We are looking forward to hosting you at the 2025 AFP Summer Symposium! This years’ theme is: Inspire Giving: A Nonprofit Success Guide. We hope there is something for fundraisers at every level to take from the program and that we will all enjoy the time together to refresh, inspire, and recharge.
Where: Santa Barbara City College West Campus. Parking in Student Lots ONLY is complimentary. Enter via the West Campus gate and Park in Lot 4A-C or the parking garage Lots 5-2, 3, and 4. Please DO NOT PARK in lots 4-D, 4-E, or 5-1. You’ll see registration and coffee service in the quad in front of the BC Forum near the drop off loop.
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Agenda:
10am - Check in, networking, free professional head shots by Headshots Ventura. Arrive camera-ready for an updated photo.
Lower Your Impact: bring a reusable water bottle to refill throughout the day instead of using plastic.
10:30am - Announcements/Morning keynote
Keynote: Meeting the Moment: A Call to Action for Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector
Speaker: Efrain Escobedo, President & CEO, Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM)
With decades of cross-sector leadership in philanthropy, government, and nonprofits, Efrain Escobedo brings a bold vision for building community power and civic engagement. He’ll share practical insights on human-centered strategies, nonprofit advocacy, and partnership-building to help organizations drive real, systemic change. Efrain will share his insights and then end with a Q&A session with Tisha Hyter, Director of Nonprofit Strategy for PNC Institutional Asset Management.
11:45am- Lunch, networking, free professional head shots
1pm - breakout sessions (choose one!)
BC Forum: Beyond the Gala – Building Sustainable Community Support in a Shifting Policy Environment. Join Erik Talkin, Greg Mora, and Hannah Ryckman from the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County for a panel discussion moderated by Jennifer Caldwell, Food Share of Ventura County.
As food banks brace for proposed federal cuts to the Farm Bill and USDA programs, the need for more sustainable, mission-aligned fundraising strategies has never been clearer. This panel explores how the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is replacing traditional fundraising events with a focus on deep donor engagement, strategic partnerships, and food system resilience.
Takeaways: Learn how to build funding models that endure policy changes, and how to engage donors in transformational—not transactional—ways.
BC-226: Understanding Local Giving Trends: Equity and Opportunity. FUND for Santa Barbara Capacity Building Manager Kathleen Knight will dive into the latest data from the FUND for Santa Barbara's Equity Report and discuss how it can inform inclusive fundraising and community-centered giving strategies.
BC-224: Advocate Like a Leader: Coaching for Nonprofit Professionals Navigating Change. Elena I. Nicklasson, MA will share ways to lead—and advocate—for yourself and your mission. This interactive group coaching workshop is designed for nonprofit professionals and community leaders who want to strengthen their voice, increase their impact, and navigate change with clarity and confidence.
Through guided reflection, peer dialogue, and actionable coaching strategies, participants will learn how to:
· Advocate with confidence—for themselves and their organizations
· Ask the right questions to reconnect with their purpose and priorities
· Clarify and communicate their value with authenticity
Leave feeling grounded, reconnected to your inner voice, and equipped to lead with purpose and clarity—even in the face of change.
2pm – Break and last chance for head shots
2:20pm - Second breakout sessions (choose one!)
BC Forum: Partnering for Impact: Engaging Your Board to Raise Major Gifts Are you ready to unlock your board’s full fundraising potential? Join Raissa Smorol, Principal of the nonprofit consulting practice at Changing Our World and several local Board members for a dynamic conversation about how fundraising professionals can build productive, confident partnerships with board members to raise significant dollars for their organizations.
We’ll explore practical strategies for identifying the right roles for board members, coaching them through donor engagement, and fostering a culture of philanthropy at the leadership level. Whether you're working with a hands-on development committee or engaging reluctant participants, this session will help you move from frustration to collaboration — and ultimately, to greater impact.
BC-226: Financial Storytelling: Five Chapters to Make Your Organization a Best Seller. Financial Storytelling allows nonprofits and associations to communicate their past, present and future through a financial lens. It will highlight your impact with data and numbers; demonstrate transparency of your current state; and quantify what’s needed to achieve your goals and vision for times ahead. Tisha Hyter, CSRIC, Director of Nonprofit Strategy for PNC Institutional Asset Management presents this advanced five-step process to help leaders learn how to successfully share the fiscal value of supporting your organization with potential funders. Topics such as Revenue Diversification, Investments, and Strategic Partnerships will be covered. For current or future Executive Directors, Development Leaders, and/or Board Chairs.
BC-224: A Conversation on Sector Evaluation and Collaboration. Join Santa Barbara Foundation Director of the Collaboration for Social Impact Anne Reisinger Whatley for a conversation about the importance of collaborating for greater impact.
3:20pm – Closing remarks in the BC Forum