangements are not allowed while you are sponsored.
If you expect to bring in investors later, you would need to end your fiscal sponsorship with NYFA before accepting investor money.
Your income and expense budgets are where the panel checks that your plan adds up. Read these before you upload.
Both are required: if your income budget or expense budget is missing, your application is incomplete and will not be eligible for review.
Why they must match: your expense budget shows what the project costs. Your income budget shows how you will pay for it. If income is lower than expenses, the project cannot be completed as planned. If it is higher, it is unclear what the extra money is for. A balanced budget shows the panel your plan adds up.
Budget only the sponsored project: if NYFA is sponsoring one phase of a larger project, such as the post-production of a film or the public exhibition of finished artwork, both budgets should cover only that phase. Do not budget the whole project. For example, if NYFA is sponsoring your film's post-production, list only post-production costs and the income that will pay for them, not the cost of filming.
How to submit: use NYFA's income budget template and upload it as an Excel file. There is no need to convert it to a PDF.
What reviewers look for: every income source on its own line, named specifically: the funder and its grant program, or a specific donor group such as "Individual donors, spring house concerts." Each line needs a type of income, amount, status (confirmed, pending, or projected), and dates that match your timeline.
Do your own research: AI tools can help you find grants, but confirm each funder's eligibility yourself by reading its current guidelines. NYFA staff verify every grant you list, and a grant you are not eligible for can affect your application. Avoid placeholders or general labels such as "foundation grants." The panel looks for a real plan and fundraising strategy, with eligible contributions behind it.
If you are considering more grants than you need: choose the ones you believe are the best fit and include only those in your total, so your income matches your expenses. List the other grants you plan to apply for below the total, with the same information, marked "Additional prospects, not included in total." This shows your research without unbalancing your budget.
In-kind support: list each donated item or service as its own line, with type "In-Kind" and the value you would otherwise have paid. The same item must also appear on your expense budget at the same amount. Example: "Camera equipment rental (in-kind), $2,000."
Types of income: Government Grant, Foundation Grant, Corporate Grant, Individual Donation, Corporate Sponsorship, Crowdfunding (Seed&Spark), Earned Income, In-Kind, Personal Funds.
Income Budget Template: Click Here
Helpful resources: https://www.nyfa.org/building-a-project-budget-159438258223 , https://www.nyfa.org/blog/income-budgets-for-films/ , https://learning.candid.org/training/introduction-to-project-budgets/
How to submit: use NYFA's expense budget template and upload it as an Excel file. There is no need to convert it to a PDF.
What reviewers look for: specific costs with the math shown, fair pay for artists, and the required lines below.
NYFA's 8% fee: on contributed income (if you plan to raise $50,000, include $4,000).
Insurance: all fiscally sponsored projects must carry liability insurance. Include it as its own line in your expense budget.
In-kind support: for every in-kind item on your income budget, add a matching line here for the cost it covers, at the same amount, with category "In-Kind." Example: "Camera equipment rental (in-kind), $2,000." If the two amounts do not match, your budget will not balance.
Types of expenses: Project Director Compensation, Artist/Performer Fees, Other Personnel (crew, contractors, consultants), Materials and Supplies, Equipment (purchase or rental), Travel and Transportation, Accommodations, Venue Rental, Marketing and Promotion, Documentation (photo, video), Insurance, Legal and Accounting, Administrative Costs, In-Kind (must match income budget).
Expense Budget Template: Click Here
Helpful resources: https://www.nyfa.org/building-a-project-budget-159438258223 , https://www.nyfa.org/blog/income-budgets-for-films/ , https://learning.candid.org/training/introduction-to-project-budgets/