History Main / TheTeamBenefactor

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Varric uses his wide network of connections to find jobs for Hawke, keep the Coterie off Anders' back, and keep Merrill out of trouble with the City Guard.

* Knowledge of what they're specifically dealing with (characters who provide this are often TheSmartGuy as well).

* In ''PrisonBreak'' one character invokes this trope to keep himself useful by memorising and destroying a map the rest of the cast are following.

* In [[VideoGame/MassEffect2]], Miranda sort of fits this, being your liason with The Illusive Man, who technically owns the Normandy SR-2 and supplies you with funds, equipment, and intelligence. TIM would be this directly but he never joins the squad.

* Ruben in ''OceansEleven''. All he does is provide the initial investment and snark.

* ''TheLifeAquaticWithSteveZissou'' has the "bond company stooge" who (if I remember correctly) is an accountant who joins the crew to report back to their benefactors and make sure they stay within budget.
* Villainous example; The Neimodian race from ''StarWars'' is cowardly and lacks military expertise, but their participation in the Separatist Confederacy provides it with resources, since they control [[MegaCorp the Trade Federation]]. In the novellization of RevengeOfTheSith, the Neimodian viceroy Nute Gunray tries to call [[GeneralRipper General Grievous]] out, pointing that all of Grievous' sucess is funded by Neimodian money. Grievous is not impressed.
* ''FightClub'': The narrator is an example of this, since he blackmails his boss at a large automobile company into funding Fight Club, and presumably later Project Mayhem. [[spoiler: Of course, also being Tyler, the same person provides all the leadership and creative force behind those operations too, but he is not aware of that at the time.]]

TheTeamBenefactor is the member of the team who allows the adventure to continue by supplying some sort of resource they (and only they) have access to rather than their own talents (unless said talents are something very narrow). The resource in question might be;

Characters who provide money might be an example of UnclePennybags or SpoiledSweet. A [[TheChosenOne character with some sort of destiny]] in this position might be TheChosenZero if they don't provide anything but their status as such. A character who merely gives the heroes what they need and sends them on their way (without joining them) is some form of BigGood rather than this trope. If this character joins the group as TheSixthRanger then they might be a MysteriousBacker or an AnonymousBenefactor. They often appear in a CaperCrew. Compare EigenPlot where it is contrived so each character can overcome an obstacle. See also CrimefightingWithCash (for when this trope is a superpower).

* Kate Bishop (the Hawkeye of ''YoungAvengers'') provides funding for the team using her father's wealth, and converts one of his old buildings into a base for their operations. Unlike most examples, not only is she a fully fledged member of the group, she sometimes also acts as their unofficial leader.

* The ''ComicBook/ImmortalIronFist'' would sometimes fund the ''Heroes For Hire'' group if ''LukeCage'' was hardup for cash.

* The ''ImmortalIronFist'' would sometimes fund the ''Heroes For Hire'' group if ''LukeCage'' was hardup for cash.

* Have something special about them (e.g. being of a given lineage needed to enter their ancestor's tomb) that the group need to continue.

* In the metagame of ''WorldOfWarcraft'', healers were like this (they were hard to level up so there weren't many about, but they were needed to survive in most of the endgame instances). This lead to the stereotype of a JerkAss who played a priest so other players would have no choice but to put up with them.
* In ''DragonAge2'', Varric uses his wide network of connections to find jobs for Hawke, keep the Coterie off Anders' back, and keep Merrill out of trouble with the City Guard.

This trope a good way to justify TheFriendNobodyLikes, since it allows the writer to include a character that is at odds with the rest but they can't get rid of. Even if they're not, it's likely that what they provide is the [[NonActionGuy only thing they can provide]] (at first), making them TheMillstone. The expertise variant is the most likely to avoid this, since their knowledge might allow them to double as TheMedic or a GadgeteerGenius even if they aren't a BadassBookworm.

* Gandalf has shades of this in both ''TheHobbit'' and ''TheLordOfTheRings'', but his sheer power and habit of disappearing to deal with his own business pushes him closer to BigGood status.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', King Edgar of Figaro provides much of the resources for the PlayerParty. He is also the resident GadgeteerGenius.

* In season two of ''Nikita'', Birkhoff provides the money, the home base, and is the team's invaluable TechnoWizard.

* R. J. Brande funded the ''LegionOfSuperHeroes''. In the current version (based mostly on the original one) he gained his fortune by making suns.

* Being TheChosenZero, who hasn't got anything in their favour apart from some vague prophecy that they'll be useful.

* ''IronMan'''s civilian identity, Tony Stark, originally funded ''TheAvengers'', setting them up in his mansion and giving them the use of his butler Jarvis.

** On the X-Men he also sometimes provided funds, although at least at the beginning they mostly came from Charles Xavier, whose "old money" family fortune also included the Xavier Mansion and its spacious grounds and enough money to have his X-Men ride into action in Rolls-Royces from the first issue.

* Reed Richards is this to the Fantastic Four, not only providing them with their technical equipment, but also with a big part of the funding through patent fees etc.

* Angel acted in this capacity when he was with the Champions. He funded the group as well as being on the team. He also funded and led ''TheDefenders'', turning them into an actual team instead of a non-team.

* In ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'' Lord Arthur Godalming adds in funding the hunt for Dracula by providing transportation, lodging,and the like. While Abraham van Helsing helps with his knowledge of vampire lore.

* In ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'' Lord Arthur Godalming adds in funding the hunt for Dracula, while Abraham van Helsing helps with his knowledge of vampire lore.

* The protagonist (a journalist) of ''TheLostWorld'' is essentially on the trip to authenticate everything they find (since the professor has been ridiculed for years for his theories).