Schedule
November 5, 2025
Please plan to arrive early. A light breakfast will be available.
CalNonprofits Board Chair Joel John Roberts will open the conference.
The past year has been a challenging time for the nonprofit sector due to risks and threats at the federal level, funding cuts, harmful tax policy changes, a tight state budget, and barriers to supportive legislative solutions. Join CalNonprofits’ Sacramento Advocate Jennifer Fearing in conversation with Asm. Gregg Hart and Sen. Monique Limon, Chairs of the Select Committees on the Nonprofit Sector, for an insightful briefing from Capitol insiders to hear their key takeaways from political outcomes over the past year and what nonprofits can expect in 2026.
Speakers
- Jennifer Fearing (Moderator) Sacramento Advocate, CalNonprofits
- Gregg Hart, Assemblymember, 37th District
- Monique Limón, Senator, 21st District
CalNonprofits CEO Geoff Green will be joined by leaders from peer organizations at the national level for a special CEO keynote panel that will discuss the current “state of play” for nonprofits during a challenging time for the sector. Learn about advocacy strategies already underway and how we’ll carry forward proactive steps to defend the nonprofit sector against any threats, political attacks, funding cuts, and more through the current administration’s term – and beyond – to bolster its resiliency and political prowess for the long haul.
Speakers
- Geoff Green (Moderator), CEO, CalNonprofits
- Diane Yentel, CEO, National Council of Nonprofits
- Dr. Akilah Watkins, CEO, Independent Sector
Choose one session to attend:
SESSION 1 | Joshua Tree
Yes, You Can Lobby! Straight Talk on Nonprofit Advocacy
Now more than ever, nonprofits need to engage in powerful advocacy strategies to defend our missions and the communities that we serve. Lobbying is just one strategy that nonprofits have at their disposal; however, there are widespread misperceptions that 501(c)(3) nonprofits cannot lobby. This prevents many nonprofits from exercising their full legal rights when promoting their causes. During this panel you’ll learn how nonprofits can engage in limited lobbying–and more importantly, why they should!
Panelists
- Quyen Tu, Legal Director, Bolder Advocacy Program, Alliance for Justice
- Kyra Kazantzis, CEO, Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits
SESSION 2 | Beatriz Solis
Health Equity Crisis: Social Safety Net Cuts and Impact on Nonprofits
Republicans in control of Congress voted this year for significant cuts to health care that millions rely on, and shifted significant costs to states for SNAP food benefits. As nonprofits navigate the growing tension between demand for services with financial constraints, how will social safety cuts impact health equity and nonprofits’ capacity to support the most vulnerable?
Panelists
- Chet Hewett (Moderator), CEO, Sierra Health Foundation
- Andrea Mackey, Associate Organizing Director, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
- Barbara Rubino, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Covered California
- Shawn Amiel, Division Chief, General Relief and CalFresh Program Division, LA County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS)
- Kristina Meza, Executive Director, Poverty Alleviation Initative, County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office
SESSION 3 | Catalina
Building and Retaining the Sector’s Talent Pipeline: Lessons from 2025 Studies
Two new studies on the economic contributions and workforce dynamics of the nonprofit sector provoke key questions about how to adopt effective talent-investing solutions across the sector. Panelists will explore financial challenges and the systems needed to support retention, recruitment, advancement, and sustainability of nonprofit leaders and staff.
Panelists
- Annie Chang (Moderator), Vice President, Nonprofit Finance Fund
- Laura Deitrick, Executive Director of The Nonprofit Institute, University of San Diego
- Rusty Stahl, Founder & CEO, Fund the People
- Susie Gomez, CEO, Inland Empire Community Collaborative
Enjoy lunch outside in the Courtyard or in the Beatriz Solis Room.
Featured artist: Street Poets, Inc.
Should substantial endowments contribute more to public revenue, especially since they benefit from tax exemptions? Whether increasing the endowment tax is equitable is a complex issue with strong arguments on both sides. Join us for a spirited debate about the potential benefits of increased revenue and tax equity, weighed against the negative impacts on donations, investments, research, and more.
Speakers:
- Shamus Roller, Executive Director, National Housing Law Project
- Crystal Crawford, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships, Weingart Foundation
LEARNING LAB 1:
Transforming Medi-Cal and Protecting the Safety Net: The CBO Medi-Cal Coalition
- Cathryn Couch, Chair, Steering Committee, CBO Medi-Cal Coalition
LEARNING LAB 2:
Immigrant Legal Defense Center: Rapid Response for Justice
- Julissa Peña, Executive Director, Immigrant Legal Defense Center
LEARNING LAB 3:
Proactive PR: Coalition Media Strategies for Nonprofit Advocacy
- Andrea Walker, Public Information Officer for the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing
A conversation moderated by CalMatters’ Neil Chase with this year’s featured keynotes:
- Gene Takagi, Principal, NEO Law Group
- Rosemary E. Fei, Principal, Adler & Colvin
CalNonprofits CEO, Geoff Green, will give final remarks.
Join us for a drink in the courtyard.
