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Service House

Service House Model RenderingHow does the philanthropic, nonprofit, and service community raise the next generation?

The idea for Service House grew from recognizing Seattle’s reliance on a vibrant nonprofit workforce. Seattle depends on more than 440 AmeriCorps members and many other participants in similar service programs to meet basic needs and create healthy communities for all of its residents.  Tours of service demand much from the young people who commit to these programs.  We believe in honoring that responsibility with opportunity — opportunities for support, for mentorship, and for a deepening of the entire nonprofit world.

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Fiscal Sponsorship

Stepping Stones in the Japanese GardenFiscal Sponsorship by a 501(c)(3) empowers neighborhood groups and even businesses to stretch their budgets while accomplishing projects for the public good.

A 501(c)(3) can accept tax-deductible donations, foundation grants, and employer matching dollars to fund charitable work like yours. When non-501(c)(3) organizations do charitable work, they can partner with a 501(c)(3) Fiscal Sponsor in order to tap these extra financial sources.  That’s why Urban Sparks invests in being a high quality fiscal sponsor for neighborhood groups and corporations.

 It’s a service to projects,
but also to donors who want to support local change.

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J.P. Patches and Gertrude Statue

J.P. Patches and Gertrude go Bronze to raise funds for Children’s Hospital!

 
Kids growing up in the Northwest counted on J.P. Patches to put them in the mood for fun each morning before school from 1958 to 1981. Gertrude and all of her/his (Fabulous Bob Newman) alter egos filled the show with guest characters. From 2006 to 2008, J.P.’s (Chris Wedes) carpenter Carl Lovgren and author Bryan Johnston led a team to honor these characters with a bronze statue including a coin bank collecting donations for Children’s Hospital, J.P.’s favorite charity.   The statue is in place and $82,000 in excess funds were donated to Children’s.

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Oh Good! You found us. Welcome!

We have the know-how, tools and the experience to help you succeed.   

We’ve led and facilitated millions of dollars worth of public work –
Parks, P-Patches, Plazas, Statues, Trails, Playgrounds, Education Projects, Traffic Mitigation, and the list keeps growing.

 We’re ready for YOU to be a leader

Even when your friends fear your energy and drive, we’ll support your vision and leadership.  We believe in those who will work to make the world a better place.  That’s our mission.

Urban Sparks encourages the drive to imagine and to do.  We see those who imagine and do as leaders…sometimes before they see themselves that way.  Read our stories to see what others have done.

We facilitate leadership by sharing our expertise and helping find solutions.
We’d love to talk with you about your project.

Urban Sparks enables small organizations to pursue big visions through fiscal sponsorship.
As a  501(c)3 nonprofit, we can help your organization hit the ground running.

 We’re dedicated to optimism

Storytelling helps us remember that many good ideas sounded pretty unusual at first.   Get excited by the breadth of genres in our tag cloud to the right — but don’t feel confined to what’s already been done.  Let projects we’ve assisted provide a jumping off point.  Meet some of our exceptional leaders and be inspired by their volunteer storiesExplore our vision of Service House and a whole new way of thinking about the next generation of service in the community.

 Your strengths are already in you.   We’re here when you need a spark.  Contact us to get started.