NNFS National Gathering 2025

NOVEMBER 5 2025 – NOVEMBER 7 2025
Phoenix, Arizona

Come join us for the next National Network of Fiscal Sponsors Gathering. This is the only national gathering of its kind, where fiscal sponsors come together to share information on fiscal sponsorship practice, learn from each other and experts, discuss challenges - and also celebrate successes, share stories, and build relationships.

LIVE From the Gathering

The National Network of Fiscal Sponsors gathering is one of a kind, bringing together fiscal sponsors from all over the United States. Listen to the voices of the community in attendance.

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Schedule

Tuesday, November 4 2025

Fountain Courtyard
If you have arrived at the hotel, please join us for drinks, beer or wine, and light fare!

Wednesday, November 5 2025

Ballroom Foyer, San Marcos Ballroom
Come grab some breakfast and pick up your badge and program book at the Registration Table.
San Marcos Ballroom
Facilitator: Melissa Farley, Patty Melt Studios
Roy Pringle, COO, Vitalyst Health Foundation / Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona (TAPAZ)
Nicola Winkel, Program Director, Arizona Coalition for Military Families
Laura Terech, Executive Director of Arizona America 250 Commission
Melissa Watson Erickson, CFRE, Executive Director, The Funding Studio
Jack Magan, CEO, Support Life and Music
Chris Tinard, Documentary Filmmaker and Founder of Orange Screen Productions
Join us for our opening plenary that will include a Native hoop dance performance and land acknowledgement from Yellow Bird Productions and a welcome from the Mayor of Chandler. We will hear from two Arizona based fiscal sponsors - The Funding Studio and TAPAZ. Learn about their work, meet a couple of their projects. Facilitated by Melissa Farley, Patty Melt Studios
San Marcos Ballroom
Enjoy a Buffet Lunch!
San Tan
Sustainable Business Models for Sponsors - Subsidy Strategies & Visions
Asta Petkeviciute, Chief Financial Steward, Social Impact Commons
As social, political, and financial stresses on the sector grow, it's more critical than ever for fiscal sponsors to be intentional about building a resilient and sustainable financial model. Join us for a presentation and discussion about a range of subsidy strategies, including internal cross-subsidy approaches to portfolio management and ancillary program income, direct funding strategies, and emerging models for sustained "responsive" funding for fiscal sponsorship programs.
La Ventana
The Good, The Bad and the Unavailable: Why It's Crucial for Fiscal Sponsors to have oversight of Advisory Committees
Rose Cohen Westbrooke, Senior Client Services Mgr.,Community Initiatives
The intention of this discussion is to create a space for all levels of fiscal sponsors to discuss best practices around oversight of project advisory committees/boards. We will share resources (case studies and a governance toolkit) to highlight examples of successes and challenges. Attendees will receive a digital copy of Community Initiatives' governance toolkit that can be used as a guide to developing their own advisory committee/board oversight policy.

Palomino
Introduction to Oversight in Model C Fiscal Sponsorship
Lauren Lattimore, Associate Director or Membership & Operations, Fractured Atlas
Daniel Parada, Director of Fiscal sponsorship, Movement Strategy Center
Model C fiscal sponsorships provide flexibility for independent charitable initiatives but require strong oversight and clear boundaries. In this session, two fiscal sponsors will share how they structure and administer Model C programs, from onboarding projects and managing funds to embedding oversight into everyday interactions. Attendees will learn how to distinguish charitable activity, ensure compliance and accountability, and integrate oversight practices without creating unnecessary burden.
Palo Verde
The Rise of Collaborative Funds & Fiscal Sponsorship
Thaddeus Squire, Chief Commons Steward, Social Impact Commons
Elizabeth Droggitis, Director of Sponsored Projects and Funds, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Beery Adams Jiménez, Chief Operating Officer, Proteus Fund
Collaborative funds, along with Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), continue to grow as a field of work within philanthropy motivated by interests in trust-based philanthropy, amplifying impact, and launching funder-driven operating programs. Join us for an overview of the collaborative fund field, including the particular considerations around hosting collaborative funds and working collaboratively with philanthropy.
La Vista
Navigating Uncertainty: Contingency Planning for FSO's
Annie Rose Favreau, Director, Baker Tilly
Maria Stroth, Senior Manager, Baker Tilly
Amid economic volatility and shifting funding landscapes, fiscal sponsorship organizations and their partners can face significant challenges that threaten their financial stability. This session will explore the critical importance of contingency planning as a proactive strategy to promote financial sustainability and resilience. Participants will engage in discussions around identifying potential risks, developing actionable plans, and leveraging resources to navigate funding challenges effectively.
Chandler Theater
Insurance Insights & Fundamentals for Fiscal Sponsors
Lauren Erickson, Nonprofit Practice Leader, Relation Insurance
Tuan Nguyen, Vice President of Employee Benefits, Relation Insurance
Sam Chery, Esq., Assistant General Counsel, TSNE
Learn about the fundamentals of insurance and risk management for fiscal sponsors. Prepare for the rapidly changing landscape of insurance, including health & employee benefit plans. Walk away with concrete plans to keep your organization resilient in the current environment.
Mesquite Room
Capacity Boosting: How Enhanced Support for Fiscally Sponsored Programs Creates Better Outcomes
Isaac Heath, Compliance Manager, United Charitable
This workshop explores how fiscally sponsored programs thrive when sponsors go beyond basic administration. Using United Charitable’s Beta Program case study, we’ll show how targeted supports—like grant pipelines, storytelling tools, and strategic planning—build fundraising capacity, visibility, and long-term success.
San Tan
Hot Topics in Fiscal Sponsorship – A Lawyer’s Perspective
Erin Bradick, Principal, NEO Law Group
Fiscal sponsorship is impactful, effective, and rewarding, but it’s also complicated, challenging, and dynamic – especially right now! Join Erin from NEO Law for this casual conversation on some hot topics in fiscal sponsorship and to ask your questions. Some topics we might cover include current risks for the fiscal sponsorship space, Model L fiscal sponsorship, recent movement of projects, and how to refer to fiscal sponsorship “fees”, among others.
La Ventana
Technology Integration for Fiscal Sponsors: Model C & Model A in Practice
Shantelle Jackson, Program Manager, Fund for Educational Excellence
Lauren Wheat, COO, Movement Strategy Center
This session will explore the core technology needs of fiscal sponsors, highlighting perspectives from both a Model A sponsor (Movement Strategy Center) and a Model C sponsor (Fund for Educational Excellence). Presenters will share how each organization meets these needs with their chosen technology stacks, walk through examples of how their systems work in practice, and discuss strategies for integrating multiple platforms.
Palomino
Navigating Transitions: A Panel on Project Spinouts and Sponsorship Changes
Julia Strauch, Senior Manager, BDO
Daniel Parada, Director of Fiscal Sponsorship, Movement Strategy Center
Greg Nicholson, Senior Advisor, Tides
Christine Juang, Projects & Partnerships Steward, Movement Strategy Center
This dynamic panel brings together experienced fiscal sponsors to discuss how to best support projects navigating transitions—whether spinning out to their own 501(c)(3), moving to a new fiscal sponsor, or sunsetting. We'll explore the "why" behind these decisions, financial and operational readiness, and how to approach transitions with equity, cultural responsiveness, and organizational alignment.
Palo Verde
Beyond the Basics: TAPAZ's Capacity Building Journey
Juan Salas, Director of Operations & Accounting, TAPAZ
Sonji Perry, Grants Coordinator, TAPAZ
Kelsey Otten, Assistant Director of Partner Engagement, TAPAZ
Julie Jehly, Founder, JJ Crowdfunding Advisors
Since 2001, the Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona (TAPAZ) has provided fiscal sponsorship services to nonprofits, now supporting more than sixty Projects improving community health across Arizona. In recent years, TAPAZ has expanded its services—leveraging both staff expertise and external consultants—to strengthen capacity-building support and better meet the needs of start-up and grassroots initiatives. This session will explore TAPAZ’s fiscal sponsorship program, highlight its expanded support services, share insights from its development process, and offer guidance for strengthening other programs with NNFS resources.
La Vista
Power In Numbers: Collective Fundraising for Resilience and Equity
Linda Rentschler, Executive Director, Humanitarian Social Innovations
What if fiscal sponsors could go beyond individual fundraising to unlock shared resources, relationships and trust? In this interactive workshop, we'll explore the concept of collective fundraising- a strategy whose projects join forces to raise money together, present unified campaigns, and build mutual support systems.
Chandler Theater
Campus Catalysts: Leveraging University Affiliation to Amplify Impact through Fiscal Sponsorship
Anke Wessels, Executive Director, Center for Transformative Action
Universities are increasingly fertile ground for social innovation-but while they often support commercialization through tech transfer and for-profit incubators, they rarely offer parallel pathways for community-based, nonprofit initiatives. This session explores how fiscal sponsors can position themselves as vital partners for university-based researchers, staff, and students working toward social impact. Using the Center for Transformative Action at Cornell University as a case study, we'll examine the benefits of affiliation-for projects, sponsors, and universities alike-and share practical strategies for forging and sustaining these mutually beneficial relationships.
Mesquite
Strength in Solidarity: Providing Holistic Support to Fiscally Sponsored Projects
Brenda Hernandez, Network Resources Director, Allied Media Projects
Scheherazade Washington-Parrish, Network Resources Manager, Allied Media Projects
Sarah Gonzalez, Sponsored Project Program Director, Allied Media Projects
In this session, learn how AMP cultivates radical connection by designing holistic supports that prioritize joy, community, and resilience. Through examples and discussion, we’ll explore how fiscal sponsors can innovate alongside their projects—not just to sustain them, but to help them thrive and continue working towards social justice.
Fountain Courtyard
Join us for drinks and lite fare!

Thursday, November 6 2025

San Marcos Ballroom
Come grab a muffin and coffee and get your badge and program materials at the Registration Table.
San Marcos Ballroom
Morning Plenary Session
Diane Yentel, President and CEO, National Council of Nonprofits
Theresa Hubbard, CEO, Fractured Atlas
Join us Thursday morning and learn more about NNFS Reimagining Governance, Programming and Recruitment process for its new Advisory Council. Our Keynote speaker is Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits. Diane will share insights on the current state and challenges that nonprofits face.
San Tan Room
BIPOC Leaders
Meilani Lanier-Kamaha’o, Executive Co-Director, Sustainable Seattle
La Ventana
New and Emerging Fiscal Sponsorship
Andrew Schulman, Principal, Schulman Consulting
Palo Verde
Intersectionality in FS
Ema Sol, Internal Community Coordinator, Future Incubator
Blair Franklin, Facilitator, Alight Alchemy
La Vista
501(c)(4) fiscal sponsors
Corry McKee, Fiscal Sponsor Program Manager, Goodnation
Palomino
Arts
Theresa Hubbard, CEO, Factured Atlas
Chandler Theater
Human Resources (HR)
Jodi Segal, Founder, Big Change Consulting
Mesquite
LBGTQIA+
KJ Shepherd, PhD, Fiscal Sponsorship Program Manager, Goodnation
San Marcos Ballroom
Tech
Kian Alavi, Founder & CEO, Mazlo
San Marcos Ballroom
Join us for a buffet lunch!
San Tan
From Process to Partnership: A Fiscal Sponsorship Collaboration Lab
Diane Lai, Managing Advisor, Strategic Partnerships, Tides
Jay Grey, Managing Advisor, Fiscally Sponsored Projects, Tides
Discover how fiscal sponsors assess project fit, from intake and approval to onboarding and service assignments. In this interactive session, participants will share best practices, explore referral strategies, and shift the lens from competition to community. Attendees will leave with new connections, insights into assessment practices, and clarity on their organization’s unique value in the fiscal sponsorship ecosystem.
La Ventana
Fiscal Sponsorship as Protest and Just Restructuring - How Fiscal Sponsors Are Supporting Activist Solutions in our Current Climate
Thaddeus Squire, Chief Commons Steward, Social Impact Commons
Amidst the growing turmoil of the nonprofit sector, fiscal sponsors are showing up as platforms and sources of pro-civil-society and social justice activism and protest. Sponsors have long been stewards of advocacy, lobbying and social activist and movement organizations, and we will discuss this key aspect of our community’s work. Join us for a general conversation about civil disobedience and protest action in the work of fiscal sponsorship–how we support our projects and show up in our communities.
Palomino
Grassroots to Statutes: Amplifying Impact through Policy Change
Christine Fry, Co-Founder & Principal, Onside Partners
Matt Armsby, Interim President & General Counsel, Resources Legacy Fund
Public policy is a powerful tool to achieve widespread change at local, state and national levels. Fsical sponsors and foundations can have a dual role in advocacy: by supporting advocacy efforts of projects, grantees and advocates themselves. We will cover policy 101, faciliate an exercise to translate a problem into a policy solution and hear from a fiscal sponsor about the infrastructure and strategy necessary for success.
Palo Verde
Breaking Down Barriers: How to Navigate and Improve Project Satisfaction
Kara Frederico, Co-Founder, The Ops Collective
Aditi Naik, Co Founder, The Ops Collective
Alexandra Siclait, Director of Fiscal Sponsorship, Proteus Fund
Dawn Matlak, Founder, Parentheses Consulting
Jill Laumbacher, Director of Sponsored Projects, Panorama Global
Kimaya Grace, Senior Director of Client Services, Arabella Advisors
This panel brings together fiscal sponsors and consultants to explore how bes to strengthen the relationship between sponsors and projects. We'll dive into the feedback fiscal sponsors are consistently receiving from their projects, and discuss best practices for soliciting, listening to and responding to the feedback.
La Vista
The Ups and Downs of a New Fiscal Sponsor
Jasmine Hall Ratliff, Executive Director, Build Missouri Health
Amanda Nasinyama, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Build Up, Inc.
What does it take to build a fiscal sponsor from the ground up? This panel will share real-world lessons from their first five years; what's worked, what hasn't and how they are experimenting with models to better serve grassroots leaders.
Chandler Theater
Winning the Talent Race: How Fiscal Sponsors Can Compete for Top Nonprofit Talent in a Shifting Workforce
Annie Rose Favreau, Director, Baker Tilly
As competition for nonprofit talent heats up, fiscal sponsors face unique challenges-and opportunities-in attracting and retaining top professionals. This session will explore practical strategies for building a compelling employer brand, designing creative compensation and benefits, leveraging scalable HR infrastructure, and adapting to the realities of a distributed, flexible workforce.
Mesquite
Funder + Fiscal Sponsor + Project: A New Blueprint for Building Stronger Nonprofits
Phyllis Hardwick, Executive Director, Community Capital Fund
Jason Williams, Principal Impact Strategist, Power, Health Forward Foundation
Grassroots organizations often face the dual challenge of meeting funder expectations while building internal infrastructure-without access to tailored support. This session explores how a tri-party relationship between fiscal sponsors, funders, and sponsored projects can be leveraged to co-create capacity building strategies that are context- specific, equity-informed, and sustainably resourced.
San Tan
From Paper to Pixels - Transitioning from Manual to Tech Driven Solutions
Asta Petkeviciute, Chief Financial Steward, Social Impact Commons
Given that every fiscal sponsor utilizes technology to perform certain aspects of their work, we would like to invite conference participants to an unconventional session about technology, where each participant will have the opportunity to share the technology aspects that excite them and work well. This session is designed to encourage networking and authentic community sharing.
La Ventana
Toolkit for Transition: A Roadmap for Project Exits, Transfers, and Closures
Julia Strauch, Senior Manager, BDO
Josh Sattely, Chief Legal Steward, Social Impact Commons
What happens after the decision to transition is made? This session offers a practical roadmap, complete with tools, checklists and best practices to guide fiscal sponsors and projects through successful exits - independence, another sponsor or wind-down.
Palomino
Inclusive Grantmaking: The Sponsor's Role in Educating Funders and dispelling Myths about Fiscal Sponsorship
Melissa Erickson, Executive Director, The Funding Studio
Juan Salas, Director of Operations & Accounting, TAPAZ
Kelsey Otten, Assistant Director of Partner Engagement, TAPAZ
Kian Alavi, Founder & CEO, MAZLO
Thaddeus Squire, Chief Commons Steward, Social Impact Commons
Philanthropic funders remain largely unfamiliar with fiscal sponsorship, its range of practices, and how it works, and often assume a default stance of omission or opposition in grantmaking policy and practice. This panel will explore the roots of this exclusion, the misconceptions about fiscal sponsorship, and how funders can evolve their policies to be more accepting of fiscally sponsored projects without sacrificing accountability.
Palo Verde
The Balancing Act: Building Effective Systems for Expense & Documentation Oversight in Model C Fiscal Sponsorship
Emily Kasak, Associate Director Membership & Fiscal Operations, Fractured Atlas
John Bell, Financial Controller, Springboard for the Arts
How do Model C sponsors build expense oversight systems that meet compliance standards without overwhelming their teams or frustrating sponsored projects? It's a delicate balancing act! Join this interactive session where we'll share real-life examples - including memorable wins and hard-learned pitfalls - then work together through candid discussion to explore strategies that help Model C sponsors balance efficiency, compliance, and organizational capacity when designing their expense and documentation oversight systems.
La Vista
Accounting for Fiscal Sponsors: Challenges and Opportunities
Jericha Senyak, Consultant, Arts Finance Consulting
Lisa Burger, Executive Director, Independent Arts & Media
Fiscal sponsors face unique and enormously difficult challenges when it comes to accounting. In this session, we'll discuss the nature of those challenges, share some tried-and-true approaches to overcoming them, and explore the opportunities for fiscal sponsors to build resilience and support the flourishing of the entire FS ecosystem through collaboration, codification, and communication.
Chandler Theater
Teaching Projects How to Manage Conflicts of Interest
Jessica Payne, Executive Director, Mockingbird Incubator
Erin Bradick, Principal, NEO Law Group
This session will cover the basics of conflicts of interests within nonprofit work, how to teach the rules around COIs to projects, and a guide on how to manage, minimize, and mitigate conflicts of interest that protect both the project and the sponsor. Attendees will walk away with a policy memo outlining best practices for the sector, regulations that sponsors must be mindful of supervising, and a detailed set of procedures for working with projects on COIs.
Mesquite
Keeping Projects Secure: How NEO Balances Project Diversity & Organizational Security
Amanda Bennett, Vice President of Strategy, Policy & Trainings, Personified Tech
Laura Henderson, Vice President of Operations & Internal Capacity Bldg., NEO Philanthropy
Kim Snyder, Co-Founder, Meet the Moment
Destiny Bowers, vCISO/vCIO, Round Table Technology
You want your projects to improve their digital security practices, but with all of them managing their own IT, you aren't sure where to start or how to help. This is a position that NEO Philanthropy was in about a year ago. In this session, learn how NEO got from start to finish with their digital security standards project in partnership with IT & cybersecurity professionals.
Enjoy your evening!

Friday, November 7 2025

San Marcos Ballroom
Come grab a muffin and coffee and get your badge and program materials at the Registration Table.
San Tan
The NonProfit AI Roadmap: From QuickWins to Sustainable Impact
Ali Chalak, Partner, Baker Tilly
KC Fike, Director, Baker Tilly
In this practical session, discover how non-profit organizations can successfully implement generative Al to advance their missions. We'll share real-world examples of how Al adoption can result in efficiency gains, provide a framework for identifying high-value use cases, and demonstrate quick-win solutions you can implement immediately. The session will further showcase how an internal Al tool can drive efficiency while maintaining proper governance and data security.
La Ventana
From Oversight to Ownership: Centering BIPOC-Led Projects in Fiscal Sponsorship
Evan Dentley, Executive Director, Already Always Amazing
Corey Holland, Founder & Executive Director, Charm City Impact
Valencia Warnock-King, Executive Director, Obasi Foundation
Fiscal sponsorship is often treated as a transactional compliance service, but for many BIPOC-led and grassroots initiatives, it is a critical tool for survival, growth, and sustainability. This panel highlights the lived experiences of BIPOC leaders navigating inequities, exploitative fee structures, fraud, and power imbalances in fiscal sponsorship relationships.
Palomino
Exploring Through Play: Who Am I in Conflict?
Blair Franklin, Principal & Founder, Alight Alchemy
Ti Malik, Facilitator, TI Malik Presents
Conflict is inescapable, and that's especially true for fiscal sponsors, who hold the nuanced role of sustaining a healthy nonprofit infrastructure while encouraging our projects to champion systems change work. In this session (an addition to our conflict play space series that began last year), attendees will discover their individual conflict style, learn other conflict styles, and walk away with a starting point to develop their own generative conflict practice.
Palo Verde
Data Retention for Fiscal Sponsors & Their Projects
Amanda Bennett, Vice President of Strategy, Policy and Training, Personified Tech
Aremanda Hudson, Communications & Operations Manager, Partnership Project
Emily Hunsaker, Director of People Operations, Partnership Project
Data retention policy implementation has been top of mind for many organizations in 2025, and can be a complex project to implement given the need to involve stakeholders across an organization. In this session, the Partnership Project, a fiscal sponsor with ~15 projects, and their IT partner, Personified, will share a case study: how the Partnership Project implemented a data retention policy internally and across their projects.
La Vista
Team-Based Approaches to Fiscal Sponsorship
Brianna Carr, Senior Director of Fiscal Sponsorship, TSNE
Regina Chen, Senior Grant Writer, Heluna Health
Phil Audier, Controller, Third Sector New England (TSNE)
Bobby Brickey, Senior Director of People & Culture, Third Sector New England (TSNE)
Maria Rangel, Senior Contracts & Grants Manager, Heluna Health
Adam Abate, Senior Contracts & Grants Manager, Heluna Health
This session will provide an overview of how TSNE and Heluna Health utilize team-based, collaborative service models to support fiscally sponsored organizations. Presenters will discuss how shared leadership and cross-functional collaboration enhances a fiscal sponsor’s ability to address project needs, make timely decisions, resolve issues, develop clear and adaptive policies, and manage new project or client intake.
Chandler Theater
Peer Solutions Lab: Tackling Your Toughest Organizational Challenges Together
Elizabeth Scott, PhD, CEO, Brighter Strategies, LLC
Liyo Masvisal, Senior Associate, Brighter Strategies, LLC
Join fellow fiscal sponsors and nonprofit leaders for an interactive problem-solving session where your real challenges meet collective wisdom. In this Peer Solutions Lab, you'll bring your most pressing organizational development questions—whether around strategy, evaluation, or HR—and tap into the proven solutions of your peers plus expert consultant guidance. Perfect for fiscal sponsors dealing with: capacity building across projects, supporting emerging leaders, balancing oversight with growth and strategic planning for diverse portfolios.
Mesquite
Scaling Support: Lessons Learned and Next Steps in Year Two of MSC's Fundraising Support Initiative
Ale Garcia, Senior Advisor, Movement Strategy Center
Lauren Wheat, COO, Movement Strategy Center
As MSC enters the second year of its Fundraising Support Initiative, this session offers fellow fiscal sponsors a behind- the-scenes look at what's working-and what's evolving-in our approach to capacity building across a diverse national network. We'll share key lessons from the first year of implementation, explore how our approach has evolved to meet the changing needs of the network, common fundraising challenges they face, and the systems we're building to scale impact sustainably.
San Marcos Ballroom
Closing Plenary
Joshua Sattely, Chief Legal Steward, Social Impact Commons
"Why I Fiscally Sponsor"! Join us for an interactive session on the final day, as representatives from three pre-selected sponsors will speak in front of the audience and share why they decided to get into fiscal sponsorship. From there, we will open it up to the audience to share their own “whys”. Throughout the conference, there will be a booth or special area where attendees will be encouraged to provide recorded testimonials that speak to their motivations for being in this field and answer several questions specific to their role in the organization

Thank You to Our Sponsors

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NNFS National Gathering 2025