Get to Know Us

The Trust for Conservation Innovation develops and supports initiatives that conserve and protect a sustainable environment. By providing a superior and efficient administrative platform we enable environmental leaders to effectively launch their innovative ideas.


Purpose
Trust for Conservation Innovation is a 501(c)(3) launched in 2002 to offer an alternative in the marketplace for high value, low cost fiscal sponsor services to nonprofit projects. Smaller nonprofit enterprises have traditionally had difficulty in attracting, affording, and managing the administrative services necessary to run a smooth operation. Our fiscal sponsor services enable environmental leaders to concentrate on their programmatic activities and not worry about the “back office” systems.

The Trust was founded by several of the staff at the environmental consulting firm, California Environmental Associates. California Environmental Associates (CEA) is an environmental consulting firm that provides businesses and public institutions with a range of environmental management, regulatory compliance, and sustainable business solutions.


Fiscal Sponsorship: the state of a growing service

View our Study-
Fiscal Sponsorship: A first look at the state of a growing service

Upon launching the organization, the Board of the Trust commissioned a study of the current state of fiscal sponsorship and project incubation services. The goal of the study was to inform the Board of best practices in organizations that support fiscal sponsorship to insure that the Trust for Conservation Innovation was implementing the best methods and practices in its operations. The report, Fiscal Sponsorship: A first look at the state of a growing service, stands as the first published work looking at the state of the field. The report is based on research of leading fiscal sponsorship programs as well as over twenty interviews with organizations providing fiscal sponsorship services, projects joining these organizations (currently and previously), funders, academics, and other experts.

The report concludes that organizations providing fiscal sponsorship services play a critical role in contributing to the strength and diversity of the nonprofit sector. They offer an important organizational alternative for philanthropic projects and enhance the efficiency of the sector. The report demonstrates that various service models are used in these organizations. As these organizations play an increasingly important role in the nonprofit sector, it will be important to continue studying the lessons learned and identifying opportunities for improvement.