Build Up, Inc. supports social change led by brave women and leaders of color. We give you the infrastructure and capacity to help you change the world.
Who We Are
We are a Capacity Builder.
Build Up, Inc. is a public charity that operates as a fiscal sponsor and capacity builder providing brave women and Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC)-led nonprofit start-ups, organizations, networks, and collectives that support under-resourced and historically invisibilized communities with the needed infrastructure and capacity. Build Up, Inc.’s sponsorship of projects and ideas encourages innovation and creativity, requiring projects and ideas that attempt to positively change or impact the world.
We bring creative solutions to some of the world’s most complex problems and are intrigued by ways to support nascent, growing, and brave projects.
We are the only fiscal sponsor founded by a Black woman who has been responsible for grant and organizational structuring at philanthropies with grant-making budgets of over $100 million, outside counsel to foundations, NGOs, and charities, and has held positions of general counsel, senior program lead, and senior operations director in philanthropies, and the position of in-house counsel in a public charity. BUI's culturally competent approach is informed by our Founder's lived experience.
We are uniquely positioned to help create, design, and implement change and build capacity.
This brave, strategic, solution-oriented approach is our Brave Infrastructure Design®. Build Up, Inc.’s work is governed by a Board of Directors, which has deep expertise in the social impact and nonprofit sectors. Our Board is extremely knowledgeable about project incubation, fiscal intermediaries, and international and domestic grant making. Our Board is comprised of all Black women.
Build Up, Inc. was incorporated in August 2016. It is a New Jersey nonprofit corporation, and is a public charity, tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Tax Code.
Build Up, Inc. is a member of the network of Build Up Companies, a federated group of companies formed by A. Nicole Campbell to bravely facilitate and support social and economic change and equity around the world.
We invite you to join us in our mission by investing and becoming a champion for equity and social justice. Learn more by exploring our Case for Support.
Vision and Mission
Build Up, Inc. is not a traditional fiscal sponsor. We offer guidance and tools to disrupt some of the disparities that women and BIPOC-led projects face. We are invested in the innovative and brave work of women and BIPOC-led projects, which are at the forefront of efforts to bring about socio-economic change and equity by drawing on their communities’ traditions of cooperation, mutual aid, and sustainability. We build deep relationships with our sponsored projects and provide culturally relevant support to increase their impact.
Mission
Build Up, Inc. is a public charity that acts as a fiscal sponsor for women and BIPOC-led organizations that are committed to improving the well-being of historically marginalized communities. Build Up, Inc. serves as a convenor and connector to these organizations, and provides capacity building resources to enable organizational growth and sustained impact.
Vision
Build Up, Inc.’s vision is to facilitate and support brave women and BIPOC leaders who seek socioeconomic change and equity and to ensure that historically vulnerable communities are removed from the margins.
We exist because...
- There are systemic barriers faced by women and BIPOC-led projects, and in particular grassroots organizations, that seek to support historically invisibilized communities.
- Women and BIPOC-led projects regularly face limited access to capacity and resources.
- There is a historical lack of support for brave and innovative approaches for supporting historically invisibilized communities.
Projects We Support
We are a proud fiscal sponsor of brave projects. Build Up, Inc. is a fiscal sponsor that seeks to engage with brave sponsored projects engaging in exciting and forward-driving activities that seek to enact sustained, meaningful change alongside often invisibilized communities. Below is a list of our sponsored projects. Check back often as we continue to grow.
Current Projects
A look at the initiatives we’re actively supporting right now as they work to drive meaningful impact.
Past Projects
A quick glimpse at the incredible projects we’ve backed in the past and the change they helped create.
Capacity Building Workshop Events
Register for upcoming BUI-hosted workshops and events designed to strengthen our community of practice, support capacity building, and foster meaningful collaboration between our partner projects and aligned organizations.
No events at this time, but please check back often for details on any upcoming events.
Apply to Become a Build Up, Inc. Sponsored Project
Becoming a project of Build Up, Inc. means ongoing support, coaching, and infrastructure capacity building.
It is important that Build Up, Inc. and its sponsored projects share core values and objectives. We are one of the only fiscal sponsors that place women of color in the conversation about socio-economic change at the highest levels and sponsor projects that aim to do the same. Therefore, before applying to become a project with Build Up, Inc, please review and confirm you meet the following criteria:
- Braveness: Your project is proposing critical socio-economic change for historically marginalized or vulnerable and under-resourced communities in a manner that requires those communities to be at the forefront of the conversations that are about them. To that end, your project actively demands and supports inclusive leadership, particularly leadership that centers BIPOC leaders and women as well as meaningful representation from the communities your work seeks to serve.
- Charitability: The overall structure and work of your project is geared towards benefiting the general public, particularly towards the benefit of vulnerable or historically marginalized communities.
- Resources/ Sustainability: The project’s leaders should have the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to execute their work and navigate challenges effectively. The project must demonstrate a commitment to capacity building and securing the resources needed for sustained impact. This includes a clear plan to assess adequate funding to support operations, grow its initiatives, and remain financially viable over time.
- Project Risks: As part of our evaluation, BUI assesses potential risks that may impact a project’s success and fiscal sponsorship. We identify potential challenges that could affect project implementation or sustainability and determine whether feasible strategies are in place to address them. Additionally, BUI evaluates whether the project aligns with our fiscal sponsorship standards and operates within a framework that minimizes legal, financial, and operational risks.
- Capacity Building Support: You are willing to join our community of learning to build your capacity in order to be sustainable. We do not require projects to receive minimum contributions, but we ask that you be willing to build your organizational capacity to reach your funding goals.
- Product-Community Fit: Similar to the start-up measurement commonly referred to as “product-market fit” that examines how well a company’s product actually aligns with the market it seeks to serve, the measurement of product-community fit analyzes the degree to which the organization’s product/service actually fits within and is in service to the community’s needs. Your project provides community-driven solutions to the problem you are seeking to address. You understand and appreciate the histories, cultures, and strengths of the communities in which you work, and you utilize this knowledge to inform all of your work.
- Project Planning & Readiness: At BUI, we support projects at various stages of development, from early planning to full implementation. While we prioritize projects that have taken concrete steps toward implementation, we also welcome projects in the planning phase if they demonstrate a strong foundation and a commitment to community-driven solutions. Your project should have clear and realistic plans with a budget that is appropriate for its stage. It should actively engage the community in shaping goals and strategies to ensure the work is meaningful and impactful. Additionally, the project must show progress toward implementation—whether through pilot initiatives, early successes, or a clear roadmap to execution.
If you satisfy these criteria, we invite you to apply for fiscal sponsorship with Build Up, Inc. and join the Build Up Companies community.
Please note that our current capacity for projects without secured funding is limited, and we may not be able to move forward with every application, even from qualified candidates. We appreciate your understanding and interest.
Click the button below to submit your application and we will set up a discovery call with you to discuss your incubation and sponsorship needs.
Change The World
Donations to Build Up, Inc. help support the capacity building of brave, transformational work.
With your generous support, Build Up, Inc. is able to keep its administrative fees low and retain an exceptional team to support its projects. Thank you for helping us create positive social and economic change for at-risk communities, which, as we know, ultimately changes the world.
Build Up, Inc. partners with Every.org to securely accept donations via cryptocurrency, stock, and Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs). These methods can help you reduce your tax burden while supporting our mission.
Build Up, Inc. is a U.S. public charity, tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. Donations to Build Up, Inc. are fully tax deductible, as permitted by law.
I love using my legal training and expertise to help brave philanthropists, philanthropies, and nonprofits build capacity so they have the ability to transform outcomes for vulnerable communities and interrupt cycles of injustice and inequity. If you think bravely, we can help you change the world.
A. Nicole Campbell - Founder, Build Up Companies
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Build Up Companies
The Build Up Companies team is made up of people located across the world.
