Is our team in standalone or fiscal sponsorship mode?
Last verified October 18, 2026
Every team starts in standalone mode, where Robolyst tracks money you keep somewhere else. You switch to fiscal sponsorship mode only after your application is approved and the sponsorship agreement is countersigned; from then on the balance, card spending and reimbursement checks come from a real team finance account.
How to tell which mode you're in
Open Finance and look at the first number at the top of the Overview page.
- Available balance means fiscal sponsorship is live. The figure is your real account balance, minus money already promised to pending card holds, card allowances and approved reimbursement checks.
- Remaining budget or Available means you're in standalone mode. The figure is worked out from your budget, the income you logged and what you've spent.
Standalone teams also see a Get a team finance account link under the budget panel until they apply.
What changes between the two
| Standalone | Fiscal sponsorship | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the money lives | Your own bank account, school account or cash box | A team finance account under the fiscal sponsor |
| Currency | Any currency you pick in finance settings | Always US dollars |
| Income | Logged by hand on the Fundraising page (if income tracking is on) | Donations and sponsor money arrive in the account automatically, so Fundraising is hidden |
| Card spending | Logged as an expense with Team card as the payment method | Real card charges show up on Expenses to be matched to orders |
| Receipts on orders | Optional; you can switch receipt tracking off | Always tracked |
| Reimbursements | A budget manager records how the person was paid back | A budget manager approves the claim, then the fiscal sponsor mails a check |
| Extra pages | None | Balance, Cardholders, Donors, plus a public ledger option |
Orders, budgets, categories, seasons, reports and finance rules work the same way in both modes.
How a team becomes fiscally sponsored
- Go to Finance > Account (
/team-management/finance/fiscal-sponsorship). - Fill in the Apply to join form. You need the Manage fiscal sponsorship permission to submit it.
- Wait for the Foundation to review it. While it's pending, nothing about your finances changes.
- After approval, an Agreement page appears. Fill it in and sign it there.
- Once the Foundation countersigns, the account goes live and the page switches to fiscal sponsorship mode.
Approval on its own is not enough. Until the agreement is countersigned, your team stays in standalone mode and no money can move through the account. The program is open to US-based FTC and FLL teams only.
If an application is turned down, or a sponsorship is later withdrawn, the same page shows the reason and lets you update the form and apply again.