What You Might Have Missed at the National Gathering 2024

Photography provided by © The Usual Suspects, LLC

The National Network of Fiscal Sponsor’s Annual Gathering 2024 is in the books!

On October 15-18, hundreds of people traveled to Atlanta for the 2024 National Gathering, presented by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. 

Tuesday kicked off with a casual happy hour. Hope no one missed out on the fried mac-and-cheese balls. This low-key event was a perfect moment for catching up with colleagues from last year’s Gathering or making new connections. 

The Conference kicked into gear on Wednesday, though the days started a bit later by design. Attendees were able to sleep in, hit the hotel gym, or sip coffee and attend to emails before a busy day of panels and breakout sessions. By 9 a.m. on Wednesday, people were trickling into registration and grabbing a light breakfast. There were reunions aplenty — and the phrase, “it’s so nice to meet in real life” must have been uttered at least a dozen times.

The first full day of programming opened with a performance by Ashlee Haze, an Atlanta-based spoken-word artist, who also happens to work for Alternate ROOTS, a local fiscal sponsor.

Joined by a guitarist on stage, she opened by introducing herself with a mix of self-deprecation, humor and pathos. She watches too much TV.  She doesn’t fold her laundry. She still hasn’t forgiven the Falcons for blowing the lead in the Super Bowl. She added, “I choose softness, I choose healing, I choose love…I’m magic. I’m also human and flawed.”

She certainly was magic, and earned a standing ovation. 

Her set was a wonderful way to kick off the conference: It was an example of the kind of work fiscal sponsorship supports.

Next up, the announcement came that this was the largest National Gathering yet, featuring over 150 organizations. As a nod to the event’s location, the opening panel showcased fiscal sponsors who work in the American Southeast, specifically Southern Vision Alliance and Alternate ROOTS. 

The plenary was followed by two blocks of breakout sessions. This year’s slate featured presentations explicitly labeled as “emerging track,” acknowledging that attendees arrive with all different levels of experience. The Fiscal Sponsorship 101 session was packed and offered a point of entry. Meanwhile, other presentations targeted specific skill sets, such as financial managers — “Crunching Numbers, Crushing Audits” — or those charged with facilitating organizational culture — “Decolonizing Fiscal Sponsorship” and “Stop, Collaborate and Listen.” 

Wednesday ended with a lively happy hour — the perfect opportunity to ask questions, reflect on the day, and build relationships.

Emcee Ema Angulo-Rodriguez of Future Coalition opened day two by laying out the agenda and cracking some jokes before introducing Urban Affairs Coalition President Arun S. Prabhakaran. He spoke about the theme of this year’s Gathering, which was “fiscal sponsorship as a vehicle for change.” He made the connection between his organization's genesis during the Civil Rights Movement and the “wild times” we are living through. 

“You have power,” he insisted. “And the vast majority of you aren’t taking advantage of the power that you have.”

Then he closed with a challenge: “What is it that you haven’t committed to, that you could?”

The subsequent panel focused on using fiscal sponsorship for collective action, movement building, and policy change. The panelists spoke up about the upcoming election, and how to stay focused on the work no matter what the outcome. Andrea Granda from Movement Strategy Center said, “Don’t ever be afraid of advocacy” before asserting that everything is political — your education, your housing, your health care.

Mike Salamon of Alliance for Justice underlined that politicians work for you. 

“They want to win their next election,” he said. “The people who vote have to tell them what you want. That can only happen through collective action. If you can build a community, a coalition, then the elected official ignores you at their own peril, because they will be out of a job.”

“There is going to be a tomorrow after the election,” added Granda. “No matter what happens.”

After the plenary, attendees broke up into Affinity Groups, based on everything from identity to sector to position. The groups took disparate approaches — some offered casual networking while others featured a roundtable. In the session focused on the arts fiscal sponsorship, Line Sandsmark of Shunpike catalyzed a lively discussion of the difference between facilitation and curation, while one participant shared how Prince had opened his world when he was growing up as an altar boy in small-town Louisiana. 

After lunch, two rounds of afternoon sessions offered a wide array of options for attendees. This included an open dialogue about NNFS’s governance model draft plan and a session spotlighting the use of data in the field. A session on “Collectively Supporting Black Led Organizations” drew a packed house. The facilitators shared data they’d collected about how Black-led organizations often feel a power-imbalance with their fiscal sponsors, and complain that these relationships can feel paternalistic and transactional. They encouraged attendees to expand their curiosity and tackle these complicated dynamics head-on. 

By 4:30 p.m., the day had wrapped up, giving all the attendees a free evening to explore Atlanta.

Friday opened with a hot breakfast and plenty of coffee, followed by a final set of breakout sessions. Attendees could use role play to strategically handle challenging moments in the “Generative Conflict Playspace” or learn how to cultivate donors in a presentation focused on “Strategies for Coordinating Asks and Building Long-Term Relationships.” In the former, the focus was really on getting to the root of issues in order to more completely solve problems. 

“It’s amazing what can happen when you stop to explain and don’t rush through conflict,” said facilitator Blair Franklin.

The closing plenary featured another performance by Ashlee Haze, who shared a poem about the movie, “The Help.”  

“It reminds me of my grandmother who cleaned houses by day and was a Chicago hotel maid by night,” she said. “I am proud to be the daughter of freedom marchers and Mississippi maids. The women before me, who cleaned houses so I wouldn’t have to.”

“It reminds me of my grandmother who cleaned houses by day and was a Chicago hotel maid by night,” she said. “I am proud to be the daughter of freedom marchers and Mississippi maids. The women before me, who cleaned houses so I wouldn’t have to.”

She also recounted an incredible story about an encounter with Missy Elliot — that one is hers to tell. 

Then it was time for feedback. Angulo-Rodriguez, whose comment about hearing the voices of young people at last year’s conference led to a role on the planning committee and as emcee, walked around the room and offered up the mic. Attendees praised the culture of the conference, specifically calling out how welcoming it felt. One encouraged more conversation about the environment. Another enjoyed how art was incorporated. The lack of early mornings was celebrated. Several folks wanted better ways to connect year-round. And one particularly well-received suggestion was a field trip to see local projects. 

By mid-day Friday, attendees were packing their bags and saying goodbyes. National Gathering 2024 was in the books. We had a great time and learned a lot. Did you? Please share your feedback on this year’s event by tk. 

See you in 2025! Location TBD.

Did we mention we have live coverage from the National Gathering 2024?

Listen to Episode 9 of Network Exchange where dozen folks joined host Lee Stabert at a pop-up recording studio to chat!

Take a Look Through Our National Gathering 2024 Program Book!

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