The Giving Back Fund

What The Giving Back Fund does

The Giving Back Fund (GBF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Boston, MA, that operates as a national fiscal sponsor and philanthropy management platform for professional athletes, celebrities, high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and emerging nonprofit initiatives. Its core offering is a turnkey vehicle for establishing individual foundations and sponsored projects under GBF's own EIN and governance structure, providing immediate IRS 501(c)(3) status, multi-state charitable solicitation registration in 41 states, and a full back- and front-office service stack including banking, accounting, payroll, 1099 distribution, donor tracking, grantmaking assistance, and insurance coverage (D&O, general liability).

GBF's service architecture rests on three integrated modules: Administration & Management (back-office infrastructure with the proprietary SAGE online portal and donor tracking software for 24/7 financial visibility), Charity Status & Compliance (federal and state filings, annual audits, and multi-state registration), and Design/Build Philanthropy Solutions (vision/mission development, brand strategy, fundraising approach, and social media implementation). Digital donation capabilities integrate directly with foundation websites and social channels. The product surface also extends to named programs such as the Saatchi Scholarship ($10,000 annually with Saatchi & Saatchi mentorship) and the Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship ($15,000 BIPOC legacy-maker award).

The revenue model is fee-for-service: GBF recovers administrative and management costs from a family of 18+ sponsored foundations and projects, with fees structured as shared back-office costs rather than standalone foundation overhead, yielding economies of scale the organization markets as a core differentiator. Customer segments split across professional athletes (e.g., Ben Roethlisberger, Jalen Rose, Arian Foster, Yao Ming, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson foundations), entertainment figures (Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Cara Delevingne), HNW individuals, and existing nonprofits seeking fiscal sponsorship (NEXUS, Invisible Hands, Social Innovation Summit). GTM combines direct sales/consulting with event-driven acquisition through high-profile charity gatherings (Big Game Big Give at the Super Bowl, NEXUS Global Summit, Mental Wealth EXPO) and a community-led referral network built over 25+ years, with thought-leadership content via the founder Marc Pollick's blog and a newsletter. The operating geography is national with global remote service delivery through the SAGE portal.

Name

The Giving Back Fund

Legal name

The Giving Back Fund

Website

https://givingback.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Giving Back Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 that provides fiscal sponsorship and philanthropy management services to professional athletes, celebrities, high-net-worth individuals, and corporations, delivering immediate 501(c)(3) status, back-office administration, and compliance support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiscal Sponsorship and Philanthropy Management

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Fiscal sponsorship services
• Nonprofit administration
• Foundation management
• Philanthropy consulting
• Charity compliance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Administrative and Management Services: Provides administrative, financial, program and management support to foundations and sponsored projects. Revenue generated through shared administrative and management costs across the family of foundations, allowing cost-effective fees through economies of scale.
2. Fiscal Sponsorship Services: Offers IRS 501(c)(3) status through their EIN for individuals, initiatives, or groups seeking immediate nonprofit status. Provides financial oversight and compliance services while sponsored projects receive tax-deductible grants and donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Giving Back Fund (GBF) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides fiscal sponsorship, administrative, financial, and management services to individual foundations, sponsored projects, and nonprofit initiatives. It operates as a flexible, cost-effective vehicle for establishing charitable foundations under a community foundation-style governance structure, granting immediate IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status through GBF's EIN while handling compliance, banking, accounting, donor tracking, payroll, and state registration across 41 states.

Product overview

The Giving Back Fund is a national nonprofit fiscal sponsor offering turnkey philanthropy solutions through a platform-plus-services model. The core offering consists of three interconnected service modules: Administration & Management (providing back-office infrastructure including banking, accounting, donor tracking, and payroll via SAGE online portal), Charity Status & Compliance (granting immediate IRS 501(c)(3) status through GBF's EIN), and Design/Build Philanthropy Solutions (guiding clients through program development, brand strategy, and social media). The organization also operates two named scholarship programs—the Saatchi Scholarship ($10,000 awards with mentorship) and the Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship ($15,000 BIPOC student award)—and manages a family of 18+ sponsored foundations and projects including VOICE, NEXUS, Invisible Hands, and Social Innovation Summit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Administration & Management Comprehensive back-office and front-office administrative services for client foundations including day-to-day banking, accounting, financial reporting, donor tracking software management, expense reconciliation, payroll processing, and 1099 distribution, delivered via GBF's SAGE online portal.
• Charity Status & Compliance Provides immediate IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status through GBF's EIN, manages federal and state tax filings, annual audits, charitable solicitation registration across 41 states, and provides D&O, general liability, and other insurance coverage for client foundations.
• Design/Build Philanthropy Solutions Consulting service guiding clients through designing and building philanthropic programs including creating vision, mission, goals and strategies; supporting projects, programs, events and partnerships; developing fundraising approaches; and providing brand development, communication support, and social media strategy.
• Fiscal Sponsorship Provides individuals, initiatives, or groups with immediate 501(c)(3) nonprofit status under GBF's legal and tax-exempt purview, including financial oversight, compliance management, and the ability to receive tax-deductible grants and donations without an independent IRS application.
• Saatchi Scholarship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Lower administrative and management fees compared to stand-alone foundations through economies of scale

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Saatchi & SaatchicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Saatchi Scholarship Program, designed to provide financial assistance to creative, strategic, and data analytic students from diverse backgrounds. Scholarship recipients selected by panel of Creatives, Strategic Managers, Data Analysts, and Talent Managers at Saatchi & Saatchi. Includes mentorship component with Saatchi & Saatchi professionals.
• The Legacy Lab FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to award scholarships to BIPOC students representing next-generation of legacy-makers. The Legacy Lab has been researching and publishing on business leaders creating enduring change since 2012. McGraw-Hill Education published their book Legacy in the Making in March 2018.
• NexusflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNEXUS Global Summit brings together 350+ next-gen philanthropists, impact investors, and social innovators. Event held in New York City over 2.5 days with world-renowned speakers, hands-on masterclasses, and action-oriented roundtables under theme Brave Voices and Bold Ideas.
• Claire'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership established for Jamie-Lynn Sigler's foundation to create a bracelet initiative spreading healthy lifestyle messages and information about dangers of eating disorders to young girls.
• Landmark VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial Innovation Summit, a project of Landmark Ventures, puts award-winning social innovators on stage to present to Fortune 500 executives and philanthropists. Event held June 3-4, 2025 at Hyatt Regency San Francisco.
• iHeart RadiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMental Wealth Alliance, inspired by Charlamagne The God, in conjunction with iHeart Radio, presented the Mental Wealth EXPO - a day of mental health and healing education in honor of World Mental Health Day. Held at Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
• Valor StationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGiving Fore Good 2026 event proceeds benefited The Giving Back Fund and Valor Station, supporting PTSD and trauma care for veterans and first responders.
• Tribe of Nova FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted 130 memorial events for October 7th massacre with 250,000 attendees and 2,800 survivors attending at least one event in the past six months.
• On The Map FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2024, launched Colleyville documentary featuring never-before-seen footage of 11-hour hostage standoff at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.
• MCertcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCert Convening held March 19-20, 2026 bringing together System Enablers to create non-partisan clarity and Systemic Trust needed for digital mental health support ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Vanguard Charitable: National donor-advised fund sponsor offering pooled investment and grantmaking infrastructure, an established incumbent in the same pooled philanthropic services category as GBF.
• Schwab Charitable: Major donor-advised fund sponsor backed by Schwab with national brand recognition and integrated investment platform, a broader incumbent alternative to GBF's fiscal sponsorship.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor offering immediate tax-deductible giving and full administrative support; competes with GBF for HNW and celebrity donors wanting lower-friction giving vehicles.

Emerging players

• Changing Our World: Philanthropy consulting firm that advises corporations, athletes, and high-profile individuals on charitable giving strategy and program design, directly comparable to GBF's celebrity/athlete focus and consulting service line.
• Borealis Philanthropy: Fiscal sponsor focused on movement-building and racial-equity grantmaking, illustrating a niche, emerging peer in fiscal sponsorship that overlaps with GBF on administrative infrastructure and pooled models.

Direct peers

• Foundation Source: Provides outsourced administration, compliance, and back-office services for private foundations, closely mirroring GBF's Administration & Management offering for individual and family foundations.
• National Philanthropic Trust: Large U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor and philanthropic services provider that offers immediate tax-deductible giving vehicles and administrative infrastructure, directly overlapping GBF's fiscal sponsorship and managed services model.
• Amalgamated Foundation: Provides fiscal sponsorship and philanthropic services to individuals, nonprofits, and companies seeking turnkey charitable infrastructure, a similar pooled-services model to GBF.
• Arabella Advisors: Philanthropy advisory and managed services firm that helps HNW donors, foundations, and impact investors design and administer giving strategies, overlapping GBF's consulting and design/build offering.
• Tides Foundation: Large nonprofit fiscal sponsor that provides 501(c)(3) status and administrative infrastructure to projects and donor-advised initiatives, competing for the same fiscal sponsorship and pooled-services value proposition.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/givingbackfund
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheGivingBackFund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The Giving Back Fund