Individual Grantmaking Policy
This grantmaking policy (“Policy”) enables fiscally hosted collectives (“Collectives”) under the umbrella of OpenCollective Foundation (“OCF”) to become grantmakers in their communities, a variation from traditional grantmaking where a foundation or other grantmaking institution makes a grant directly to a grantee.
Note: If the person you wish to fund can provide receipts before payment and/or is okay with getting an IRS Form 1099 for this income, they can often submit normal expenses for hardship-type expenses instead of going through the full grant process.
If you wish to fund another OCF-hosted Collective or donate to another 501(c)(3) entity, you don't need to go through this grant process. See Other Grants for more info.
Grants, in the context of this Policy, mean financial gifts from a Collective hosted by OCF to an individual (the “Grantee”), which further the Collective’s mission and align with the overall mission of OCF.
We use the Open Collective platform to support both transparency and agency for grantmaking Collectives and their Grantees, as well as to support OCF’s role in compliance, reporting, and expenditure responsibility.
As a fiscal sponsor and 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity, OCF holds ultimate responsibility for compliance and IRS reporting for its fiscally hosted Collectives. The relevant IRS regulations and requirements concerning grants largely determine the details of this Policy.
Within these bounds, OCF aspires to ground its approach to grants in its core values of trust and transparency. Therefore, we seek to empower Collectives in their role as grantmakers, and center their expertise about and relationships with their communities and Grantees.