Network Exchange: Insights from the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors

We're back with another very special episode. On November 4-7, 2025, the National Gathering was held in Chandler, Arizona, outside of Phoenix. Attendees joined host Lee Stabert at a pop-up recording studio to chat about their expectations, their experiences, and their place in this evolving community.

These are the guests, in order of appearance.

Polly Riddims, NNFS

Micah Blumenthal, Good Work Institute

Lauren Chianese, Mazlo

Ema Sol, Future Incubator

Amanda Bennett, Personified Tech

Jill Teigen, Players Philanthropy Fund (PPF)

Jacob Beach, Stara Collaborative

Jericha Senyak, Jericha Senyak Consulting

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode — or would like to appear on the show  — please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

In this episode, host Lee Stabert chats with Melissa Erickson (The Funding Studio), Kelsey Otten (TAP AZ) and Juan Salas (TAP AZ), members of Arizona’s fiscal sponsorship community. If you haven’t heard — the 2025 National Gathering is headed there in early November. They discuss the field of play in the state, how they’re working to build community, and even share some packing and snacking tips. 

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

And if you’d like more information on the 2025 National Gathering, happening in Phoenix, head to fiscalsponsors.org/events.

In this episode, host Lee Stabert speaks with Elliot Zettas — he recently completed a PhD and focused his dissertation on, you guessed it, fiscal sponsorship. We chat with him about what led him to this area of study, how he conducted his research, and the big-picture conclusions he was able to draw. 

HERE is a link to Zettas' work.

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

And if you’d like more information on the 2025 National Gathering, happening in Phoenix, head to fiscalsponsors.org/events.

In this episode, host Lee Stabert speaks with Carla Dartis of Movement Strategy Center in Oakland, California. In this discussion, they touch on community building, resistance, and keeping the work itself at the center of the organization’s mission.

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

And if you’d like more information on the 2025 National Gathering, happening in Phoenix, head to fiscalsponsors.org/events.

In this conversation, host Lee Stabert chats with Marc Pollick from The Giving Back Fund. As you’ll hear in this episode, Marc saw a problem — celebrities and athletes with the desire and the influence to give back, and none of the expertise — and came up with a solution. He speaks about helping people give money away, design/build philanthropy, and how funders can meet the moment.

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

And if you’d like more information on the 2025 National Gathering, happening in Phoenix, head to fiscalsponsors.org/events.

In this episode, host Lee Stabert speaks with Karl Mill from Mill Law Center. An attorney who works with nonprofits and fiscal sponsors, Karl joined us to talk about this particular moment — one that feels incredible precarious for organizations doing community-centric work. What should they be worried about? How can they meet the moment? And why might they need a lawyer?

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

And if you’d like more information on the 2025 National Gathering, happening in Phoenix, head to fiscalsponsors.org/events.

In this episode, host Lee Stabert speaks with Ajani Husbands and Amanda Nasinyama of Build Up, Inc., an international fiscal sponsor with a special focus on women and BIPOC-led projects. At the 2024 National Gathering in Atlanta, they  led a session entitled, "Decolonizing Fiscal Sponsorship." In this chat, we get into the conception and experience of that session, as well as the bigger picture for Build Up Inc.’s work as they try to level the playing field and build partnerships across the globe.

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

This is a very special episode. On October 16-18, the National Gathering was held in Atlanta, Georgia. More than a dozen folks joined host Lee Stabert at a pop-up recording studio to chat about their expectations, their experiences, and their place in this evolving community.

These are the guests, in order of appearance.

Jasmine Hall Ratliff, Build Missouri Health

Corey P. Holland, Charm City Impact

Juan Salas, TAPAZ -Technical Assistance Partnership of Arizona 

Ema Angulo-Rodriguez, Future Coalition

Ashlee Haze, Kiera Ashlee Talent Co & Alternate ROOTS

Asaf Ronen, Austin Creative Alliance

Shava Lawson, Seattle Parks Foundation 

Melinda Steffy, CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia

Alicia Prevost, The Partnership Project

Amanda Bennett, Personified Tech

Ajani Husbands, Build Up, Inc.

KJ Shepherd, Goodnation

Sarah Hiller, Evergreen Social Impact

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

In this conversation, host Lee Stabert is joined by Polly Riddims, Khadija El Karfi Joss, and Melissa Erickson, members of the organizing committee for the upcoming National Gathering, taking place October 16-18 in Atlanta Georgia.

To get you excited — and convince any stragglers to register — they're discussing this year’s theme, the welcoming energy that infuses the annual event, and the changes they’ve made to the 2024 iteration of the National Gathering.

CLICK HERE to register for the 2024 National Gathering. 

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know. 

In this episode, host Lee Stabert speaks with Esther Pang and Khadija El Karfi Joss of Future Coalition about their program Future Incubator. The organization works with young activists to help them grow the impact of their work and they offer fiscal sponsorship. The conversation covers the power of the next generation to make change in the world, the nuts of bolts of how you support them, and why Future Coalition would like other fiscal sponsors to join them in this project.

This podcast was produced by the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors. If you enjoyed this episode and would like to hear more, please reach out to NNFS and let us know.