TSNE MissionWorks (also known as Third Sector New England or TSNE) is a consulting and grantmaking organization that provides financial and operational support to organizations devoted to the left-of-center principles of equity and social justice. This includes providing work and event spaces, nonprofit consulting, helping organizations search for executives, and fiscal sponsorship. ^{1 2 3}

TSNE MissionWorks was founded in 1959 as Massachusetts Health Research Institute. In the late 90’s it was rebranded as Third Sector New England and then rebranded again in 2015 as TSNE MissionWorks in efforts to more clearly communicate its expanding services. ²

Organizations fiscally sponsored by TSNE include National Network of Fiscal Sponsors, Building Movement Project, Collective Power for Reproductive Justice, and Radical Imagination for Racial Justice. ⁴

History and Activities

Third Sector New England was founded in 1959 by academics and government workers as the Massachusetts Health Research Institute (MHRI). The original purpose of MHRI was to fiscally sponsor community and public health research in Massachusetts. In the late 1990s MHRI became Third Sector New England as the organization expanded its scope beyond public health projects to offer fiscal sponsorship and consulting services for organizations TSNE deems support a “just and equitable” society. According to its public statements, TSNE supports organizations devoted to left-of-center principles of equity and social justice. TSNE provides grants to supported organizations as well as offering event spaces, nonprofit consulting, aid for organizations searching for executives, organizational assessments, board development, strategic planning, program evaluation, and property management services. ^{2 1 5 6 3}

According to TSNE’s 2023 annual report, in fiscal year 2023 TSNE managed over 10 properties, fiscally sponsored 53 organizations, trained 50 people in its leadership cohort programs, and placed 12 executives at organizations. ⁷

TSNE also produces research and consulting publications on fiscal sponsorship and nonprofit management, including reports entitled “Reimagining Fiscal Sponsorship in Service of Equity,” “Wage Equity Matters,” and “Diversity and Inclusion Initiative: A Step-By-Step Guide.” ³

AdvocacSponsored Projects

Third Sector New England fiscally sponsors organizations including National Network of Fiscal Sponsors, Alliance for Nonprofit Management, Building Movement Project, Center to Support Immigrant Organizing, Collective Power for Reproductive Justice, Community Votes, Institute for Social and Economic Development, Policy Equity Group, Radical Imagination for Racial Justice, and Worker’s Justice Project. Fiscal sponsorships provided by TSNE include aid with legal compliance, providing 501(c)(3) charitable status, and operating as the legal umbrella entity for sponsored organizations. ^{4 8}

Grantmaking

According to tax filings, in 2022 TSNE gave six-figure-or-more grants to several organizations, including a grant of $2,908,812 to University Enterprises Inc California State University Sacramento, $745,640 to Early Childhood Funders, $587,539 to University of Hawaii, $519,676 to the Arizona State University Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, $469,863 to University of Maryland Baltimore, $350,000 to the Agenda for Children, $349,431 the University of Michigan, $288,667 to Salish Kootenai College, $160,000 to the Coalition for Social Justice Education Fund, $160,000 to Community Partners, $160,000 to Family Forward Oregon, $160,000 to Isaiah, and $160,000 to Ole Education Fund. ⁵

Leadership

The president and executive director of Third Sector New England is Elaine Ng. Before working at TSNE, Ng was the director of strategic planning for special education at Boston Public Schools, the executive director of Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and a senior fellow at the Coston University Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership. ^{9 10}

The board of directors for TSNE include Angela Brown, chief of economic development for Metropolitan Area Planning Council; Beth Chandler, director of community investments for Point23 Health Foundation; Nancy Gardiner, managing partner at Hemenway and Barnes, LLP; Clement James, senior director of financial reporting and controller for Year Up; Jay Kim, executive director for Foundation for MetroWest; Ayisha Lee, director of annuity product management for TIAA; Marco Popovich, director of grantmaking for Nellie Mae Education Foundation; Jaye Smith, founder and CEO of FSG Consultants; and Megha Vadula, vice president of mixed-use developments in Boston for Hilco Redevelopment Partners. ²

Financials

According to tax filings, in 2022 TSNE reported $88,378,996 in revenue, $75,477,123 in expenses, and $162,486,187 in assets. Of those expenses, that same year TSNE reported spending $60,100,586 on fiscally sponsoring third-party groups focused on health care, housing, education, environmental sustainability, and other issues by helping with finances, governance, human resources, insurance needs, and other compliance issues. TSNE also reported spending $1,943,012 proving consulting to nonprofits through organizational assessments, board development, managing executive transitions, strategic planning, and program evaluation, as well as $3,146,476 on a 110,000 square foot space in Boston to help “progressive social change nonprofits.” ⁵

Of its $75,47,123 in 2022 reported revenue, TSNE reported received $62,994,018 from gifts, grants, and other contributions, $14,909,018 from contract revenue, and $1,188,995 from government grants. TSNE does not publicly list its contributors. ⁵

1. “Home.” National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. Accessed November 6, 2024. https://www.fiscalsponsors.org/.
2. “About Us.” TSNE. Accessed November 6, 2024. https://tsne.org/about-us/.
3. “Our Work.” TSNE. Accessed November 7, 2024. https://tsne.org/our-work/
4. “Our Fiscally Sponsored Organizations.” TSNE. Accessed November 6, 2024. https://tsne.org/our-fiscally-sponsored-organizations/.
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). TSNE. 2022.
6. “Our Services. TSNE. Accessed November 7, 2024. https://tsne.org/our-services/.
7. “Annual Report.” TSNE. 2023 Accessed November 7, 2024. https://tsne.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2023-Annual-Report-v3-FINAL-DIGITAL.pdf.
8. “Fiscal Sponsorship.” TSNE. Accessed November 6, 2024. https://tsne.org/fiscal-sponsorship/
9. ^[1] “About Us.” TSNE. Accessed November 6, 2024. https://tsne.org/about-us/.
10. “Elaine Ng.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 7, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-ng-9430937/.