For more than two decades, the Charitable Partnership Fund (CPF) has played a pivotal role in helping innovative nonprofit programs get off the ground. Co-founded by finance and legal professionals Jonathan Harms and Stephen Brooks, CPF has a mission to enhance philanthropic activity by providing a fast-track alternative to the traditional nonprofit startup process.
Having worked with over 400 philanthropic start-ups, CPF’s incubation model allows individuals and groups with promising charitable ideas to operate under its umbrella rather than creating a separate legal entity right away. This eliminates the need for months—or even years—of paperwork, legal fees, and administrative burdens that typically come with nonprofit formation.
Starting a nonprofit from scratch often takes nine months to two years before it can even receive tax-exempt donations. CPF compresses that timeline to as little as two or three weeks, allowing programs to raise funds and begin operations right away.
“We believe that often the nonprofit creation process is completely backwards. If someone has a great idea, they should be able to test whether it works first, rather than spending thousands of dollars setting up an organization they might not even need,” said Stephen Brooks.
CPF operates on a small administrative fee for funds raised, but unlike many other fiscal sponsors, it does not provide expensive à la carte services. Instead, program administrators receive guidance and technical support from CPF’s experienced team as needed.
CPF's incubator program has successfully launched many well-known nonprofits, including Portland Street Medicine, a mobile medical service for individuals experiencing homelessness; Converge 45, an annual contemporary arts program, and Friends of BBPDX, a charitable collaborator of Business for a Better Portland.
“Portland Street Medicine started with us as a simple program run by a few doctors and a nurse practitioner,” said Brooks. “We provided the financial and legal structure, allowing them to focus on their mission. Once they grew large enough and needed their own licensing, they transitioned into an independent nonprofit.”
This "try before you buy" approach saves organizations time, effort, often $10,000 or more in startup costs—totaling over $4 million in savings across CPF's 400+ incubated programs.
The Missing Middle Housing Fund has benefited directly from CPF’s streamlined approach. Several years ago, MMHF CEO, Nate Wildfire, approached the CPF for guidance. “We needed a quick and efficient way to stand up our organization,” said Wildfire. “CPF provided the platform, allowing the MMHF to attract donors and build momentum before officially forming as its own nonprofit.”
Brooks’ involvement in housing and economic development is not new. He has worked with cities and developers to craft innovative funding models for middle-income housing, recognizing that many towns lack affordable homes for teachers, healthcare workers, and first responders.
“The economic development and housing worlds are still siloed, but they shouldn’t be,” said Brooks. “Employers are realizing that without housing, they can’t attract workers. We help bridge that gap by giving communities the ability to develop solutions quickly.”
Beyond its incubator model, CPF has developed creative funding mechanisms such as charitable certificates of deposit (CDs). In one case, CPF facilitated a financing structure where community members deposited funds in special bank CDs, and the interest helped fund a church expansion project, effectively creating an interest-free loan.
These tools, while underutilized, have huge potential in addressing critical issues like affordable housing. However, expanding such programs would require additional resources.
“We don’t raise money for ourselves,” Brooks noted. “But if the opportunity arises to implement some of these ideas, we’re ready.”
Despite its low-profile, CPF continues to be an invaluable launchpad for nonprofit initiatives. Whether it’s supporting housing solutions, environmental conservation, healthcare services, or education programs, the organization ensures that funding and legal complexities don’t stand in the way of great ideas. Reducing the time and cost to create impact is an idea that we at the MMHF wholly support.
For more information about CPF visit its website at https://www.cpfgives.org