Programs Fiscal/Intermediary Services
Fiscal Sponsorship/Intermediary Services
Bay Area Community Resources offers a range of fiscal sponsorship and other fiscal intermediary services to the nonprofit community. These services are tailor-made to fit the needs of each project. We primarily support projects whose purpose, values, and activities are aligned with our core values and mission.

For fiscal sponsorships and other intermediary service arrangements, BACR generally provides the following core services:
  • Payroll and human resources management
  • Fiscal administration (auditing*, bill paying, employee reimbursement, deposits, Pay Pal account management, bookkeeping/accounting, tax reporting)
  • Cost reporting
  • Timely financial reporting
  • General liability insurance
  • Workers compensation insurance
  • Malpractice insurance
  • LiveScan fingerprinting for all staff.
* Fiscal sponsorships and other intermediary projects are included in BACR’s GAAP financial audit.

Depending on the project’s needs, BACR provides additional services, negotiated as part of the contract. These additional services include one or more of the following:
  • Computer information technology (IT)
  • Grant writing, project planning and design
  • Program reporting to funders
  • Evaluation.

For Programs of School Districts

BACR serves as the fiscal intermediary for district-run after-school programs, which include
  • San Francisco Unified School District,
  • Mt. Diablo Unified School District,
  • Antioch United School District, and
  • Ravenswood Unified School District.
The administrative service arrangement with school districts works as follows:

School districts develop a contract with BACR to provide payroll and human resources management, fiscal administration, cost reporting, general liability insurance, workers compensation insurance, and malpractice insurance for the after-school program. BACR also provides Live Scan fingerprinting for all staff and timely financial reports to appropriate district personnel. The district, in turn, manages the overall program, including staff hiring and supervision, budget development, and overall program operations. In effect, BACR is the employer of record, but the district retains control over program operations. In addition to the actual payroll and related payroll costs, BACR charges a negotiated fee based on the total range of administrative services provided.

The benefits of these services are as follows:
  • District retention of overall control of the program while outsourcing specific financial, payroll, and administrative functions, which we believe are done more efficiently than in-house district operations.
  • Efficient hiring and when necessary, termination of staff, since BACR is an at-will employer.
  • More flexibility in hiring appropriate staff, since BACR is not bound by district requirements on who to hire and the process for hiring decisions.
  • More flexibility in determining desired salary and benefits consistent with available resources from the 21st Century and/or ASES grant.
  • Quick and efficient turnaround of payments to subcontractors, consultants, and operating expenses.
  • Timely financial and payroll reports submitted to designated district staff.
If you are interested in fiscal intermediary services for your school district, please contact Cathleen Campbell, CFO, at (415) 755-2324 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For Small Nonprofits and Emerging Organizations

BACR serves as a fiscal sponsor or intermediary for small nonprofits and emerging organizations so they can develop and add value to the community. As noted above, we provide payroll and human resources management, fiscal administration, cost reporting, general liability insurance, workers compensation, and malpractice insurance. BACR also provides LiveScan fingerprinting for all staff and timely financial reports. While BACR oversees the program, the local organization is generally responsible for planning, fundraising, and program operations. BACR currently serves as fiscal sponsor for seven projects and organizations.

In some cases the small and/or emerging organization chooses to become a program of BACR because there are sustainable benefits both to the organization and to BACR, as well as the community. In these cases a merger plan is developed and implemented. BACR has developed a formalized merger process to ensure a smooth and effective transition.

Programs need to have a committed annual budget of approximately $100,000 to participate. Interested programs are expected to complete a Letter of Inquiry (LOI), which can be completed and submitted on line or downloaded from BACR’s website, completed, and sent by hardcopy to BACR’s administrative office. Once BACR has reviewed your LOI, you may be asked to submit a full application. This application provides more detail about your project and your operations. Please refer to our online Guidelines for Becoming a Fiscal Sponsorship/Intermediary Project of BACR.

If you are interested in a BACR fiscal sponsorship or intermediary service for your small nonprofit or emerging organization, please click on and complete the online LOI (Letter of Inquiry) form located on the left side of this page. Your information will be sent to David Wight at BACR (415) 755-2341 and he will follow up with you. Thank you.