12:00-1:00 PM Eastern
The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing updates to certifications for all federal financial assistance recipients—aligning requirements with recent executive orders and U.S. Department of Justice guidance on unlawful discrimination. These changes would apply broadly across all grants, cooperative agreements, and other federal funding vehicles. Hear how this change could introduce new compliance and legal exposure risks for both nonprofits and public entities, including civil and criminal penalties. It would also apply to sub-grantees with the onus on the prime awardee to monitor compliance, so state pass-through dollars also would be affected.
Join us on May 4, 2026 at Noon ET for a special educational webinar to learn more about what is being proposed and advocacy actions already taken by AFP and GPA in partnership with national partners.
This webinar is free for AFP members and co-hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Grant Professionals Association (GPA).
Presenters:
Sarah Saadian is Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Campaigns with the National Council of Nonprofits. She has more than fifteen years of experience with national advocacy campaigns and has successfully advanced federal policies on Capitol Hill. Prior to joining NCN, Sarah served as Senior Vice President at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, senior analyst at Enterprise Community Partners, and policy counsel at Rapoza Associates. She graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law after receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, and she is a member of the Virginia State Bar.
Mike Chamberlain is the Chief Executive Officer of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA). As CEO, he provides strategic leadership to the GPA headquarters staff, ensuring the organization fulfills its mission to empower grant professionals through advocacy, community, and professionalism. Mike works in close partnership with members, the GPA Board of Directors, and the Grant Professionals Foundation (GPF) Board of Directors to advance the grants profession, uphold its values, and strengthen its impact. His leadership is characterized by integrity, professionalism, a steady focus, and a collaborative approach, all rooted in a deep commitment to the success of the entire GPA community.
Julia Szybala is Senior Director of Oversight, Regulatory Affairs, and Strategic Initiatives at Democracy Forward. She has extensive experience navigating complex regulatory compliance and oversight matters, both in and outside government. Prior to joining Democracy Forward, Julia spent more than a decade at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, most recently as Assistant General Counsel for Oversight. She began her career in private practice focused on regulatory compliance and internal investigations. Julia earned her B.A. from Virginia Tech and her J.D. from Columbia Law School. She is admitted to practice in New York and Washington, D.C.
Bringing nearly 25 years of experience, Sally Schaeffer is founder and owner of Uncorked Advocates, a federal government relations firm. Her clients are some of the largest nonprofits and philanthropic associations in the country, including AFP Global.
Previously, Sally represented more than 500 nonprofits and foundations as Government Relations Director at Independent Sector, served as Washington advocate for Girl Scouts of the USA, and worked on Capitol Hill for former Rep. Louise Slaughter as Legislative Director and then Chief of Staff.
Previously, H.Art Taylor served as President and CEO of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance (2001-2024), where he significantly expanded the organization's impact by increasing charity reports from 250 to over 1,400 nationally soliciting organizations. Under his leadership, the Alliance introduced the Accredited Charity Seal, which has garnered more than 1 billion impressions in the public domain, providing donors with a clear indicator of trustworthy organizations. He also launched innovative initiatives including givesafely.io, the first charity donation platform built on blockchain technology, and The Heart of Giving Podcast, ranked first nationwide in the nonprofit genre.
Mr. Taylor is a respected voice in the nonprofit sector on charity accountability, transparency, governance, and strategy. He is a co-author of "The Overhead Myth" letters and collaborated with GuideStar and Independent Sector to create Charting Impact. His "Advancing Collaboration" initiative, which included a partnership with Stanford Social Innovation Review, received the 2018 ASAE Foundation's Innovation Award.