What Uplift Alliance does

Uplift Alliance is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit fiscal sponsor host organization founded in 2023 and headquartered in West Baltimore, Maryland. It supports charitable projects and grassroots social entrepreneurs that lack independent tax-exempt status by serving as their legal and financial umbrella, enabling those projects to receive tax-deductible donations and grants without filing for their own 501(c)(3) status. The organization is affiliated with the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and draws on UMB's six professional schools—dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work—plus Graduate School programs for expertise and student/faculty engagement.

Uplift Alliance delivers a unified fiscal sponsorship platform built on standard nonprofit management and donor-processing tooling. Its service offering comprises five modules: a core Fiscal Sponsorship function providing fiduciary oversight and compliance with 501(c)(3) rules; Finance Services covering deposits, online donation processing, tax receipts, grant management, and quarterly/monthly financial reports; Operations and Human Resources covering payroll, labor-law compliance, annual independent audits, and solicitation registrations; Insurance Services providing general liability coverage; and Legal Services providing regulatory compliance oversight and access to legal guidance. The organization adheres to the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors' Guidelines for Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship and Best Practices and files a consolidated IRS Form 990 that aggregates the financial activity of all sponsored projects.

Uplift Alliance's go-to-market is community-led: it identifies and onboards sponsored projects through direct outreach to social entrepreneurs, community leaders, and UMB-affiliated networks in Baltimore, with projects entering via an application and signed Affiliation Agreement. Revenue is generated through negotiated fiscal-sponsorship fees on pass-through grant and donation flows; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The stated customer segment is horizontal—nonprofit organizations and social entrepreneurs seeking incubation, grant management, or short-duration charitable project support. The organization is governed by an independent board chaired by UMB's Elizabeth Embry with representation from JHU, the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation, Midtown Academy, MedReimagined, and The Elbow Fund, and is led operationally by an Interim Executive Director (Colin Smith) and a Director of Operations (Tauren Robinson El Bey).

Name

Uplift Alliance

Legal name

Uplift Alliance

Website

https://upliftalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Uplift Alliance is a Baltimore-based independent 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor host organization that provides fiduciary oversight, financial management, payroll, insurance, and legal compliance services to charitable projects lacking independent tax-exempt status, serving grassroots nonprofits and social entrepreneurs in West Baltimore and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiscal Sponsorship Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Advancement Services & Donor Operations (CRM, Gift Processing, Stewardship) (EDALAOAD)

Keywords

• Fiscal sponsorship services
• Nonprofit administration
• Charitable project management
• 501(c)(3) compliance
• Grant management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fiscal Sponsorship Services: Uplift Alliance generates revenue through providing comprehensive fiscal sponsorship services to charitable projects and organizations. This includes fiduciary oversight, financial management, administrative services, and compliance management for sponsored projects. The organization files consolidated IRS Form 990 including all sponsored projects' financial activity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Uplift Alliance provides comprehensive fiscal sponsorship services that enable charitable projects and grassroots organizations to receive tax-deductible donations and grants without obtaining independent 501(c)(3) status. Its offering bundles fiduciary oversight, financial management, grant administration, payroll, insurance, and legal/regulatory compliance into a single managed service for sponsored projects of any size.

Product overview

Uplift Alliance operates as a unified fiscal sponsorship platform offering a comprehensive suite of administrative services for charitable organizations. The core offering is Fiscal Sponsorship Services, which provides fiduciary oversight and financial management for projects without independent 501(c)(3) status. This is supported by four key service modules: Finance Services (deposits, donation processing, grant management, reporting), Operations and Human Resources Services (payroll, compliance, audits), Insurance Services (general liability), and Legal Services (compliance oversight). Together, these services enable charitable projects to focus on their mission while UA handles regulatory and administrative requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fiscal Sponsorship Services

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional affiliation providing alignment with UMB's six professional schools (dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work) and Graduate School programs. Enables access to expert knowledge across social work, legal/immigration programs, business development, and research-based programs. Provides connections between sponsored organizations and UMB students, faculty, and broader community.
• National Network of Fiscal SponsorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUA adheres to the Guidelines for Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship and Best Practices set forth by this network, ensuring compliance with industry standards for charitable project management.
• Charles and Margery Barancik FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on UA's leadership board through Secretary John Brothers who serves as President and CEO of the foundation, indicating a strategic advisory relationship.
• Johns Hopkins UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on UA's leadership board through Jon Kucskar from JHU's Enterprise Risk Management department, indicating an advisory and collaborative relationship.
• Midtown AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on UA's leadership board through Executive Director Sarah Ceponis, indicating collaborative community engagement.
• MedReimaginedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on UA's leadership board through COO Damien Myers, indicating strategic healthcare sector collaboration.
• The Elbow FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresented on UA's leadership board through Crickett Woloson, indicating collaborative investment in social entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Proteus Fund: National fiscal sponsor and funder collaborative supporting progressive social-change projects through fiscal sponsorship, grantmaking, and movement-building resources. Directly comparable to Uplift Alliance as a fiscal host organization serving mission-driven projects seeking tax-exempt infrastructure.
• Fractured Atlas: National independent 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor that hosts charitable projects, primarily in the arts, enabling them to receive tax-deductible donations and grants. Direct peer to Uplift Alliance as both operate comprehensive fiscal sponsorship platforms serving grassroots projects and social entrepreneurs.
• Tides Foundation: One of the largest fiscal sponsors in the United States, hosting donor-advised funds and project entities across advocacy, social justice, and philanthropy. Directly comparable to Uplift Alliance as a comprehensive fiscal sponsor providing financial management, compliance, and administrative services to projects lacking independent 501(c)(3) status.
• Peace Development Fund: Fiscal sponsor and grantmaker supporting grassroots social justice and peace-building projects. Directly comparable to Uplift Alliance as a fiscal host organization enabling community-based projects to receive tax-deductible contributions.
• San Francisco Study Center: Established fiscal sponsor that hosts a portfolio of nonprofit projects, providing financial management, compliance, and administrative services. Comparable to Uplift Alliance as a comprehensive fiscal sponsor operating under similar National Network of Fiscal Sponsors guidelines.

Regional players

• Associated Black Charities: Baltimore-based nonprofit providing fiscal sponsorship, grantmaking, and capacity-building support to Black-led community organizations. Comparable to Uplift Alliance as a regional fiscal sponsor host serving Baltimore-area grassroots projects and community programs.
• Maryland Nonprofits: Statewide nonprofit association and fiscal intermediary serving Maryland-based organizations with compliance, training, and shared services. Comparable to Uplift Alliance as a Maryland-focused intermediary supporting the operational infrastructure of charitable projects.
• Baltimore Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving Baltimore with grantmaking, donor-advised funds, and capacity-building support for local nonprofits. Comparable to Uplift Alliance as a Baltimore-based philanthropic intermediary, though it operates primarily as a grantmaker rather than a fiscal sponsor host.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Central Maryland: Large federated nonprofit operating across Maryland that intermediates donor contributions to community programs. Comparable to Uplift Alliance as a philanthropic intermediary channeling funds to charitable programs, though at much larger scale and with a federated giving model.

Others

• National Network of Fiscal Sponsors: Industry association whose Guidelines for Comprehensive Fiscal Sponsorship and Best Practices Uplift Alliance explicitly adheres to. Relevant as an ecosystem enabler and industry standards body governing the fiscal sponsorship category in which UA operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Uplift Alliance