What if my organization isn’t a 501(c)(3) charity?

We encourage you to find a nonprofit fiscal sponsor to work with. Fiscal sponsors must be 501(c)(3) charities, local government organizations, universities, or schools.

ARDC usually cannot find a fiscal sponsor for you since we are not familiar with the groups in your region. The best place to start looking is at your network of radio clubs, organizations, and universities in your region to see who may be a larger 501(c)(3) interested in sponsoring your group. 

What if I can’t find a fiscal sponsor?

Option A: 

If you are an amateur radio club you may want to consider applying for an ARRL Club Grant instead, since they do not have to require 501(c)(3) status.

Option B: 

If you do not have a fiscal sponsor you would like to work with, you may still be able to apply for an ARDC grant. In this case, we would use a process called expenditure responsibility to grant you the funds. Expenditure responsibility requires a lot of ongoing paperwork and documentation from you as the grantee. It is not the right fit for everyone. Please talk with us first if you’d like us to consider this route.  You can see a list of the paperwork and requirements for accepting a grant here.

What if I’m a for-profit school or University?

ARDC is not interested in supporting for-profit schools or Universities at this time.