Model Comparison

Model A vs. Model C

HydroHarvest offers two forms of fiscal sponsorship. Which one fits your project depends mainly on whether you already have your own legal entity, how much operational support you need, and how much independence you want to keep. Our application walks you through these questions and gives you a preliminary recommendation — final model assignment is confirmed during compliance review, not at this preliminary stage.

Model A — Comprehensive Sponsorship

Your project becomes a HydroHarvest program. HydroHarvest owns the project's assets and activities, and project staff may be HydroHarvest employees, contractors, or volunteers. HydroHarvest carries the administrative, legal, and compliance responsibility for the project.

This is the right fit if you don't have your own legal entity, need HydroHarvest to manage operations, staffing, or insurance, or want a more integrated relationship.

Model C — Pre-Approved Grant Relationship

Your project remains its own separate legal entity. HydroHarvest receives tax-deductible donations on the project's behalf and re-grants them, verifying charitable use of funds without operating the project directly. [missing glossary term: “Variance power”] for a Model C relationship applies to the donations HydroHarvest has received — not to the project's own, independently-held assets.

This is the right fit if you already have your own nonprofit entity, don't need day-to-day operational support from HydroHarvest, and want to keep more operational independence.

Both models carry an administrative fee that differs by model — see our Fee Structure page for current rates.