Fiscal Sponsorship at The Somerville Foundation
The Somerville Foundation (TSF) is proud to serve as a fiscal sponsor for grassroots, community-based initiatives that align with our mission of equity, creativity, and local empowerment. Our fiscal sponsorship model allows partner organizations to carry out their programming under TSF’s 501(c)(3) umbrella, without needing to establish their own nonprofit status.
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If you are interested in being sponsored by our organization, please submit the following form and we will get back to you:
Model of TSF's Fiscal Sponsorship Accelerator Program
Umbrella 501(c)(3) Services
TSF provides 501(c)(3) coverage, financial oversight, and compliance support—allowing grassroots initiatives to operate legally and securely without needing to build their own infrastructure.
Payroll & Fund Management
We manage payroll, donations, and grants so our partners can focus on programming. TSF ensures timely payments, transparent reporting, and responsible stewardship of funds.
Strategic Partnership & Visibility
TSF helps elevate partner visibility through communications, events, and strategic guidance. We serve as a connector between emerging initiatives and the broader ecosystem of similar services.
Creative by Nature
Outdoor recreation leadership combined with creative expression to empower youth communication skills.
Creative by Nature is a healing-centered youth arts and wellness initiative led by Somerville’s own Sean Post and Nabila Anandira. The program blends nature, creativity, and community to support young people—especially those from historically marginalized backgrounds—in exploring identity, building resilience, and cultivating joy.
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Through immersive retreats, outdoor workshops, and community showcases, Creative by Nature offers youth a chance to unplug, reflect, and create in natural settings. Participants engage in journaling, visual arts, storytelling, and mindfulness practices, all designed to foster personal growth and collective healing.,
Creative Youth Development
Under the guidance of Erich Hagan, The Somerville Foundation (TSF) fiscally sponsors multiple creative youth programming that serve vulnerable populations, address the need for expanded teen after-school opportunities, and provide paid pathways for youth to explore and develop their artistic vision across multiple mediums. These programs also offer targeted mentorship, helping young people pursue their interests in the arts while building skills, confidence, and community connection.
Books of Hope
Books of Hope is a Creative Youth Development program that helps young people strengthen their writing, public speaking, and confidence through free workshops, open mics, and youth-led community projects. Serving multilingual and first‑generation youth in East Somerville, BOH builds communication skills, leadership, and a strong sense of belonging.
Books Of Hope has guided generations of young artists aged 12-24 as they developed their written and oral skills. BOH is the only program of its kind that brings the stories of young people to life through free writing workshops, open mics & community performances.
For the most dedicated participants, BOH provides professional development as Teen Leaders organize artistic events and facilitate creative workshops for their community and peers. By engaging the creative interests of young people, BOH goes beyond arts education to promote personal development and community engagement.
In the words of Zahra, a Somerville High School Junior and first generation immigrant:
“Books Of Hope helped me significantly improve my speaking and writing skills especially in school. I am doing very well on essays, and my English teacher told me that because of my progress, I should switch to Honors. This improvement is directly connected to the skills I developed through Books Of Hope, which increased my confidence and academic performance.”​​​​​
Annual Programming at a Glance​
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200 plus participants across workshops and events
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10 Youth-led open mics at The Dojo Community Center
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60 Workshops at the Somerville Public Library & Mystic Learning Center
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8 paid Teen Leaders each year
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5 public performances and community collaborations
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Get involved!
If you or a youth you know would like to get paid for creative writing, Books of Hope's registration from is linked below!
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Books of Hope teens performing at the 2026 Mayoral Inauguration for Jake Wilson
Youth Stream
YouthStream is a community program that helps young people turn their interest in gaming, internet culture, and online communities into real‑world skills and meaningful connection. The program recognizes that many teens spend their time on platforms like Discord, YouTube, Twitch, and in games, and builds accessible programming around those spaces.
YouthStream shows families, educators, and funders that the same teamwork, problem‑solving, and creativity gained from traditional after‑school activities also happen when young people run tournaments, design mods, build servers, or create games together.
Open to every young person in Somerville, YouthStream is designed to be inclusive, welcoming beginners and casual players just as much as competitive gamers.
The program especially supports youth who do not typically join sports or arts programs and instead find community online. By bringing these young people together in person, YouthStream turns isolated online habits into a shared community space where teens can collaborate, meet new friends, and feel supported.
Rather than focusing on winning or competition, YouthStream creates an environment where showing up, hanging out, and trying new things matters most. With free food, a welcoming space at The Dojo, and activities that reflect youth culture, the program transforms online interests into community‑building experiences that help young people learn, grow, and feel connected.
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Contact Erich at erhagan@gmail.com to express interest in joining future cohorts of YouthStream!
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Join the YouthStream community on Discord by clicking the link: VilleSide Digital Cultural Center
VilleVideo
VilleVideo is a youth-led media program that empowers high school students to tell the stories of their community through film. Launched in partnership with Books of Hope, VilleVideo trains Somerville High School students in video production, editing, and storytelling while connecting them with local nonprofits and community initiatives.
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The VilleVideo team creates free promotional content for organizations across Somerville, boosting the visibility of programs, events, and grassroots efforts in a modern, attention-grabbing format. All videos featured on The Somerville Foundation’s website were developed by VilleVideo, showcasing the team’s creativity, professionalism, and commitment to community voice.
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By learning, creating, and sharing, VilleVideo offers youth a platform to build technical skills, earn wages, and engage civically through media. The program also encourages public engagement through its growing digital presence.