SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) is a center-left coalition that advocates for low-cost educational resources and access to higher education materials and publications.

The group is a project of the New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit managed by the Washington, D.C.-based philanthropy consulting firm Arabella Advisors. NVF project director Heather Joseph is executive director of SPARC; in 2018, she received total compensation of $337,134. ¹

It has also received funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. ²

1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). New Venture Fund. 2018. Part I: Line 15. Part VII (Compensation of Officers, Directors, etc.).
2. “2018 Accomplishments.” SPARC. Accessed December 2, 2019. https://sparcopen.org/who-we-are/accomplishments/