Build Your Creative Vision on a Foundation That Lasts.
The Creative Arts Empowerment Network (CAEN) provides fiscal sponsorship to artists, cultural leaders, and mission-driven projects that need 501(c)(3) infrastructure to access grant funding, receive tax-deductible donations, and operate with institutional credibility.
Serious work deserves serious infrastructure. If your project is ready to grow — we are ready to build with you.
What Is Fiscal Sponsorship — And Why It Matters
Fiscal sponsorship is a formal legal arrangement in which a nonprofit organization — in this case, Selym Inc — extends its 501(c)(3) status to cover a project or initiative that does not have its own nonprofit incorporation.
This means that under fiscal sponsorship, your project can:
- Apply for grants that require a nonprofit applicant
- Accept tax-deductible donations from individuals and foundations
- Operate with the credibility and accountability that institutional funders require
- Receive administrative, financial, and strategic support
You keep your creative independence. We provide the legal and fiscal framework.
Who Fiscal Sponsorship Is For
- Artists, musicians, and performers building project-based work with a public benefit
- Cultural organizers and community leaders running time-limited or ongoing programs
- Initiatives that are ready for grant funding but not yet incorporated as nonprofits
- Projects aligned with arts, culture, music, healing, civic engagement, or storytelling
You do not need to have a nonprofit already. You do need a clear project, a defined purpose, and the readiness to operate with accountability.
This Is Not For:
- General business ventures or for-profit projects seeking a tax shelter
- Projects without a clear arts, culture, or civic mission
- Individuals seeking personal income support without a defined project scope
- Projects currently under fiscal sponsorship with another organization
- Work that conflicts with CAEN’s mission and values
We review every application carefully. If your project is not the right fit, we will tell you — with respect and, where possible, with a referral to a more suitable resource.
What You Receive as a Fiscally Sponsored Project
Fiscal sponsorship through Selym Inc is not a rubber stamp. It is an active, structured support relationship. Here is what that looks like:
501(c)(3) Legal Umbrella
Your project operates under Selym Inc’s IRS-recognized nonprofit status. Funders and donors can make tax-deductible gifts. Grant applications become eligible that would otherwise be closed to unincorporated projects.
Grant Access & Compliance
As your fiscal sponsor, Selym Inc can be listed as the nonprofit applicant on grant proposals. We provide the EIN, 501(c)(3) documentation, and — where requested — letters of support for your applications.
Financial Management
Selym Inc receives and holds funds on behalf of your project. We issue tax receipts to donors, maintain segregated accounts for your project’s funds, and provide financial reporting as required by funders.
Strategic Support
CAEN’s network and strategic expertise are available to sponsored projects — connection to potential partners, platforms, and funding sources, plus direct strategic guidance from our executive team. Not every sponsor offers this. We do.
Institutional Credibility
Affiliation with a 501(c)(3) with a track record in arts, culture, and civic work signals to funders, venues, and partners that your project is serious and professionally supported. Credibility is infrastructure. We provide both.
Administrative Fee
Selym Inc retains an administrative fee from all funds received on behalf of sponsored projects. This fee covers financial management, compliance, reporting, and operational support. The full fee structure is disclosed in the Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement prior to onboarding.
We Work With Artists, Organizers, and Cultural Leaders Who Are Ready to Build.
The Working Artist
You are a musician, visual artist, performer, or multi-disciplinary creator with a project that has clear public benefit — and you are ready to pursue grant funding and take your work to the next level.
You are ready if: You have a defined project, a realistic budget, and a clear sense of the communities your work will serve.
The Cultural Organizer
You are building a program, event series, convening, or community initiative rooted in arts, culture, or storytelling. You have relationships, momentum, and a vision — and you need the infrastructure to execute it properly.
You are ready if: You can articulate your mission, your audience, and your intended outcomes.
The Civic & Community Leader
Your work sits at the intersection of arts, healing, and civic life — organizing around trauma, justice, peacemaking, or community resilience, with the arts central to how you do it.
You are ready if: Your work aligns with CAEN’s mission and you can demonstrate community connection.
The Project Without a Home
You have a fully-formed initiative — a documentary, a concert series, a residency, a publication — that needs a nonprofit structure to operate but is not large enough to justify independent incorporation yet.
You are ready if: Your project has a defined scope, timeline, and budget, and you are not simply in the idea stage.
Why Choose Selym Inc as Your Fiscal Sponsor
There are fiscal sponsors who process paperwork. And there are fiscal sponsors who are invested in your work.
Selym Inc — through the Creative Arts Empowerment Network — is the latter.
Our Executive Director, Melvin Kindall Myles, is not a program officer who has read about arts work. He is a Vocal Laureate who has performed at Carnegie Hall, Washington National Cathedral, and Central Synagogue. He is a cultural strategist who has spent two decades building programs, institutions, and platforms at the intersection of arts, healing, and civic life.
When you bring your project to CAEN, you are not entering a processing queue. You are entering a community of serious practitioners — and gaining a partner who understands what your work is trying to do.
- Mission Depth: We are not a generalist fiscal sponsor. Our work is rooted in arts, culture, healing, and civic engagement — which means we understand what our sponsored projects are trying to do.
- Leadership Credibility: Our executive team has real credentials in the arts, nonprofit management, and civic life. Our support is not theoretical.
- Individualized Attention: We do not sponsor hundreds of projects and lose track of each one. We sponsor carefully and support actively.
- National Platform: CAEN’s growing national network — in music, culture, philanthropy, and civic life — is a resource available to our sponsored projects.
- Integrity & Transparency: We operate with clear agreements, disclosed fees, and honest communication. Our sponsored projects know exactly what they are getting.
How Fiscal Sponsorship Works at CAEN — Step by Step
We designed our process to be clear, efficient, and respectful of your time. Here is what to expect from application to onboarding.
Step 1 — Submit Your Application
Complete the online application at selyminc.org/apply. The form takes approximately 20–30 minutes to complete. You will need a project description, budget overview, and brief bios of the primary project leaders. We will confirm receipt within 1 business day.
Timeline: Immediate upon form submission.
Step 2 — Initial Review
Our team reviews your application for mission alignment, project clarity, and operational readiness. We look at what you are building, who it serves, whether the project fits our sponsorship model, and whether you are ready to operate with accountability.
Timeline: 3–5 business days.
Step 3 — Discovery Call
If your application advances, we invite you to a 30-minute Discovery Call with our team. This is a conversation — not an interrogation. We want to understand your project more deeply, answer your questions about the sponsorship model, and assess whether this is the right relationship for both parties.
Timeline: Scheduled within 5 business days of initial review.
Step 4 — Decision
Following the Discovery Call, we make a formal decision within 5 business days. We send a written decision — acceptance or declination — with clear reasoning. Accepted applicants receive a Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement for review and signature.
Timeline: 5 business days after Discovery Call.
Step 5 — Onboarding
Once the agreement is signed, your project is officially onboarded. You receive a welcome packet, your project’s fund management information, templates for donor receipts and grant applications, and an introduction to your CAEN contact.
Timeline: Within 5 business days of signed agreement.
Ongoing — Active Sponsorship
From onboarding forward, Selym Inc manages your funds, issues receipts, and provides the documentation you need. We check in regularly and are available for strategic conversations as your project grows. Agreements are reviewed annually.
Timeline: Ongoing, with annual review.
Ready to Build? Your next step is an application.
If your project is mission-aligned, clearly defined, and ready for nonprofit infrastructure — we want to hear from you.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The process is structured, straightforward, and designed to give you a clear answer — not leave you waiting.
Not sure if you’re ready? Review the criteria above or contact us before applying: fiscalsponsorship@selyminc.org
Are you a foundation, institution, or donor looking to support artists and cultural projects through CAEN’s fiscal sponsorship program? We welcome your inquiry. Contact us about supporting our sponsored projects →