Open Collective Foundation

Overview

Open Collective Foundation (OCF) was a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provided fiscal sponsorship and support services to hundreds of initiatives across the United States. Its mission focused on promoting projects related to educational resources, social impact, and civic participation.

Mission

The foundation's mission included:

• Education: Increasing access to educational resources and training.
• Social Impact: Fostering positive social change by eliminating prejudice and discrimination, combating community deterioration, decreasing juvenile delinquency, serving the less fortunate, and preventing cruelty.
• Civic Participation: Supporting projects that enhance civic engagement, foster democratic debate, and strengthen community ties.

Activities

OCF served as an incubator for various groups, including left-wing advocacy projects. It offered administrative support, payment processing, and assistance with securing nonprofit status. The foundation integrated with fundraising tools from third-party platforms, making donations to its hosted groups tax-deductible without requiring them to register separately with the IRS.

Leadership

Pia Mancini was the founding director, while Alanna Irving served as the executive director. The leadership team played a crucial role in guiding the foundation's strategic direction and management.

Funding and Financials

OCF received substantial funding from liberal-activism donors, including Fractured Atlas Productions and the Ford Foundation. It maintained operations by charging a percentage of donations and grants received by sponsored groups.

Dissolution

In February 2023, the Board of Directors announced that the Open Collective Foundation would cease its fiscal sponsorship program by the end of 2024. Effective September 30, 2024, OCF officially dissolved its program, ensuring that all collectives were frozen prior to this date.

Legacy

Despite its dissolution, OCF's work impacted numerous organizations across the U.S., enabling them to operate with legal and financial support. It was part of the broader Open Collective ecosystem, which continues to provide platforms for groups to manage finances and fundraise transparently.

[1] https://opencollective.com/foundation [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Collective [3] https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/open-collective-foundation-ocf/ [4] https://opencollective.com [5] https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit/d6dae8c1c36b4267a78fe955cc86a7df-open-collective-foundation-covina